These are the play companies, publishing houses, and people that need to be contacted in regards to performance rights. Most plays are covered by copyright laws, and a fee has to be paid and permission granted before they can be performed for an audience.
The exceptions are plays that are in the public domain, such as Shakespeare’s work, and the Greek and Roman classics. Sometimes these are called royalty-free plays, because the playwright does not receive a royalty if someone produces it. This does not mean that if the playwright is dead, no fee has to be paid. The owner of the rights is not always the playwright – sometimes his estate will receive royalties. But don’t avoid producing a play because you only have a small budget – for many plays, the cost of scripts and fees for a weekend’s worth of performances can be less than two hundred dollars. In general, musicals and more famous plays charge more for performance rights than a little known work.
There are other factors which can affect the fees – if the admission is free, or the play is produced for a non-profit organization, if there is radio and television advertising – but always, always, secure the performance rights before you produce the play. It is illegal to present copyrighted material without permission. Even after you secure the rights, you will still have to be careful. Some playwrights do not allow cuts (taking out certain words, lines or scenes) or changes in their scripts. Samuel Beckett, for example, requires that his stage directions be followed exactly. Several of these companies have catalogs of their plays, so that you can browse through descriptions of all of their properties.
DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE, INC.
440 Park Avenue South
New York, New York, 10016
SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.
45 West 25th Street
New York, NY, 10010
DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY
P.O. Box 129
Woodstock, Illinois 60098
BROADWAY PLAY PUBLISHING, INC.
357 West 20th Street
New York, NY 10011
Tel: (212) 627-1055
MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL
MTI Enterprises, Inc.
545 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10018-4307
Tel: (212) 868-6688
FAX: (212)643-8465
Email: mtimusical@AOL.com
BAKER’S PLAYS
100 Chauncy Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02111
ANCHORAGE PRESS
P.O. Box 8067
New Orleans, LA 70182
New Plays
P.O. Box 273
Rowayton, Connecticut 06853
Plays, Inc.
8 Arlington Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
PLAYWRIGHT’S AGENTS:
WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY
Represents Timothy Mason, Joe Pintauro
1350 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
FLORA ROBERTS, INC.
157 West 57th Street
Penthouse A
New York, NY 10019
JOYCE KETAY AGENCY
Represents Lynne Alvarez
334 West 89th Street
New York, NY 10024
OTHERS:
BITTER IS BETTER PRODUCTIONS
P.O. Box 1345
Santa Monica, CA 90406
THE FOUNDATION OF THE DRAMATISTS GUILD
(For award-winning plays in their competitions)
234 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036
MAX BUSH
5372 132nd Avenue
Hamilton, MI 49419
PAUL ZINDEL
200 West 60th Street, Apt 2E
New York, NY 10023
Last Updated: 05/26/99
©1999, Janine Moyer Buesgen