Copyrights for plays

I’m not a copyright lawyer. There is a lot of information on the internet, for better or worse. I’ve read a play is copyrighted once it is performed. They say books  are copyrighted when written.

It’s been decades since I met with play writers and actors in art centers.

Yeats ago, you could submit your play to a company called Samuel French in New York. They would publish and license your work with you.

Samuel French was started in 1830 by Samuel French and Thomas Hayles.  They had contracts in London and New York City for producing plays.

They were so trusted and successful that the company lasted years after Samuel French passed away.

I wrote to them about a play I wrote around the year 2000. They didn’t just send a written article of guidelines and forms. They sent a play where two characters describe what is involved in performing plays and getting plays produced. It was a fun way to disseminate the rules.

I never sent in any plays. Not sure if anyone else I knew did.

Samuel French has a place on the web, but they were bought out by Concord Theatricals.

Their page has a lot of classic and current plays available and the license fees. The company has plenty to offer. There are samples, tutorials and music.

If you are a beginner playwright or theater company, check this company out.