I was here over the summer looking for plays for a high school production I was directing, and everyone was so helpful I thought I'd post again for a little more help.

 

Well, after all the great suggestions, I still couldn't find what I was looking for exactly, so I decided to give writing a try.  I figured I would start writing a play, not be able to get very far, give up, and keep searching for scripts.  To my surprise, I found writing a lot less intimidating than I expected, and after many many hours, I had a script.  I did a very small and very quick workshop of the script with the students, finalized the script, and began rehearsals.  This was my fourth year directing the fall comedy at the school, and I was expecting the audience response to be comparable to that of the past few years.  Well, opening night came and the audience's reaction far exceeded my expectations.  Our second (closing) performance was also a hit.  This was by far the most successful of the six fall comedies the school has done thus far (both in terms of audience size and reaction).  I was extremely happy with how it all turned out.  Who knew that my struggle to find a play could turn into such a rewarding experience?

 

I have been urged to try to get the play published.  I put the script aside for a few months, but last week I began to fix a few things here and there and I put the play into standard script format.  I'm pretty much ready to start submitting to publishing companies, but I have a few questions.  I know that some of you here are published playwrights, so maybe you can help.

 

Aside from following the guidelines for each individual publishing company (most of which can be found on their websites), is there anything I definitely should and definitely should not do when submitting?

 

I have a DVD copy of the play, however, it was filmed and edited by the school's media class.  The students filming went a little crazy with the zoom, and the editing has odd cuts.  It's way below quality of even the average school or community theater DVD.  I would not want to submit the DVD in its current state to a publishing company.  Do you think it's better to not submit the DVD at all or to submit a DVD of highlight clips from the show reedited by myself?

 

Also, I have compiled a list of publishers that seem to publish for the school play market:

 

Big Dog Plays

Brooklyn Publishers

Contemporary Drama Service

Dramatic Publishing

Eldridge Publishing Company

Heuer Publishing

Pioneer Drama

Youth Plays

Samuel French, Inc. (OK so they don't accept blind submissions, but I can email and always dream, right?)

 

Is there anyone I seem to be missing?

 

Also, any other advice?

 

I know this was a long post, but thanks for any and all feedback.

 

 

From my experience, Dramatic Publishing Company and Samuel French are pretty dismissive of new work from teachers that don't have professional productions. I say this as someone who has a play published with Sam French - I've sent work to Dramatic Publishing on numerous occasions and never heard a peep from them.

 

I've heard some bad things about Eldridge from other authors who publish with them.

 

Your best best is the publisher that isn't on your list, Playscripts. They specialize in the high school market, and dominate the one-act play market for schools (9 of the top 12 most-produced one-acts are published by Playscripts).

 

If your play is large-cast, designed for schools, and doesn't contain too much objectionable material, you can submit it to them without a professional production. It's easy as pie too - you can upload it right from their website. They've been very responsive to me over the years, and the longest I've had to wait to hear from them has been 6 months or so.

 

- Don't worry about the DVD. No one is going to ask you for that.

 

I would try to get someone, another theatre teacher in a different school perhaps, to read your play first, just to see if there are any tweaks that you might have missed, before submitting it to publishers.

 

I don't know too much about Big Dog, Brooklyn, CDS, Heuer, or Pioneer - I'd wager my teeth that they don't sell as well as Playscripts. Youthplays is brand new, run by playwrights, and very cool, so they're worth a shot as well.

 

Good luck!

I got involved with the local high school a couple of years ago, trying to restart a dormant drama program.  I tried to direct last year, got three weeks from the show, and realized the kids' schedules would make producing it untenable.  This year I started much earlier, but couldn't fingd the exact show I wanted to fit the kids I had.  I finally realized I had the answer right in my own hands.  I had already written 19 plays, so it was no big jump to go right to writing what I wanted.  This one, an 80 minute drama, took only seven days to write.  We just had the first production of it two weeks ago.  The kids loved it and had a great time doing it. Which is good, because if you're going to do your own show, direct it and cast your own kid in the lead without so much as an audition, you'd better have a darn good show.

 

Now, I'm looking for next year's show already, but I have taken time to send this play to four or five publishers, most of which are on your list. Thanks, by the way, I found 'em myself, but I'm sure your post will direct someone where they need to go.