Since I just had the usual "no, you can't videotape the show" conversation with an actor last night I guess I'll be the one to point out that if you are talking about theatre in most situations it would not be permitted to videotape performances and your website would be violating intellectual property rights.

So, how's that work? You're including linked youtube videos of performances (Seussical junior for example) with "CAST clip" dispayed at the bottom but you're saying the liability is youtube's or the actor's? The site seems to be encouraging linking to uploaded videos of performances. There's certainly no warning that it might be illegal and apparently no one is deleting them.
Just curious. Considering all the concern about intellectual property rights around here, I'm suprised no one else has commented. It seems to me that unlike other scenerios, here's an instance where someone could actually be generating revenue from the unauthorized use of copyrighted material.

This past Saturday, I saw a local children's theatre production of "Seussical" ... there must have been 25 people videotaping the performance.

With the proliferation of cam corders - heck, even my TELEPHONE will make a video! - I think this hard-and-fast rule is going to go by the wayside. It's going to become more and more impossible to police these illegal tapings.

No, you should not authorize recording w/out permission. There are shows, however, where you can buy video recording rights. I don't know what the fees are but maybe it is worth looking into since you have a lot of cast members who what a copy. It is possible for some productions but not all.

Actually the right houses can't bring a legal action it is the author and their reps that do that.

See Right houses (Sam French , MTI etc) do not hold those rights which is why it is in your contract NOT to record.

We have a VERY strict policy of NO RECORDING. not even a snip from a phone.

A friend of mine who works at MTI says that basically they always have to say NO. But that in actuality, many of the authors don't MIND as long as there is no SELLING of the DVD etc. Because it actually promotes their product. People see someone's vid and say . Heck if THEY can do it WE can do it.

But it is STILL ILLEGAL!