Local 1 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees has proclaimed itself to be "firmly behind" the contract ironed out yesterday with producers and Broadway theater owners: Broadway will be reopened and the new contract for stagehands is likely to be ratified in a few weeks. While the pay rate for name-brand actors and directors (who can command fees up to and well beyond $100,000 a week, while no-name actors and tech employees take home as little as $1200 a week) remains a main reason for the absurd cost of both productions and tickets, the new contract will at least ensure that there's still money coming in to enable plenty of stagehands to sit around for hours until a single chair needs to be moved. So congratulations to the strong-arm union; though there is no bigger piece of the pie to be had on Broadway, at least they've successfully squabbled for a larger chunk of the stale old crust.