Active Topics Memberlist Calendar Search Help | |
Register Login |
Directing | |
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Directing |
Topic: changing a playscript( Topic Closed) | |
<< Prev Page of 3 |
Author | Message |
skoehler
Lead Joined: 5/19/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 37 |
Posted: 8/19/08 at 11:51am |
There are stories floating around of several well known playwrights shutting down High School and Community Theatre productions based on changing one "profane" word, Damn to darn, etc. Is the playwright being a bit of a prick, sure, is that his right? yes.
The fact is, if you chance something and get caught and get served with a cease and desist, now what do you tell your high school students? "Sorry I broke the law and got caught, no show tonight"? nuff said. I sat in on a forum where someone asked if they had legal right to cut smoking and references to smoking from a script because of local smoking bans. They were pretty sure they could, the answer was simple, it is not a right to do any show you want, you have to choose shows based on what you feel is appropriate and make changes only with permission. Giving High School kids the message that "It's okay to break this law, everyone else is doing it" is reprehensible. They get that message enough, do we really need their teachers reinforcing it? |
|
Steven Koehler
Managing Director Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette www.lafayettecivic.org |
|
IP Logged | |
jayzehr
Celebrity Joined: 8/11/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 537 |
Posted: 8/19/08 at 6:18pm |
Just for the record, I wasn't advocating changing a script without permission. This has been a frequent and enduring topic here and I thought it was of interest that these playwrights were encouraging altering their script.
|
|
IP Logged | |
B-M-D
Celebrity Joined: 11/03/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 346 |
Posted: 8/22/08 at 3:59pm |
If you're given that option by the playwright (usually somewhere within the script) to be able to make certain changes then by all means take advantage of that.
|
|
BD
"Dying is easy, comedy is hard." |
|
IP Logged | |
Nyria
Celebrity Joined: 1/20/05 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 157 |
Posted: 10/09/08 at 12:35pm |
Sorry - I should have read all this but I'm lazy ;) So someone might have said this...
You can always contact the playwright (or their agent) and ask. They are humans and you can talk to them. :P
Some are OK with it (not many - but some)
|
|
NYRIA
|
|
IP Logged | |
B-M-D
Celebrity Joined: 11/03/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 346 |
Posted: 10/09/08 at 1:00pm |
Very true! But get it in writing of they say yes.
|
|
BD
"Dying is easy, comedy is hard." |
|
IP Logged | |
Theatrefolk
Player Joined: 10/26/08 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 17 |
Posted: 10/29/08 at 1:18pm |
As a playwright let me tell you I love the rental car example. It's the one I use with students. And they certainly do learn by example. If their teacher willy-nilly changes a script they have no idea it's 'wrong.' And then they go and do it.
Always ask. You never know. There's lots of reasons why I'll allow changes. But, do be prepared to hear 'no.' I'm amazed how many directors are dead sure I'm going to agree to something....... Lindsay |
|
Theatrefolk: Scripts for High Schools, Middle Schools, and Elementary Schools
http://www.theatrefolk.com |
|
IP Logged | |
<< Prev Page of 3 |
Forum Jump |
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |