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FINDING PLAYS AND MUSICALS
Sourcing the Works that Work on Your Stage
This is the theatre, not a crapshoot-so why does it sometimes feel like you’re feeling around in the dark for next season’s productions? Luckily, you’re not completely in the dark. There are plenty of options for theatres looking to source plays and musicals that will light up the stage, sell seats and keep patrons coming back for more. From single works by enterprising playwrights to multiple-listing online databases, we can’t list them all, but hopefully there are some new tips and reminders of where to forage.
Just where are those perfect plays-the ones that are appropriate for your budget, stage, cast and audience-hiding, anyway? When in doubt, it never hurts to rely on that theatrical favorite, word of mouth, at least as a start. “It’s old-fashioned, but it works,” says licensing agent Joan Kovats, whose boutique agency represents Ted Swindley Productions, including the hit musical “Always ... Patsy Cline.” “Ask other theatres what has worked for them; go see plays at other theatres for ideas.”
Hunting own properties-What did we do before the Internet?
But lip service can only go so far. Sometimes you’re stumped-an odd-sized cast, a plethora of children, a strange staging limitation-and where word of mouth fails, licensing companies can often step in with innovative solutions. The days of catalogs and mailers are being replaced with more intuitive and faster ways to reference materials via the Internet.
The Internet has really made sourcing plays and playwrights a lot easier. From complete online databases to individual playwrights licensing their works, you can cross-compare and sample scripts right online. The industry staples like Samuel French, Inc., Eldridge Plays and Musicals, and Dramatists Play Service, Inc., have search functions within their Web sites that allow you locate works by a number of parameters. Several allow you to further sort by category and cast size with many other options to secure monologues, seasonal works and even download a complete catalog.
Playscripts has gone one step further by creating a searchable database of their licensed works and a database that contains entries from all of the major play publishers in North America. “We try to offer a range of options for our consumers,” says Doug Rand, president and co-founder of Playscripts. That way, users can search exclusively through the Playscripts library and if they can’t find what they want, they can access www.findaplay.com to find a majority of other published works.
With the Playscripts online database, you can specify parameters-cast size, length, etc.-or browse by category. Synopses and script samples are available online, a growing tactic in an industry that usually expects customers to try before buying. Books can run up to $15 or $20, so the expense might get cumbersome if you are looking at a large selection of plays. Regardless of how you find the play, Rand has some prescient advice: “Read the whole play before making the decision. You’d be surprised how often this is a problem!”
There are others making their presence known online like Doollee.com, whose goal is to list every play written or produced in English since 1956, and Stageplays.com, where plays can also be searched according to cast size. Also, Playdatabase.com has nearly 12,500 listings from Samuel French to single play self-publishers. Trying to be as neutral as possible, www.playdatabase.com is not affiliated with any one publisher and encourages self-published playwrights to submit their work.
“There’s no ranking difference between something put out by a major company and something written by a college kid in their dorm,” explains Jim Sabo, co-founder of Playdatabase.com. “We actually go the opposite direction, and allow you to search just the small publishers, so if you're trying to find something that hasn't been seen before, you can find it.”
Let’s get specific
If you are searching for a specialty play, the full works of Shakespeare or even the Spanish Golden Age, there are Web sites that can make your search easier. MIT Shakespeare Web site is one of the first Web sites to offer the first edition of the complete works of William Shakespeare.
If children’s theatre is what you are seeking, check out Classics On Stage, a children’s theatre classics publishing entity that has been around since the 1970s and went online in 2001. “Our website is more efficient and cost-effective than paper catalogs,” notes playwright Michele Vacca, who wrote all of COS’s properties. Their website, has completely replaced a paper catalog. “We certainly seem to reach the people who want to find us,” says Vacca.
Plays for Young Audiences uses their Web site to provide complete immersion into the play and includes the playwright, number of pages, cast size, ideal performer’s age, run time, audience level recommendation and a synopsis.
And let’s not forget our seniors! ArtAge has a collection of senior theatre plays all designed with the mature performer in mind. Plays are available in a variety of categories including new works, intergenerational and musicals.
Speaking of musicals, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s (NAMT) Festival of New Musicals continues its mission by expanding the musical theatre repertoire through the discovery of new works that are diverse in ethnicity, subject matter, style and concept. Held every fall, the Festival has introduced musical theatre producers to over 170 musicals and 300 writers from around the world. Lest we forget the truly original, Broadway’s “The Drowsy Chaperone,” from the 2004 NAMT Festival, recouped its $8 million investment in just 30 weeks, giving us all some hope for more original musicals.
You can also look for new musicals on a regional level including The New York Musical Theatre Festival, started in 2004, which has premiered 99 new musicals since its inception. The festival held in New York City this fall will feature 18 new musicals. And of course in Chicago this summer, Stages, a weekend festival of new musicals presented by Theatre Building Chicago will thrill to no less than eight new works. With some calling it “a religious retreat for musical theatre lovers,” attendees will include producers, directors, writers, composers, and musical theatre aficionados from all over the country.
