Play Suggestions: Which Royalty Company

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Which Royalty Company

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
Forum Discription: Need help finding a show that's right for your theater? Ask here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5235
Printed Date: 4/25/24 at 12:55am
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Topic: Which Royalty Company

Posted By: Oberon
Subject: Which Royalty Company
Date Posted: 1/07/12 at 5:57pm

Just wondered what royalty company most of you use? My theatre company's number one choice has always been Samuel French but no longer.

Samuel French made a policy change in 2011 that has become a big price gouge. It used to be that they had a set fee per performance for small theaters. We stage our productions in a middle school auditorium with a seating capacity of 980. We only seat 15 - 80 people per performance. French, however, no longer observes "limited seating" which means we are paying royalty on 980 seats! Prices have doubled as a result.

So, though we have bought from others companies, I still thought I'd ask posters here what royalty companies thay like to use and to warn you of Samuel French's new policy regarding "limited seating."

Replies:

Posted By: cjeszeck
Date Posted: 1/08/12 at 4:23pm

We generally use Sam French or Dramatists. Just yesterday I applied for licensing for a play in the fall and noticed they too say "theatres with 300 or more seats will be charged higher fees than those published". Yikes! We are in the same boat as you...rent the middle school auditorium which seats 420, but our audience averages 40-60 per show.

What did you generally pay Sam French? We always paid the published price of $75...did you pay less than that previously??

Posted By: cjeszeck
Date Posted: 1/08/12 at 4:24pm

I meant to say yesterday's licensing request was for Dramatist's Play Service.

Posted By: B-M-D1
Date Posted: 2/08/12 at 12:23pm

It's really very dependent on what show you choose. The two houses that control most of the performance rights are French and Dramatists. But it's not like you have a choice if you do a Neil Simon that you can use Dramatists. Only French controls the performance rights for Neil Simon shows. Your only other choice is to simply not do any shows controlled by French. Have you tried negotiating with them?

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Dying is easy, comedy is hard.

Posted By: Oberon
Date Posted: 3/16/12 at 4:07pm

Samuel French actually contacted us after seeing grumbling about it online.

After e-mails back and forth with their Director of Licensing they granted us what they call a "percentage-based agreement."

That means that we pay the catalog price and if their percentage of the box office box office take is less than the total royalties we don't owe any more money. For example -- $ 75.00 X six performances = $ 450.00 and the Box Office income was $ 1,200. If French wants 10% they would get 120. Since their take, $ 120, is < $450 no more money is owed.

So they do have alternative options available.