Ahh, that stinks! Unfortunately, my understanding is that there is no rights protection for productions at the amateur level, only at the professional level. We had two amateur theatre in our area get the rights for the same title with overlapping dates, and one of them simply had to yield to the other and let that company have the show. It's a bummer that the publisher told you otherwise, however.
Are you acquainted with anyone at the other theatre? It's too late now, but it would be nice to establish dialogue with them and with other area theaters for the future. All the high school theatre teachers and community theatre directors here *try* to communicate clearly with each other so no one overlaps.
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Cassy Maxton-Whitacre
Theatre Department Coordinator
Fishersville VA
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-31-2020 00:27
From: Shanda Bonn
Subject: Overlapping show dates
Looking for information from this community on how to proceed...I just found out that a theatre in our community is apparently opening You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown on the same day that we are closing our production of the same show (revised version). I have never in all my years of theatre heard of rights being granted for the same show on overlapping days. In fact, I was assured by RNH (Tams-Witmark) that no one else was doing the show in our area anywhere near our show dates. It will be very difficult for us, a high school theatre, to compete with them (we're supposed to have two shows that day). I have left a voice message with RNH and sent an email. But as we all know, they are not very quick to respond. In the meantime, my heart is racing a mile a minute. I'm absolutely incensed! Any wisdom?? Thanks.
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Shanda Bonn
Theatre Teacher
Simi Valley CA
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