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DG Co-Signs Letter Asking Congress for Collective Action Rights for Professional Creators |
The Dramatists Guild of America has co-signed the following Authors Guild letter to the United States Congress, seeking legislative amendments to labor and antitrust laws that would enable freelance professional creators (including playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists) to negotiate collectively.
Dear Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, Speaker McCarthy, and Minority Leader Jeffries:
We, the undersigned, are professional freelance creators—authors, journalists, translators, musicians and music workers, songwriters, composers, lyricists, playwrights and dramatists, screenwriters, visual artists, photographers, videographers, graphic artists, illustrators, and designers. Our creative endeavors power the entertainment, publishing, and media industries of America. Together, we seek the right to negotiate and act collectively, and ask you to pass legislation that will allow us to work together and share information in order to ensure we are fairly paid...
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The Dramatists Guild of America supports the WGA Strike |
From The Dramatists of America:
The Dramatists Guild of America wholeheartedly supports the Writers Guild in its strike to preserve the livelihoods of its 11,000+ members who are facing dire economic circumstances due to changes in their industry. In doing so, we reaffirm and celebrate the right of WGA writers and all workers to negotiate for equitable pay and better working conditions.
Unlike screenwriters, however, theatre writers don’t share the same essential right to collectively bargain and so often have to rely on their movie and TV work to pay their bills and obtain health insurance. We hope that the parties can find an equitable way forward with all due speed.
The Dramatists Guild will subsidize the dues of members who require such accommodations, including those impacted by the strike, for its duration.
From The Dramatists Guild Foundation:
To dramatists who are WGA members facing economic hardship during the strike, please reach out to the Dramatists Guild Foundation, a national non-profit within our writing community, which has an Emergency Grant Program that provides immediate financial support to theatre writers facing exigencies in connection with housing costs, medical expenses, family and child care, and other life essentials.
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Dramatists Guild and Concord Theatricals Relaunch Playwrights Welcome Program |
The Playwrights Welcome Program removes cost barriers and supports the artistic development of the future of American theatre.
Concord Theatricals and The Dramatists Guild of America are thrilled to announce the relaunch of their Playwrights Welcome program. This national ticketing initiative asks theatres to offer tickets that would otherwise go unused (free of charge) to playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists.
Theatre can be cost-prohibitive to those who create it. Professional dramatists require professional tools; authors of new plays and musicals need to interact with other works, finding inspiration in the craft of their fellow artists, but this expenditure is often beyond their means. By providing available tickets (free of charge) to dramatists, theatres can remove cost barriers and share their productions with artists who may not otherwise be able to see these shows.
Update on DG Member Cards: We are working to fabricate and ship new member cards to active DG Members. You may use your old DG Member Card (the black version only) but you can also use our new DG Virtual Membership Card. You must sign into your account to pull up the card. You can find the link to your DG Virtual Membership Card in the Account Menu or use the link below.
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Playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists are invited to join The Rise Theatre Directory! |
RISE (Representation, Inclusion, & Support for Employment) seeks to build a more equitable and inclusive theatre industry by centralizing DEIA tools and resources through a network of partners and a national personnel directory that focuses on supporting women, people of color, and folks from underrepresented backgrounds.
By joining the RISE Theatre Directory, you will be taking step towards creating a more inclusive industry. You will not only be a theatre artist but also a changemaker.
#TogetherWeRISE
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NYC Mayor Adams expands anti-discrimination bill.
What does this mean for dramatists?
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In May 2023, New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed a new bill into law which expands the City’s existing anti-discrimination laws to prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations on the basis of an individual’s height and/or weight. Height and weight join a list of protected classes under New York City’s Human Rights Law which include race, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status, religion, and disability.
Since the amendment was passed, we have received inquiries from our membership about how this expansion may impact theatre writers who specify weight and/or height in their character descriptions. In light of these inquiries, we thought it would be useful to recirculate the following article, written by the Dramatists Guild’s Of Counsel David H. Faux, detailing the relationship between anti-discrimination laws and the rights of dramatists as owners of their intellectual property.
