General Advice needed, please?
Thu, 11 Nov 2010, 02:46 pmStage-sexual13 posts in thread
General Advice needed, please?
Thu, 11 Nov 2010, 02:46 pmHi,
I am from a very small outback town with a population (of the entire shire about 200 sq km's in size)of about 4,000. We are a group of like minded individuals who have arrived here from other ports of call and are interested in setting up a theatre group to put on performances and such. We are about 20 (maybe we can push it out to 30 including all the backstage stuff) in number and keen to give it a shot.
Since we don't have an actual theatre we would be using a portable stage in the auditorium of our local RSL club and are also 110% confident that we wouldn't actually make a profit, not by the time we factor in everything. We could seat about 200 people and maybe do three or four shows.
I guess my questions are manifest but I will start with the simple ones (if I can explain them right).
If an Amateur theatre company is seen as one that seats 400+ (someone read this online somewhere)per show then what are we? And if we aren't a company then do we still have to pay the same amounts for copyright and stuff? considering we don't make a profit?
The information we can find is kinda confusing and I was just hoping someone might direct us somewhere or have something sage and wise to guide us?
Thanks for the replies and patience with those new to running the show.
SS.
Copyright
Thu, 11 Nov 2010, 09:02 pmCopyright means that ownership of a play or similar is vested in the author until 75 years after the authors death. An arrangement must always be made with the author or his/her representative. This arrangement will usually involve paying for performance rights. Doing a show for charity or for nothing does not mean you don't have to pay. You must make an arrangement. It's not impossible that if you find the right writer he or she may give you a break.
As Jeff said you can do a play that is in the public domain. All of Shakespeare is in the public domain (he died 400 years ago) Oscar Wilde is in the public domain.
If you do a translation of work that is in the public domain in it's original language the translation may not be and royalties may be payable on the translation
You could also write your own. If you do make sure it is an original work not an adaptation of say a TV show or a film or book because is it is you must get permission and pay royalties.
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