Welcome to the February 2009 update. There is plenty of news, but once again, I need your help. One, I'm at work on a new play and I want to get the thoughts of my readers--you were super helpful when it came to 4 A.M. Two, I want to let all of you young writers out there (and those who know/teach young writers) about a very special opportunity to get involved with YouthPlays. The Playwriting Tip of the Month takes a month off, but in its place is a very special section about performance rights and royalties that will provide guidance for playwrights and would-be producers (especially teachers) alike. As always, if your email client doesn't show love to this format, visit me here: http://jondorf.com/news0209.html.

I'm working on a new play, tentatively titled Luv Ya. Teens in particular (though anyone is welcome to respond), I'd love to get your thoughts on these questions:

1. What is the difference between the words "luv ya" and "I love you"?
2. In sports, you'll often see a baseball or football player pat another player on the butt to say "good job." Why is it OK in that context, but not always in others?
3. I'd love to get your general take on physical affection and intimacy (not sexual intimacy) between people of the same gender. Are there different standards for males and females? If so, what are they, and why?
4. Have you ever been in a situation where you personally experienced this issue in one way or another? Please share if you can.

Last month I told you about YouthPlays.com, a great new place to find plays for young actors and audiences. Now we're looking for a few great people to get involved.

Are you skilled with the internet and computers? Good at proofreading? A motivated young playwright in high school or college? When you join us as an unofficial (or official, if your school will give you credit) intern, in return for your assistance, one of our partners, all of whom are experienced MFA playwrights, will give you ongoing feedback on your writing. We think that's a pretty good deal. Want to learn more?

Copyright infringement is a serious problem. How serious? Every year, the failure to pay royalties or purchase cast copies deprives playwrights and their publishers of thousands and thousands (if not millions) of dollars in income. My play After Math has been produced without permission 5 times (that I know of), and both Thank You for Flushing... and High School (non) Musical have had their own infringements as well.

Most people who break copyright law do so out of ignorance. The antidote for ignorance, of course, is information. Feel free to print out this guide, forward it, pass it on to everyone you know who directs or produces plays. If you're a student, show it to your teacher.

1. To produce a play, you must get permission from the playwright or the playwright's agent (e.g. a publisher) in advance. That generally means you have filled out a contract or licensing agreement, and have either paid the royalty or made arrangements to pay it.

2. The major exception to #1 is if the play is in the public domain. Generally speaking, plays written before the early 1900s are in the public domain (e.g. Shakespeare, Marlowe, Moliere, etc). But here's the catch: if a play was written in another language, even though the original play (for example, Tartuffe by the French playwright Moliere) may be old enough to be in the public domain, the translation is often quite recent and still copyrighted--and will require a royalty. When in doubt, do not assume a play is in the public domain. Check with a knowledgeable source like The Dramatists Guild of America.

3. Payment of royalties is required regardless of whether admission is charged or whether a play is performed for profit or whether the cast/crew is paid or whether a play is performed "for educational purposes." The only time royalties may not be due is if the play is performed in a closed classroom as part of the curriculum (or occasionally as part of a one-time charity benefit if everyone else is waiving their fee). In other words, if you are reading my anti-bullying play Thank You for Flushing My Head in the Toilet and other rarely used expressions as part of your English class and no other students, teachers or parents are invited, you may not have to pay royalties. Always check with the playwright or publisher to be sure.

4. You must purchase sufficient copies of the play for your cast and crew. You cannot photocopy the script or any part of the script. Still, with budgets being tight, are there any ways to save money on scripts while still obeying the law? Here are two examples--one is reasonable, the other is not.
UNREASONABLE: A play has a cast of 10, all substantial roles, and you buy 3 copies and say that the other actors shared.
REASONABLE: A play has a cast of 40, but 20 of those roles are basically extras. You buy 25 copies, giving each principal a script and having the 20 extras share the remaining 5 scripts. That could be OK.

5. Whenever you perform the play in front of people who are not cast/crew, it counts as a performance--for which you must pay royalties. People frequently don't realize that this includes in-school performances, previews and invited dress rehearsals. It is your duty to pay a royalty for EVERY performance of the play, not just one. So if you perform the play at four school assemblies, you owe four performance royalties, not just one. If you add performances later, make sure you pay the additional royalty.

6. You'll often hear the term "fair use" thrown around. This refers to the practice of taking a small excerpt from a copyrighted work--for example, a few lines of dialogue from a play--for purposes of discussion or to use in another work. An example of "fair use" of After Math might be that you use 2 or 3 sentences of its dialogue in your English paper to support the idea that students can go through school entirely unnoticed. It does not allow your English teacher to copy entire scenes of the play and hand it out.

7. Just because a play or a monologue is on the internet does not mean that it is public domain. It is usually still copyrighted, and you must get permission to use it.