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Event: DG Contract Bootcamps - The Model Licensing Agreement
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What contract should you use when a producer wants to license your show? Discover how to license your work with the Guild's Model Licensing Agreement at our FREE, online contract bootcamp! |
New Slots Added!
Thursday, June 29
ADT: 4pm
EDT/AST: 3pm
CDT: 2pm
MDT: 1pm
PDT/MST: 12pm
AKDT: 11am
HST: 9am
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DG's Business Affairs Department is excited to launch its newest monthly series: BA Contracts Bootcamps!
The Guild is proud to offer an array of model contracts that serve members like you in varying aspects of your career, from collaboration agreements to commission agreements to production agreements for nearly every level of theatre. However, we also recognize that as much as we strive to make these model contracts as digestible for the non-lawyer as possible, there are always questions about how best to use them and what the terms mean.
For these reasons, we have decided to launch a monthly contracts bootcamp to provide you with an opportunity to get real-time guidance on each of our model contracts so you can start using them to the best of your benefit. Each month, you can sign up to join DG's Director of Business Affairs, Jessica Lit, for an intimate 1.5-hour long session that will break down one of the Guild's Model Contracts, starting with our Model Licensing Agreement.
In these sessions, Jessica will explain how and when to use the contract, clarify what each provision means and why they are important, as well as provide a few tips and tricks for how to most effectively present and negotiate the contract.
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How do you adapt your favorite story or film for the stage? What do you need to know about underlying rights and copyright in order to make sure that your work can be produced?
In this video conversation with Dramatists Guild staff and attorneys, you'll learn everything you need to know about underlying rights so that you can successfully adapt pre-existing material for the stage. Discover what falls under the category of an adaptation, how to find out if work is in the public domain, how billing and compensation work for adaptations, and more!
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Ever wondered whether starting a non-profit is right for you?
Discover the legal and logistical elements necessary to start a successful nonprofit and learn about a tool that will help you assess your own readiness to move forward!
Watch this video to outline the steps required to start a nonprofit, assess the alternatives to starting a nonprofit, identify the next steps you should take, and access additional resources to help you in your journey.
This event was originally co-presented by the Dramatists Guild and Candid, the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide.
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Are you looking for funding to complete a creative project, mount an exhibition, or put on a performance?
Watch this video to learn how to identify funders who support individual artists, explore the option of fiscal sponsorship, create a step-by-step plan to find funding for your needs as an individual grantseeker, and more!
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Learn how to use Final Draft® 12 scriptwriting software! In this video, you'll discover the new features for dramatists that are now available in Final Draft 12.
The Final Draft "1-2-3 process" enables writers like you to easily create, organize, and reshape the beats of your script. Check out the myriad of new features that Final Draft 12 has to offer, including advanced story building tools, outlining, PDF import, focus mode, track changes, and more.
This training session is for both new and advanced users of Final Draft software.
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How to Create and License Edited Versions of Your Work |
Recently, the Guild made a statement about cancellations of two different high school productions of two different shows in two different locales, with both school boards citing the same reason, at least in part: inappropriate content not suitable for minors.
However, what these schools failed to recognize (or chose to ignore) was the fact that most theatrical licensing companies have author-approved, edited versions of shows intended for student actors and/or family audiences. These “school editions” not only offer shortened versions, some with new musical arrangements to accommodate younger voices, they may also remove profanity and, in some cases, entire songs or scenes from shows containing what some may deem “mature content,” or even references to such content.
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Copyright
Registration 101
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You've almost finished your play or musical. Congrats! Now, it's time to think about the next steps. One of the most important ways that you can protect your work - and its longevity- is by registering its copyright.
In this video, which features speakers from the U.S. Copyright Office, you'll learn all about the intricacies of the copyright registration process for both plays and musicals, find out how to register your work with a collaborator, and more.
