While NDAs can play a role in protecting the privacy of the creative process and product, they should not be used as a way to prevent an employee from talking about an abuse of power or from holding a company or individual accountable for misconduct. In addition to prerehearsal NDAs, you may be asked to sign an NDA if you’ve made a formal complaint about wrongdoing or misconduct, or if you’re being fired or laid off.

The decision on four Scott Rudin Broadway contracts has sparked a broader conversation on the overall use of nondisclosure agreements with regards to Actors’ Equity Association’s 50,000-plus members nationwide.