Licensing Examples

John Q. Public High School wants to perform the Educational Theater script The Twelve Daughters of Hercules.  They’ll have two weekends of performances; Friday and Saturday evening, Sunday matinees.  Closing night is April 1st. They’d also like a license to use pre-made artwork for their publicity.

• Educational Theater Royalties = ($50/performance) x 6 performances = $300
• Original Artwork Limited License = $30

Total = $330.00

20% non-refundable deposit = $66

80% balance due after closing night, 4/1 = $276.90

Fancytowne Community Players, a community theater, wants to use the one-acts Volga Goatman and There Is No Such Thing As Cold in a comedy one-act festival.  The festival has four performances a week for three weeks, closing on 7/19.

• One Act Royalties, Volga Goatman = ($30/performance) x 12 performances = $360
• One Act Royalties, There Is No Such Thing As Cold = ($30/performance) x 12 performances = $360

Total = $720

20% non-refundable deposit = $144

80% balance due after closing night, 7/19 = $576

The Main Street Theater, a professional theater focused on new works, purchases an e-script of White-Collar Caveman and decides to produce the full-length in their season. The show will run for four weeks at four performances a week, closing on 10/30. The Main Street Theater also wants to license original artwork to incorporate into their publicity designs.

• Full-Length Royalties = ($50/performance) x 16 performances = $800
• Original Artwork Limited License = $30

Total = $830.00

20% non-refundable deposit = $166.00

80% balance due after closing night, 10/30 = $664.00

License Agreement

If you’d like to perform one of my scripts, please send an email to bkplays AT gmail.com with the following information:

1. The name of the producing organization (your theater, your school, etc.)
2. Your name and title
3. Your email address
4. A preferred phone number
5. The name(s) of the script(s) you’d like to perform
6. The number of performances
7. The dates of your performances

Within 24 hours, I’ll email you three things:

• The total your company will owe to license the script(s)
• An email invoice for a non-refundable deposit of 20% of the total, payable by PayPal, credit card, or check
• A straightforward legal agreement

Once you get that stuff, please pay the deposit within one week and sign and return the agreement.  You can scan it and email it to bkplays AT gmail.com, fax it, or mail it.

Then enjoy your rehearsal process, have a good run, and feel free to email me with any questions!  I also love to see pictures or press from productions, so please send any links my way.

Once you’ve had your closing night party, look for another email invoice from me for the balance of your order, that remaining 80%.  You’ll be so flush with cash from ticket sales, paying it will be a snap!

The final invoice will be payable securely through PayPal, credit card, or by check.

Here are the royalties per performance:

• $30 per performance of a One-Act
• $50 per performance of an Educational Theater script
• $50 per performance of a Full-Length

Also, for a optional $30 add-on, you can license the original artwork by Pique Designs for each script for publicity purposes.

Here are some examples of how the numbers might look in a real-world situation.

Thanks for your interest!  Please take a look at my full-length and one-act plays now, and decide if they’re right for your season!

Commissions

Specific cast needs?  Specific theme you want to explore?  Specific time period you’ve already got the set pieces for?  Let’s collaborate!  I accept commissions from professional, community and educational theaters.  Please contact me for more information, including flexible rates.

My past commissions include:

• Emergence Theater
• Educational Theatre Company
• Encore Stage and Studio
• Synetic Family Theatre

Publishers

Through Playscripts.com (soon):

• The Twelve Daughters of Hercules

Through Heuer Publishing:

• Trash Talk
• Boxed In (in English and Spanish)

The following plays will be available through a Creative Commons License through Educational Theatre Company in 2011:

• Alice in Wonderland
• The Legend of King Arthur and His Knights
• The Bremen Town Musicians

Rates

You can order and produce my unpublished scripts directly through me. Script sales and royalties help me keep my family fed.  Piracy makes me cry.

100% of your dollars go to support a plucky young playwright.  Thanks for your interest!

Order a single copy! Or secure rights and royalties for performances!

I’m interested in reading one of Ben’s full scripts!

I want to use a script in class or in a forensics competition, not for public performance!

I’m looking for good audition material!

For electronic copies (.pdf):

• $5.50 for any play!
• Immediate Downloads
• Secure payments through PayPal
• After payment, click “Return to Ben Kingsland” to download your file OR check your email for a download link

For hard copies (including shipping in the Continental US and binder):

• $10 + tax for a One-Act or Monologue Collection
• $15 + tax for a Full-Length or Educational Theater script
• Secure payments through PayPal
• Orders ship within three business days

I’m with a professional or community theater, and we want to put a Ben Kingsland show in our season!

I’m with a school, and we want to use a BK Play in a public performance with a paying audience!

Sounds great!  Let’s get started on my quick, easy licensing agreement.  Click here for more information.

For reference, here are the royalties per performance:

• $30 per performance of a One-Act
• $50 per performance of a Educational Theater script
• $50 per performance of a Full-Length