This event was organized by the DG Copyright Advocacy Committee and the Guild's Business Affairs Staff for Copyright Advocacy Week 2023.
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Writing a One-Act Play for the Educational Market |
Monday, June 26
ADT: 2pm
EDT/AST: 1pm
CDT:12pm
MDT: 11am
PDT/MST: 10am
AKDT: 9am
HST: 7am
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Do you want to find out more about how to write for the growing educational theatre market?
Join us for a FREE online training event with Broadway Licensing’s Kent Nicholson (Vice President of Artistic Services and Acquisitions) and Zach Dulli (Director of Education).
Discover the types of one-act plays that are in demand in the educational market. Learn how the submission/selection process works for getting your play or musical published. You'll also have the chance to ask questions and receive personalized feedback.
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WASHINGTON STATE
Seattle Playwriting
Mini-Summit
Hosted by playwright Miriam BC Tobin
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Saturday, June 24
4pm PDT
Join SCRiB LAB for a Playwriting Mini-Summit in Seattle! Anyone living and working in Seattle who writes for the stage is welcomed to attend.
Let’s gather to discuss the current state of the Seattle playwriting community. All stakeholders are invited to participate, including individual artists and institutional leaders. Come early to hear local writers of all genres read their work (and playwrights: sign up to read as well!); stay late to join us for a community meal at a local restaurant.
The goal of this mini-summit is to dream big! Where does the playwriting community want to go next? How can we collaborate across groups to get there? Let's be intentional about our hopes and make the connections to start meeting the future.
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Save The Date!
The Dramatists Guild Summer Conference Schedule
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This summer, the Dramatists Guild will again be participating in several different industry conferences, festivals, and other outreach events across the country.
Are you planning to attend any of the following events? If so, please stop by and say hello!
We look forward to seeing you there.
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June 19 – 23, 2023
The Dramatists Guild will have a table in the Alumni Hall. Please visit us at Booth #19 and say hi!
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June 22 – 25, 2023
We'll be co-sponsoring the Welcome Reception on Friday, June 22 at
6pm MDT. We looking forward to seeing you there!
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Dramatists Guild National Silent Writing |
What is Dramatists Guild National Silent Writing?
Writing can sometimes feel like a solitary task, which makes it difficult to find the motivation to keep working on your play or musical. That's why the Dramatists Guild offers free, online silent writing sessions for writers nationwide. You're welcome to drop into a session at any time!
These silent writing sessions are hosted by our Regional Representatives, Ambassadors, and volunteers across the country.
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Dramatists Guild Honors 2023 Award Recipients |
The Dramatists Guild of America honored the recipients of their 2023 Awards with a ceremony at Joe’s Pub on Monday May 15, at which playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists celebrated their fellow theatre writers.
This year’s DG award recipients include Nissy Aya (the Lanford Wilson Award), Dave Harris (The Horton Foote Award), Candrice Jones (the Lanford Wilson Award) and Marc Shaiman (the Frederick Loewe Award). They join previously announced winners Iakowi:he’ne’ Oakes (The Lucille Lortel Foundation Indigenous Theatermaker Award), Samuel D. Hunter (the Hull-Warriner Award), Sanaz Toossi (the Hull-Warriner Award), Caridad Svich (the Flora Roberts Award), Jules Feiffer (the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award), Gretchen Cryer (the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award), and Nancy Ford (the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award).
The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund also presented Defender Awards to Brooklyn Public Library and Friends of George’s, uplifting champions of free speech who have fought back against book banning and the Tennessee drag law.
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The Young Dramatists Issue is out! Share with any young writers that you might know. |
Do you want copies to share with your community? Email us today and we'll ship them out to you.
The Young Dramatists Issue serves as a primer on the business of writing for the theatre. It is the first and only magazine of its kind, geared towards informing and empowering young theatre writers. No matter your age, you're never too young to view yourself as a professional playwright, composer, lyricist, or librettist.
