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shocking sticker price of licensing

  • 1.  shocking sticker price of licensing

    Posted 08-20-2018 23:58
    What do you do when you find out that the price of licensing is too high? I forgot to apply for the rights for my Fall play (yikes!) and just did it forThe 39 Steps. Only to find out the fee is $875! I can't afford this - I have to rent a theater, too. How do schools deal with such expensive licensing fees? I just don't get it.

    Thanks,
    Arden

    ------------------------------
    Arden Thomas
    Sequoyah High School
    Pasadena CA
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: shocking sticker price of licensing

    Posted 08-21-2018 06:53
    Most of the plays I want to produce have a royalty around $100.00 per performance. I have not encountered a play with such a high royalty but sometimes it is simply the price of doing business.

    --
    Mark A. Zimmerman
    Theatre Director,

    Akron School for the Arts
    Firestone High School
    470 Castle Blvd
    Akron, Ohio 44313

    330-761-3275

    FirestoneTheatre.com




    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: shocking sticker price of licensing

    Posted 08-21-2018 07:19
    Arden (and others),

    In my experience through contracting plays with Samuel French, Dramatists, MTI or R & H, schools aren't required to pay in full upfront. There is usually a deposit but the bulk is due within a week of close.

    A straight play from French usually runs $75 to $100 per show, with a per script cost of $9.95 each.

    EdTA has a rights fee waiver process you may consider. Having to rent a space does impact your budgeting. Perhaps a community partner would consider covering this cost in exchange for a producer credit and a ticket package?

    I invite you to join our growing group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1882150432093804 to see if there may be others with similar situations and solutions. 

    I wish you the most "broken legs" of success.
    Aaron



    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: shocking sticker price of licensing

    Posted 08-21-2018 08:55
    That royalty fee is RIDICULOUS! Seriously, that is far too much for any straight play - no matter how cool and funny it may be. How many performances are you having - 8 or 9? I would contact Samuel French immediately and see if somehow 1. they think you are a professional company, 2. they think your space holds more than you ever sell or 3. they think you are having more performances that you are. It seems like this is a misunderstanding that could be cleared up. If not, cancel the order and pick a different play or publisher.

    ------------------------------
    Valerie Farschman, Drama Director
    MLS Theatre Company, Troupe 1422
    Marion L Steele High School
    Amherst, Ohio
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: shocking sticker price of licensing

    Posted 08-21-2018 09:29
      |   view attached
    (Arden, I know we're chatting via email, but I wanted to share a little insight with the group!)

    Our fees are set per our contracts with our authors, so they can receive payment for their art. These fees are determined using your ticket prices, venue size, number of performances, and other title-specific factors. All amateur groups use the same application, and fees are always due in full prior to announcing a show and starting production. It's important to note that fees increase with more expensive ticket prices and/or a greater number of performances. 

    However, we understand that you may not fill your venue to the maximum seating capacity, and for most shows, we're able to work with teachers and teaching artists to see if they qualify for a lower rate. Please feel free to send an email to     K12@samuelfrench.com with the specifics about your situation and your license request number. My colleague Sarah and I work with teachers every day on this process, and we're always happy to be a resource for you and your students if you have any questions about the licensing process. I'm attaching our season planning guide for schools as well, which I hope will be helpful!

    ------------------------------
    Rosemary Bucher
    Licensing Representative, Educational Theatre
    Samuel French
    New York NY
    ------------------------------
    ---------------------------------------

    Attachment(s)

    pdf
    Season Planning for Schools-- Samuel French.pdf   101 KB 1 version


  • 6.  RE: shocking sticker price of licensing

    Posted 08-21-2018 09:34
    Sticker price is always a shocker. (We had to dole out over 3K for "the Little Mermaid, Jr." last year, and just paid almost 4K for "Mamma Mia".)
    Fundraise, fundraise, fundraise! I had to wait a year until I amassed enough bank to do a pricey show. Write your School Superintendent and ask for funding. Tell them all of the costs you face bringing arts education to your students - you might see results. Write to area businesses and ask for sponsors -- we had many businesses cut us checks just by asking. Most importantly, DON'T ever "forget" to pay royalties -- make it the first thing you do. The penalties for not doing so will REALLY give you sticker shock! ;)

    ------------------------------
    Ritchie Jackson
    Theatre Director
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: shocking sticker price of licensing

    Posted 08-21-2018 11:04
    Crazy right? When that happened to me with Secret Garden, I found a Pioneer version for much less. My budget for 2 nights is $650 so I’m doing a lot of Pioneer versions these days. If anyone finds anything good on the cheep, I’m looking for a Cast of 23, with at least 2 female leads & 2 male leads, at least 7 Supporting roles (1 M), and at least 3 featured roles.