Understand that producing a play without permission and/or without paying royalties or purchasing sufficient cast/crew scripts is theft. That is the playwright's money for rent or food or electricity. Copyright infringement is a federal offense punishable by damages of up to $150,000 per infringement. But substantial penalties aside, it's not cool and it's not right.

If you are a director or producer, you now have a simple primer to help you adhere to copyright law. But many of you reading this are actors and/or students. What if you're in a production, and on the first day, your director hands you a photocopied script? What do you do? I hope you'll do the right thing. Show your teacher or director this guide--maybe they just don't know, and seeing it here will help them to follow the rules. But if they don't, please contact the play's publisher or the Dramatists Guild and let them know. Remember, playwrights work hard to write plays for you to perform, and if we can't earn a decent living doing so, there will be no more new plays.

I had a great time at the state Thespian conferences in Missouri and Tennessee, and even got to see the Bolton High School production of Thank You for Flushing My Head in the Toilet and other rarely used expressions at the TN conference. Special thanks to Final Draft, Inc., which graciously donated gift certificates for their industry leading script formatting software. At each conference, I gave a free copy to a lucky student.

Me (R) with Missouri Thespian state board member Maggie Ryan (L) and Timothy Howe, winner of a free copy of Final Draft. Photo by Tom Wells.

Unfortunately, it turns out that I won't be at the Alabama conference this year, but I hope to visit another time. I will, however, be in Tampa in April for the Florida State Thespian Festival, the world's largest high school theatre conference. I'll be teaching playwriting workshops, giving out another free copy of Final Draft, and maybe Playscripts will even set up another book signing...

Want to study playwriting with me online? Why not take Introduction to Playwriting, my course at Writers University? A new session begins on March 9th, so don't delay! Enroll by February 15th and save 10%! Click here to enroll or for more information.



The Young Playwrights 101 discount is back! Just enter "jonslist" and save 20% on the ideal book for young playwrights and those who teach them. Order it now! Want to buy a classroom set? for even larger discounts!



Want to work with me in person? I'm available to visit your school, theatre, festival or writers' group to conduct playwriting workshops that can range from a few hours to a residency of a week or more. To learn more, click here, or . Of course, these visits are often done in conjunction with a production of one of my plays. Speaking of plays...

To learn more or to purchase, click on the play title!

4 A.M. Dramedy. 30-35 minutes. 3+ males, 3+ females, with flexible casting and an overall ensemble of 8-30+. What's it like to be awake when the rest of your world is asleep? Meet an early-morning jogger, a lonely short-wave radio DJ, a modern Romeo and Juliet, the monster under the bed and many others as a series of teen characters, through scenes and monologues, search for connection in the magic hour. Written specifically for teen actors.

High School (non) Musical. Comedy. 75-80 minutes. Join Toy Boatin, Cryin, Shitzu, Gaberella and the rest of the gang in this outrageous parody of the Disney hit. Ideal for teen performers, college and community (or professional) theatres.

Thank You for Flushing My Head in the Toilet and other rarely used expressions takes aim at one of the worst problems affecting schools today: bullying. Written specifically for teen performers. Dramedy. 30-35 minutes.

Thank You for Flushing... at Mackenzie High School (Deep River, ON, Canada). Photo by Bill Richmond.

Dear Chuck captures the lives of its collection of teen characters in moments that range from the ridiculousness of taking over the kiddie pool at the local swim club to the wrenching aftermath of a friend's suicide--as they all search for their "Chuck," that elusive moment of knowing who you are. Written specifically for teen performers with a flexible cast and running time. Dramedy. 35-55 minutes.

In After Math, my most produced play, a student mysteriously disappears in the middle of math class. What happened? As those left behind try to find some answers, they slowly realize that no one noticed him until he was gone... Written specifically for teen performers. Dramedy. 30-35 minutes.

From Shakespeare with Love?, Hiawatha High School (Kirkland, IL; Feb 6)
Thank You for Flushing..., John Connally Middle School (San Antonio, TX; Feb 7)
High School (non) Musical, Osceola Middle School (Seminole, FL; Feb 9)
TYFF, Strickland Middle School (Denton, TX; Feb 12)
TYFF, Toledo School for the Arts (Toledo, OH; Feb 24-26)
From Shakespeare with Love?, After Hours Theatre (Vavenby, BC, Canada; Mar 6)
After Math, New Madrid County Central High School (New Madrid, MO; Mar 6-Apr 2)
HS(n)M, Olentangy Orange Middle School (Lewis Center, OH; Mar 6-7)
From Shakespeare with Love?, New Hope Community Theatre (Milton, FL; Mar 7)
After Math, Turtleford Community School (Turtleford, SK, Canada; Mar 23-28)
HS(n)M, Wooster High School (Reno, NV; Mar 19-22)

Stay tuned for the return of the Playwriting Tip of the Month, a new 10-minute duet, and much more news in the coming months... Have a great February!