"We had to recognize that the economics of the touring business have changed," said Mary McColl, the executive director of Actors' Equity, over lunch recently in Chicago. McColl was explaining that the new contracts were an attempt to prevent shows from going the non-Equity route — not that the effort was totally successful, given that "Catch Me If You Can," which arrives in Chicago in a few weeks, is touring with a non-Equity cast. But McColl also noted that the new contract had stopped the producers of "Billy Elliot" (which operated under a production contract while it was in Chicago) from turning their tour into a non-Equity show. Perhaps the producers also understood the signal that would send — given that the show is about the struggle of a union.