In this special issue, Co-Executive Director Emmanuel Wilson offers readers insight into what it means to become a professional playwright, composer, lyricist, or librettist; a trio of young dramatists has the chance to pick the brains of Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, and Stephen Schwartz; and ten of our members explain the significance of the Dramatist’s Bill of Rights. Also sprinkled throughout this edition are letters of encouragement from dramatists across the country.
Share the Young Dramatists Issue with fellow young playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists. Together, let's nurture the next generation of creative storytellers.
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Read The Young Dramatists Issue
by the Dramatists Guild
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NORTH CAROLINA
Discount Offer for the National Women's Theatre Festival: DG members get 30% off!
Featuring Playwright/Performer and DG Council Treasurer Christine Toy Johnson
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Tuesday, June 21-July 1
NC State University Theatre
Join us at the National Women’s Theatre Festival -- an annual celebration, collaboration, and affirmation of the need for gender parity and equity in theatre. This year's festival will take place June 21 - July 1 at NC State University's Frank Thompson Hall in Raleigh, NC AND will be available via livestream.
As a Dramatists Guild member, you are eligible for 30% off any admissions pass to Festival 2023. Whether you'd like to purchase a Single Con Session ($25), a Full Conference Day Pass ($100), or an All Access Pass ($325 for 80 events between Con & Fringe!), you can type in the code GUILD30 at checkout for whatever type of pass makes the most sense for you.
Playwright/performer and DG Council Treasurer Christine Toy Johnson will be presenting the keynote speech at the festival, and has arranged a special discount for all Guild members.
Build Your Own Gate:
For too many years, artists from historically excluded communities have been kept out of spaces that do not include their unique lived experiences. Sometimes we just have to make our own so we can open them ourselves (metaphorically and literally) and flourish our way through them (metaphorically and literally). In her keynote, Christine will include a few case studies of some of the gates she has created and opened for her own work, and how she’s been determined to reimagine barriers in the process. She will share grant writing advice, ideas on finding inspiration in your community, and thoughts on how to nurture your own creative soul.
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Bryan Leys - librettist/ lyricist seeking composer
I'm developing a show set in the Netherlands, 1990 about the last "eleven cities" skating race. The show also involves updated versions of the characters in Hans Brinker. This is not a kids story but rather a sort of Brechtian tale of Dutch criminals and sports..."
Aaron Kirk Douglas-
playwright/ lyricist seeking composer/ librettist/ playwright/ lyricist/ dramaturg
"Planet Eden has had three work in progress readings, 2011, 2012, and 2013 including one at Broadway Rose in Portland, OR. Original musical conception by Kurt Crowley (music director, Hamilton) and Aaron Kirk Douglas and script work by Mark Acito (Allegiance)..."
Stephen Anderson - playwright seeking composer/ lyricist
"We are looking for a composer/lyricist to collaborate with us on an inspiring musical. Against the backdrop of the Great Depression and Jim Crow segregation, Mr. Robert Vann, a Black lawyer and publisher, leads a courageous fight against the popular and demeaning radio show Amos 'n Andy..."
George Smarts - seeking director
"Seeking a Director for my full length play called Life After Lust. This play explores one gay couples response to having continued sex in their long term relationship. Playwright lives in Massachusetts..."
Cheryl Miller Thurston - playwright/ lyricist seeking composer
"Looking for an additional composer for Gumption, a historical musical set in 1916 and inspired by a true story. The show has been created for community theater and high school production/publication in Colorado..."
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Download a DG Best Practice, Model Contract, or Guide Today! |
Because the Guild tracks national and worldwide trends, we are able to provide certain model contracts that reflect up-to-date industry standards.
We encourage our members to use these models to educate themselves and to use them as guides when entering into productions or collaborations.