    Maria Stadtmueller
    St. Augustine School
    Kendall Park, NJ

    Sent from my iPhone
    ____________________________________________________________
    Oncologists Are Freaking Out After Officials Release This
    pro.naturalhealthresponse.com
    http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/5b7c29c290d3029c2237ast01duc


    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: shocking sticker price of licensing

    Posted 08-21-2018 11:09
    You could also look for something that is in the public domain. Another option is to look at doing a night of one acts instead of a full length. If you tie them together with a general theme it should work.

    ------------------------------
    Shira Schwartz
    Chandler Unified School District
    Chandler AZ
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: shocking sticker price of licensing

    Posted 08-21-2018 14:28
    Yes, as Rosemary (from Samuel French) said, "The 39 Steps" is $125 per performance, regardless of how many or how few seats are in the house. I think I'll have to hold off on this one this year, and search for something either in the $75 range or public domain. And fundraise to do it some time!

    Arden

    ------------------------------
    Arden Thomas
    Sequoyah High School
    Pasadena CA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: shocking sticker price of licensing

    Posted 08-21-2018 16:11
    We set our shows based on our budget.  There are dozens of shows I cannot do because of the costs of costumes, technology, set design, and of course ... royalties.  When this occurs, we either cut back on expenses for the current year so I can afford higher costs next year, or simply pick a different show.

    Three suggestions for picking a cost-effective show (there are more, but it's late in the day):
    1) Do a concert version.  Usually, the royalties are cheaper due to the lack of libretto.  Also, you don't have to worry about the added costs of costumes, sets, props, etc.
    2) Go public domain.  Shakespeare et al can be very lucrative if done right.  I once did a small touring production of what we called "Shakespeare in Blue Jeans" with costumes of jeans, t-shirts, plastic swords, and well-acted Shakespeare scenes (not even a complete play!).  We made about $500 in a handful of shows.
    3) Write your own.  No royalties.  Expenses controlled by you. Of course, the draw will be more limited since there's no famous name/title associated, but it could be worth a shot.

    Break a leg!

    ------------------------------
    Josh Ruben, M. Ed.
    Fine Arts Head
    Northwest Whitfield HS (dba, The Northwest Theatre Co.)
    Tunnel Hill, GA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: shocking sticker price of licensing

    Posted 08-21-2018 18:42
    I did 39 Steps two years ago and never paid that much.  It was more along the lines of 100$ / show.  That being said, I perform in a very intimate venue, seats 250 and my ticket prices are 8$.   License fees are based on seat count and ticket price, at least partly.   In my smaller venue my fees are never more than 150$/ performance.  In my larger space, I pay more, but not significantly more.  I think the most I have paid for a play in my 800 seat venue (still with 8$ the tickets) is around 200$ / show.

    How many seats are in your theatre?  What do you charge for tickets?  



    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: shocking sticker price of licensing

    Posted 08-21-2018 19:33
    Arden, given that you're teaching at a moderately pricey private school, you might want to put together a booster's group to help you with some of the big ticket expenses. How many performances do you get for that much? If you aren't allowed to create a boosters club, you might have to just go ask the Head for the money. The worst he can say is no. I notice your school charges an activity fee. You should be getting some of that money.

    Just some ideas

    Billy Houck
    Northern California Thespian Board Rep
    Theatre Teacher, Retired
    Carmichael, CA



    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: shocking sticker price of licensing

    Posted 08-22-2018 09:02
    We are also doing The 39 Steps this fall. Our rights/royalties were $690 for three performances. In general, I think royalties have been creeping up quickly. It use to be for plays that the royalty didn't depend on the size of the theatre, but I think that must have changed. I know you can request a lower rate from some of the companies, if you can show that you don't fill your house. We have a larger theatre and that might be why our royalties were higher. 

    We are paying over $5000 for Disney's Beauty and the Beast this year. Theatre can be expensive.

    ------------------------------
    David Tate Hastings
    Olathe South High School
    Thespian Troupe #5006
    Kansas Thespians
    Treasurer & Membership Chair
    913-481-1868
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: shocking sticker price of licensing

    Posted 08-22-2018 12:19

    To be clear, that's total and not "per show" correct? 

    Actually for total that's not necessarily that high depending on how many shows you are doing and how big your theater is. If you are doing 8 shows and in a 400 seat theater that's pretty standard. If you are in a large venue but don't plan to sell that many seats, you should let the publisher know. They will usually work with you if, for example, you have a 400 seat theater like me but never sell the 200 seat balcony they will bill you as a 200 seat theater. Your ticket price is also a factor. 

    To give you perspective, I paid $700 for the six performances of The Mousetrap in a 400 seat theater that I sold at 50% or less. My ticket price was $12 and $10. This was also Samuel French and this is an almost 90 year old play with an author who has been dead for decades. If your seating and ticket prices are at all comparable, I don't think $125 a show is over the top, especially for such a popular play.  I'm curious what you've paid for previous plays that this was a shock? 



    ------------------------------
    John Monteverde
    Drama Teacher
    Pittsfield High School
    Pittsfield, MA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


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