[freshmanangel]

i am with a small community theater run by a group of little old ladies. i am really concerned that they are going to get themselves in trouble because when we do a show, they will order the scripts and music. but instead of handing out the scripts, they photocopy them and hand out the copies. they say it is so they are sure to get them back to send back to the publisher, but isn't it still wrong? they say they destroy the copies, but if someone doesn't return a copy, then a photocopied script is out there, right? i know people have tried to tell them that they need to stop, but they just wont listen to reason. is there anything i can do or should do in this case? i would hate for them to get into trouble.

thanks for any advice.

sara

[Celeste_SM]

This is a pretty common practice. It isn't consistent with the rules, but it isn't something I'd worry about too much. If they're photocopying the perusal copy and not paying for the rights, then I'd worry about that quite a bit.

[kiwitechgirl]

Celeste_SM is right - it's very common. We do it (and we're a professional company) because if you don't, how are your stage managers meant to make up a prompt script, actors can't highlight their lines in the script, designers can't scribble notes through the script, pages would get torn and messed up and eventually you end up getting charged for destroyed books. I think the big licensing organizations realise that it's going on but it doesn't really do any harm in the long run. Provided you're paying for the rights to the show, you're unlikely to have a problem.

[freshmanangel]

thanks for letting me know. i feel much better about this now.