| Panel |
|---|
This page |
...
contains information and resources for stage managers, directors, and |
...
others working behind the scenes of Department of Theatre and Dance productions. Use the table of contents below to jump to a topic of interest. Questions and assistance with production resources should be directed to COFA Academic Production Manager Jeff Grapko.
|
Front of House Information
Use the attached Front of House Information Form to let Texas Performing Arts staff know your productions house management needs ahead of time.
...
Performance Rights
The following is an article written by Texas Performing Arts Associate Director for Programming and Production Rachel Durkin-Drga. Please use the attached Music Rights Request Form to obtain music rights for a Theatre and Dance Production.
Obtaining Rights for Music Used in Live Performance
The process of obtaining rights to use music in live performance is never an easy one. Unlike obtaining the rights to produce a play, there is no central clearinghouse for music clearance. Two major pieces of advice I we can offer are, one, give
- Give yourself plenty of time to go through this process
...
- .
- Have a back-up plan if you are not successful in obtaining the rights.
One of the biggest misconceptions about music rights is that if you are working at, or are a student at a college or university, the rights are already taken care of by the educational institution. This is true, but only in a limited sense. While most colleges and universities do pay a licensing fee to ASCAP and BMI, the licenses are very narrow in terms of what’s covered by that fee. What is never covered by these standard university licenses is “grand rights” which is defined as the use of music in a “dramatic setting”. This means that if you are presenting a play or dance performance, you cannot legally use any copyright protected music without first obtaining permission.
...
- Be aware that you may need to contact more than one representative. The number of representatives you may need to contact is often based on how many composers/lyricists worked on a song.
- Be sure that the person you deal with has the authority to grant permission for your particular usage.
Obtaining Rights to Produce a Play or Musical
The rights for most plays and musicals are held by play publishing houses. To obtain the rights to produce a play or musical, complete the following steps:
...
Below are the major play/musical publishing houses:
Anchorage Press | 504-283-8868 |
Baker’s Plays | 617-482-1280 | |
Dramatic Publishing | 800-448-7469 |
Dramatist’s Play Service | 212-683-8960 | |
Music Theatre International | 212-868-6668 |
Rodgers & Hammerstein Theatre Library | 212-564-4000 |
Samuel French, Inc. | 212-206-8990 |
If the play you wish to produce is not held by any of the play houses, you will need to find a copy of the play to find the publisher’s information. Contact that publisher and hopefully they can help refer you to the correct source for obtaining producing rights.
Additional Resources
View the Texas Performing Arts Academic Productions Wiki for additional details on mainstage productions.