I already wrote this posting once, but the computer I was using froze up on me and I lost it.  I'll try again.

Interesting posting on copywrite infringement, jayzehr.

Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but the first website you listed seemed to me to deal with using a director's staging rather than omitting it.  It stated that the producer and director of a 1994 Chicago production of "The Most Happy Fella" used Gerald Gutierrez's staging from his 1992 Broadway revival without permission, and that is what got them into trouble.

Also, it mentioned that the Chicago-Kent Law Review concluded that "stage directions can't be copywrited".

I am no lawyer, so someone please correct me if I am reading it wrong.

Your second citation was likewise interesting.  The article in the 1999 Dramatics magazine seemed to describe "business" more than "blocking".  To me, "business" always seems to be more closely tied to the author's dialogue and meaning.  The article listed "laughing", "tearfully", throwing Stella the bloody meat.......all business having nothing to do with moving the actors around the stage, which to me is one of the meanings of "blocking". It would be very difficult to change or omit "business" without changing the playwright's intention. Sometimes it is necessary to change blocking, which I still maintain is the notation of the original director's blocking made in the prompt book by the stage manager (which I, by the way, learned from a theatre professor, like the professor quoted in the article).  Your stage, set, and facility are different than the original and likely would not accomodate the staging in the script book.

Thanks for including the information about liability of the board members.  I wonder if Ohio's laws are the same.  Anyone out there have the answer to that?

I saw a production of Albee's Zoo Story with a woman playing Jerry.  It was at a state community theatre festival.  Also added a third character to the play:  that of the dog in Jerry's long convoluted story that "he" (she in this case) tells.  I'm pretty sure no one got permission for that.

Wow.  We are really off topic, but I'm going to continue...

The instance that I am speaking of was really odd, because if I recall correctly, I saw this production at the state level and then again at the regional level.  I know it was an AACT representative who remarked to me that she was very concerned about it.  She must have said something because it didn't get past regionals.  However, nothing was said publically about it being disqualified. 

The ironic thing is that there were adjudicators who praised the choices quite extensively.  The next festival this group (same director, many of the same actors) went to nationals.