Before Writing Has Begun
Working With Others
Adaptations
Writing Something New
Devised Theatre
Negotiation
Submissions Tools
Best Practices
Production Agreements
Billing Credit
Working With Directors
Professional Theatre Contracts
Amateur Theatre Contracts
Live Stream/Digital Theatre
Devised Theatre
Anti-Piracy
Supplemental to All Production Contracts
Production Process
Anti-Piracy
Post-Production
Translation
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We would like you to be informed, educated, and well-equipped when you navigate the business side of theatre. There are so many questions that writers have about this industry; we want to bring those questions and answers directly to you. Dear Business Affairs features DG members' most pressing questions, answered by staff in our BA department.
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Question: What do I need to know about estate planning?
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Given their wealth and connections, one might assume that all celebrities have iron-clad, comprehensive estate plans. However, many celebrities make basic estate planning mistakes which cause their family dramas and legal disputes to play out in the headlines. By examining these blunders, we can learn much about protecting ourselves, our families, and our assets. In this article, we explore the lessons presented by the estate of singer-songwriter Jim Morrison.
Jim Morrison of The Doors passed away in 1971 from congestive heart failure (though the exact cause is still unknown). He left behind a one-page will that outlined how he wanted his estate distributed. In short, his entire estate was to go to his common-law wife, Pamela Courson. If, however, Courson did not survive him by three months, the entirety of the estate was to pass to his siblings.
This approach suggests that Morrison had two goals: (1) to protect his significant other, with whom he had no formal or legal marriage, and (2) to disinherit his parents, with whom he had a strained relationship. Unfortunately, Morrison’s will failed to protect his interests.
Morrison’s wish to protect Courson was immediately frustrated upon his death when the estate became embroiled in litigation. First, several women sued, claiming that Morrison had fathered their children and that they were entitled to a share of the estate. Second, Morrison’s bandmates sued the estate for repayment of cash advances they claimed had been paid to Morrison during his lifetime. Although Courson received a small stipend from the probate court during this time, it didn’t support her lifestyle or cover Morrison’s funeral expenses. It wasn’t until three years later, in 1974, that the court determined that Courson was Morrison’s rightful heir. Unfortunately, that same year Courson passed away without a will and never received the benefit of Morrison’s conveyance.
Morrison’s second goal was frustrated after Courson’s death. Because Courson died without a will, the court applied state rules of intestacy to distribute her assets. Under these laws, her estate, which now included a 25% interest in The Doors, the copyrights in Morrison’s songs, and rights to Morrison’s image, was granted to Courson’s parents. It wasn’t long before Morrison’s parents sued for a share of the estate. After nine long years of litigation, they reached a settlement in which both families shared the estate.
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LESSON ONE: YOU NEED A WILL
If you would like to divide your property in a nuanced way and on your own terms, you will need a will. When someone dies without a will, state intestacy laws are applied, acting as a default estate plan. While state laws differ, intestacy laws tend to favor traditional family structures, dividing assets among the deceased’s closest legal relatives. This can be problematic for non-traditional families or individuals who wish to disinherit a family member. Morrison lacked a conventional marriage. The only way he could ensure that Courson would receive his property was to direct it to her in a will. Similarly, Morrison wished to disinherit his parents. He did so by naming his siblings as secondary successors. Had he not done this, his parents would have been first in line after Courson to collect under the California laws of intestacy.
LESSON TWO: IT IS NEVER TOO SOON TO CONSIDER ESTATE PLANNING
Morrison created a will when he was only 25 years old. A typical 25-year-old might claim that they are too young to consider estate planning or that the value of their estate is negligible. But there are real reasons for artists to consider estate planning early.
First, it is not uncommon for an artist’s popularity to explode following their passing. Morrison’s work, for example, was discovered and rediscovered by subsequent generations of fans. His estate is currently worth nearly eight times its value at the time of his death. Second, new streams of revenue emerge as technology advances, and no artist can anticipate what might be ahead. Morrison, for example, had no way of knowing that celebrity images would emerge as a valuable asset. Third, copyright laws change over time. For Morrison, changes to the law extended the duration of the copyrights in his work for decades, allowing for further valuable dispositions by his estate. While none of these things can be anticipated, they are all realities that suggest that it is wise to begin estate planning sooner rather than later.
