Open Forum

Hi All, 

Playwright Sarah Tuft here - chiming in to thank Dana for reminding the group that one of the few benefits a playwright has is that our text can't be altered without our consent. Way back when (I forget the date,) the Dramatists Guild negotiated (with law suits and counter-suits) with big producers the Nederlanders to get us that right, but to do so, our plays are not considered "work for hire" therefore we had to forfeit our rights as employees, which leads to why most playwrights struggle to earn a living wage, don't have a union, or benefits, etc.

So it's important to us...

Having said that, for my own 9/11 docu-play, 110 STORIES, I always accommodate schools and theatres who approach me about changing text, especially for sensitive language.  I EVEN MADE TWO VERSIONS OF MY PLAY - one without expletives and one without expletives and mentions of God that could be considered blasphemy.... Both are available at Playscripts. 

SO... as Dana indicated, when you would like to request a change, reach out to the publisher and they reach out to the playwright. Often, with my permission, they put me in touch with the school so we work out exactly what they need while honoring the integrity of the play.

Thanks for all you do developing the next generation of theatre-makers!

Sarah

Hi All, 

Playwright Sarah Tuft here - chiming in to thank Dana for reminding the group that one of the few benefits a playwright has is that our text can't be altered without our consent. Way back when (I forget the date,) the Dramatists Guild negotiated (with law suits and counter-suits) with big producers the Nederlanders to get us that right, but to do so, our plays are not considered "work for hire" therefore we had to forfeit our rights as employees, which leads to why most playwrights struggle to earn a living wage, don't have a union, or benefits, etc.

So it's important to us...

Having said that, for my own 9/11 docu-play, 110 STORIES, I always accommodate schools and theatres who approach me about changing text, especially for sensitive language.  I EVEN MADE TWO VERSIONS OF MY PLAY - one without expletives and one without expletives and mentions of God that could be considered blasphemy.... Both are available at Playscripts. 

SO... as Dana indicated, when you would like to request a change, reach out to the publisher and they reach out to the playwright. Often, with my permission, they put me in touch with the school so we work out exactly what they need while honoring the integrity of the play.

Thanks for all you do developing the next generation of theatre-makers!

Sarah

There are actually many, many contemporary dramas that don't have profanity. It sounds like you're looking at shows that were previously for the off or off-off-Broadway (or maybe even on Broadway) market . Most of those were not written with teens in mind, hence the profanity. In some cases, they might allow you to drop the language, in some cases not. But if you have to change that much of it, ultimately it's not quite the same play.

Instead, consider looking at the numerous publishers out there who focus more on the educational theatre market. There are plenty of strong, challenging dramas out there where you won't have to ask for a laundry list of changes. I'd look at Playscripts, my own company YouthPLAYS, TRW Plays, Theatrefolk, Pioneer, and there's probably a lot to be found at Dramatic as well. (And there are others I'm probably leaving out.)

I would be happy to send you some recs.

Cheers,
Jonathan