The Pacific Northwest’s Village Theatre supports an extensive year-round program, Village Originals, dedicated to every aspect of new musical development. To date, Village Theatre's Village Originals program has developed over 60 new musicals, some of which have gone on to stages that include Ford's Theatre, Pittsburg Public, York Theatre and Off Broadway.
And recently announced, Jason Alexander and Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz will kick-off a festival celebrating New American Musicals in May and June of 2008. SoCal Fest slated to take place at several venues, including the Hollywood Bowl and Pepperdine University, is a two-month event that will showcase musicals produced by more than 30 Southland performing arts organizations and include staged readings, master classes and workshops.
Associate with associations
Many associations support your constant quest to find the best material to present. Be sure to contact whichever organizations you belong to and see what they have to offer. Theatre Communications Group (TCG) not only publishes play excerpts in American Theatre Magazine, but also offers Page to Stage titles through its online bookstore.
American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE) sponsors the Playwright’s Network, a conduit to theatre production, both professional and school-based, for playwrights writing for young audiences. AATE provides a directory of new plays by its members that gets updated annually.
The American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) also provides play sources on its Web site with several ways to search its database including publishers, individual playwrights, title and type of play.
The Dramatists Guild of America can be a starting point to search individual member playwright’s Web sites on their recently launched DG Web where members can post information on the scripts they have written. And be sure to consider tapping into organizations such as Minneapolis-based The Playwright Center to see individual works by playwrights as well as their New Play Gallery to view the names, titles and short script samples.
Licensing new works
Looking for something unique? Consider licensing a new work. Publishers are constantly scouting quality pieces and may be able to license them within months of completion, though some require multiple performances and workshops before deeming them worthy of their catalogs. Ask your licensor about upcoming pieces to get dibs on great new work.
Another option: working with or commissioning a play from a playwright whose work you enjoy. “One of the greatest feelings in the world is to hook a playwright up with a theatre that will appreciate his or her work and become a partner in that career,” says Rand. Sacramento’s B Street Theatre chose “Lobster Alice,” a script by Playscripts’ playwright Kira Obolensky-then commissioned her next piece.
Make sure you tune into the many festivals and theatres launching new works. The Actors Theatre of Louisville’s Humana Festival of New American Plays has long provided the theatre world with new works. Keep your eye on Chicago as Stage Left Theatre launches its new play development program, Downstage Left. Theatre Building Chicago is celebrating its 30th year as an incubator for original musical works; and Victory Gardens Theatre, recently expanding to include the landmark Biograph Theatre, will most certainly deliver on is mission “to develop new works of the highest artistic caliber and spread the vitality of theatre to diverse audiences.”
Rules of engagement
Being guided toward the right play often means talking to publishers and licensing agents, who have the specific know-how to recommend a play that’s right for your budget, audience and space. “We’re theatre people, and we’re here to help people find appropriate properties,” says David Cole, business and rights manager for Players Press, a firm that licenses not only plays and musicals, but also scripts for films, videos and multimedia, and even music.
You’ve found the perfect property for your next season. Now the question is, can you get it? Allow yourself plenty of lead time-up to two years in the case of hot properties-but know that some companies do negotiate last-minute substitutions and emergencies. Don’t assume that just because you like a piece means you can produce it. “We stick to a strict mileage limit,” says Kovats, whose restrictions prevent shows from running too close together or within too close a distance. “Simply put, it protects our clients from the competition,” she says. Being early can also give you a leg up on marketing and sales. “The sooner you order, the more confident you can be in your advance publicity and advertising,” notes Nancy Vorhis, president of Eldridge Publishing.
Competition aside, it’s what’s inside the contract that really counts. Expect to see standard “ironclad” language and clauses regarding billing (certain logos and titles might be required in your advertising materials), audio/video recording, payment and comp tickets (usually determined based on venue size, ticket price and property cachet). And don’t be afraid to ask questions-it’s the easiest way to avoid conflicts in the future.
Licensing looks ahead
When asked what lies ahead, agents’ and publishers’ views vary. “More draconian contracts,” says Vacca.
“Electronic content,” suggests Vorhis.
Rand concurs: “If you look at other industries, you see a trend of peer recommendations. I’d wager that user recommendations and rating systems are on the horizon.”
Whatever the outlook, it’s certain that the industry will continue-and that we will continue our hunt for the perfect property. “The survival of theatre today won’t depend on the next hot property,” says Cole. “It will depend on people continuing to produce plays, fostering appreciation of the theatre, and realizing that there’s a whole world of great material-if you’re willing to look for it.”
To carry on the conversation about sourcing plays and musicals, visit
©2007 Dramabiz Magazine. All Rights Reserved.