LESSON THREE: HAVE YOUR WILL DRAFTED BY AN EXPERIENCED ATTORNEY
Morrison’s will was simplistic. It consisted of one single page with four clauses. Although better than nothing, simplistic wills often overlook important issues. For example, Morrison’s will only considered the first transfer of assets. It was silent regarding subsequent transfers, like who should inherit the assets after Courson. Moreover, it didn’t adequately address outcomes like what would happen if Courson survived long enough to be granted assets but not long enough to receive them.
An attorney could have helped Morrison utilize some basic estate planning tools that might have avoided the abovementioned problems. For example, Morrison could have left his property in trust and named Courson as a beneficiary and his siblings as alternates. Had he done so, his wishes would have been upheld. Doing so also would have limited claims for invalidity, which was the grounds upon which the Morrisons contested the transfer to Courson.
LESSON FOUR: GET SPECIFIC ABOUT CREATIVE DECISION-MAKING
Morrison’s will was silent when it came to creative decision-making. He had many journals, poems, and papers but never specified what he wanted to happen with them. Had he appointed a literary executor to care for his work and archive, he would have had much more control over his legacy. Did he want his face on t-shirts and mugs? Did he want all his journals published, or would he have preferred they be destroyed? Did he want his songs used in advertising? An estate plan is an appropriate place to consider these things. Artists who make estate plans can leave a letter of intent or begin to explain to a trusted literary executor how they want decisions made.
LESSON FIVE: AVOIDING PROBATE HAS ITS BENEFITS
Probate is a time-consuming court process concerned with paying off debts and directing assets to heirs. Because wills that go through probate are more likely to be challenged, this process often takes longer than expected. In addition to the time cost of probate, there is a financial cost that might include administrative and attorney fees. Both Morrison and Courson’s wills passed through probate, and both suffered from lengthy litigation that tied up the funds for years. Had they used non-probate tools like trusts or joint bank accounts, transfers would have been immediate and avoided probate and the strife that ensued. [Also notable is that wills that pass through probate become part of the public record. If Morrison had avoided probate, his will wouldn’t be on the internet today.]
Morrison’s estate was never enjoyed by those he wanted to benefit. Instead, his legacy fell in the hands of those he didn’t know, let alone like. While Morrison’s story isn’t unique, it offers some simple lessons you can use to ensure that it doesn’t happen to you.
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Need Business Advice? The BA Career Help Desk is DG's support portal that allows us to answer your business related questions more quickly and efficiently. You can submit a query, or request a contract review, via our ticketing system.
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We are writers; what we love to do most... is write! Second to that, we love rehearsing in the room with performers and getting to see our work fully realized and produced.
However, as writers, we will inevitably have to deal with the non-creative, not-so-fun, but very essential part of our industry-- the business. We might come across some complicated looking terms, such as subsidiary rights, copyrights, or collaboration agreement.
What do these terms mean, and why do we need to know them? The DG Glossary is your handy go-to guide on important terms that every writer of the theatre should know.
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DEDUCTIBLE BUSINESS EXPENSE
For tax purposes, a deductible business expense is one that can be used to reduce your taxable income. Business expenses must be ordinary (common and accepted in your industry), necessary (helpful and appropriate for your trade or business), and effectively connected to your trade or business to be deductible. There are some special rules that complicate some business deductions as well.
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SELF EMPLOYMENT TAX
Self-employment tax is a 15.3% tax paid on net business earnings. It covers both Social Security (12.4%) and Medicare (2.9%) contributions. For employees with W-2 jobs, these contributions are split with the employer, so the employee pays 7.65% on gross earnings (which is withheld from each paycheck), and the employer matches the amount before sending the total to the government. Since self-employed individuals are both their own “employees” and “employers” they pay the entirety of the amount (15.3%) on net business earnings. These taxes are in addition to income taxes, so make sure to set aside enough to cover them as you earn money.
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