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Tome, If it's a matter of paying a theatre $2
or $3 to get your script read a little sooner, many folks would pay that.
It'sthe $10 and $20 ones that start to feel exploitative. I've no qualms
about dropping a couple of bucks here and there in with a manuscript.
Especially if there's a nice explanation like that in the call for
scripts.
I also differentiate a small reading fee like
that from the fees that go with contests, where only one or two scripts can be
selected and it becomes more like buying a dramaturgical lottery ticket than
sending your play to theatre that you hope will like it and see the
possibilities in it.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2000 8:32
PM
Subject: RAT Playwriting Opportunities
& Dramaturgs
RE: reading fees
When I worked at the Alliance
Theatre in Atlanta way back in the dark
ages, they paid script
readers. Something like $2 or $3 a script.
Not bad for
1991. They didn't charge script reading fees, but then
again
they are a mighty big theatre. I do know that if we charged
reading
fees here at my mighty little theatre right now, we'd get a
lot more
scripts read and we might even be able to afford to send the
scripts back
if we weren't interested. But we're so understaffed,
scripts just
pile up and we never find the time to read them, as much
as we want to. If
I had even $2 to give to readers in our company,
they'd get read. But I
always cringe when I see reading fees -- seems
like a crime to make a
playwright pay to have their script read when
most are just struggling to
make a living. So, we don't charge them
and probably never
will.
RE: dramaturgs
At Rude Mechs, we've almost always
had a dramaturg on new plays. And
without exception, those
dramaturgs have been playwrights too. David
Bucci dramaturged Kirk
Lynn's play CRUCKS. Kirk Lynn dramaturged
Terry Galloway's play IN
THE HOUSE OF THE MOLES. Steve Moore
dramaturged Kirk's play WAR,
etc. The experience each time was
extremely positive. I think
the playwrights really valued having
another eye on the development of the
script and the relationship
between the two was very pure and very
private. From what I can
tell, the ideas generated by the dramaturg
were mostly about
structure, not content. Content seems like the
playright's business.
We don't have the luxury of workshopping scripts for
a long period of
time. so having another person there to help craft the
shape of the
play and point the playwright in new directions when we're
under the
gun to finish a script has been really valuable. It's
worked so well
for us, I'm kind of puzzled by some of the hostility
towards
dramaturgs that has been on this list. BTW, we always pay
the
dramaturg and the playwright. Of course, what we can pay anybody
is
really just glorified beer money, but it's a recognition of some
sort.
And hey, just wanted to let ya'll know that our big hit LIPSTICK
TRACES is going to NYC. The Foundry Theatre has optioned the play
for a NY production at The Ohio Theatre May 16 - June 24, 2001.
We'll
be recasting a few roles in NY and sprucing the design, but
other than
that it will be the same show that rocked the house in
Austin. I'll
give you a heads up again when we get closer to the
time -- would be great
to have a lot of RATS in the
house.
Sarah
***********************************************************
Sarah
Richardson
Co-Producing Artistic Director
RUDE MECHANICALS: a
theatre collective
@ The Off Center
2211-A Hidalgo
Austin, TX
78702
512/476-RUDE office and box office
512/477-3157 fax
sarah@rudemechs.com
***********************************************************
COMING
SOON!
Requiem for Tesla
a sci-fi bio-play on the life of Nikola
Tesla
Feb 15 - Mar 10, 2001
OFFCENTER:ONSCREEN
a new film and
video series
co-presented by Rude Mechs and Cinemaker Coop
Jan. 8/March
5/May 18 2001
You can read more about RM events
or make your
reservations online at http://www.rudemechs.com.
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