Frequently Asked Questions

Updated:  08/02/2006

What's the different between a "Children's Play" and a "Participatory Children's Play?"
Have your shows won any awards?
We're a small theatre and would love to do musicals, but we can't afford paying a pianist.  What can we do?
Our theatre has never done a children's theatre play before.  What do we need to do?
How much does it cost to produce a play from KMR Scripts?
How are KMR Scripts fairy tales different from all the others out there?
What's the difference between "Children's Theatre" and "Youth Theatre?"
Can the plays offered by KMR Scripts be performed by child actors?
Aren't these scripts merely "Fractured Fairy Tales?"
Can we video tape shows offered by KMR Scripts?
I'm a parent-- may I video tape the parts of the show my child is in?  Just for us?
We want a particular show for our season, how would we go about having someone write it for us?
I want to start producing shows for kids.  How do I start a theatre?
I want to start producing shows with kids as actors.  How do I start?
You say you specialize in entertainment for the very young-- how so?
How does the Internet figure into the future of KMR Scripts?
Why don't you offer perusal scripts or sheet music via Email?
Why do you offer references and direct links to your competitors on your site?
What are the "Production Packets?"
You charge $50.00 for RUSH shipping?  Isn't that a little steep?
  What if we want to "hold-over" or re-mount a production?
We're kind of in a rush.  How soon can we get our materials?
I've got a play that I've written-- how can I get it published?
Why don't you accept Purchase Orders (POs) from a school?

Q:    You say you specialize in entertainment for the very young-- how so?  How are yours different?
A:    Our running times are geared for the attention spans of younger audiences.  After 35 minutes or so, kids are ready to go.  Even with a shorter running time, unless a show is extremely well written and presented, you will start to see a lot of fidgeting in the audience.  It's amazing to us that some theatres try to present  60 - 120 minute shows for young kids (no matter how high the production quality) and express dismay that they can't keep their attention.  It's surprising the kids ever want to set foot in another theatre.  That's why most TV shows are 30 minutes long.  Now, there is a case to be made that theatre has a responsibility to challenge audiences, but we feel our responsibility is to make sure the kids want to attend more theatre after they see our shows.

Our shows are participatory in that the kids don't just sit and veg out-- they are encouraged to get involved by answering questions and interacting with the characters in a controlled environment.   Our music is upbeat and the lyrics are smart.  No love ballads or "pretty music" are allowed in our shows.  We love to use lots of drums and bass!  Nobody ever dies in our shows and if a character is "bad" we make sure the kids understand why-- and usually, they end up having a change of heart and become "good" by the end of the show.  

Our shows don't talk down to kids.  We use situational comedy and word play-- we don't just rely on silliness or slapstick for the laughs (though there is plenty of silliness and slapstick in our shows!).  You won't find our characters being insulting or abusive just for the sake of getting a laugh.  We don't have our characters display bad behavior (how can you have a villain without bad behavior?) unless it furthers the impact of the lessons of the story.  We've seen too many shows for kids where the humor was merely a collection of childish insults, displays of bad manners and rudeness-- and that's what the kids took home with them (much to the chagrin of their parents).  And we know that adults will be accompanying the kids to the theatre, so we make sure the show has qualities that appeal to them, too, but we don't write bits for adults at the expense of the kids' understanding. And you'll never find any "suggestive"  or double-entendre jokes added for the benefit of the adults in our shows.

Q:    What's the difference between a "Children's Play" and a "Participatory Children's Play?"
A:    Good question.  The term participatory means different things to different theatres.  It basically means that the kids in the audience become more involved in the production than just sitting and watching the play.  They may get to actually become part of the play by being rocks or trees onstage or even become a character.  Perhaps they are solicited by the actors to verbally provide solutions to problems or plot twists during the show.  Perhaps they get to sing songs when the actors do.  The shows handled by KMR Scripts utilize different participatory styles, but the majority of the participation comes in the form of the actors soliciting responses from the audience.   This allows the kids in the audience--regardless of the performance facility--to feel that they are involved.  And it's a great way to check on retention of the story line and any "lessons" that might be given.

Q:    We're a small theatre and would love to do musicals, but we can't afford paying a pianist to attend rehearsals-- let alone a whole band for the performances.  What can we do?
A:    It's expensive to mount a production:   Sets, Costumes, Props, Salaries, Publicity, Facility Expenses-- it all adds up fast and most of it has to be paid before the audience ever enters your theatre.  All the shows KMR Scripts offers have a pre-recorded Performance Soundtrack CD available just for this very reason.  You get a professionally produced recording of the original arrangements comprised of 3-5 piece combo (except Princess & the Pea and Cinderella-- which were composed with harpsichord and piano only, giving them a "period" sound).  And the Performance tapes have the songs in more than the one, original key (except Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty & the Beast, all songs are only in the original key), so if your actor can sing, there's a key that will put each song in a comfortable range.  By the way, when you license a show from KMR Scripts, you only have to pay for the production materials up front-- you don't pay the royalty until after you open.

Another alternative is to present one of our Non-Musical shows.  We offer non-musical versions of all our titles.

Q:    We've never done a children's theatre play before.  What do we need to do?
A:    I'm not going to tell you that producing successful children's theatre is easy.  It's a whole new can of worms as far as performing goes.  In some ways, kids are a much more forgiving audience than adults-- but in other ways, they can be much more challenging.  When you produce a show by KMR Scripts, you are offered not only the scripts and music, but we have a Director's Script available that has a whole slew of valuable information such as set, prop, and costume info from the original production.  You'll also find a full copy of the script, double-spaced, that has been notated with helpful footnotes from the playwright.  And because the audience participation is so crucial to the success of the show, you'll find pages and pages of tips that deal with such issues as how to successfully solicit the correct responses from the kids, what to do if the kids get out of hand, and the actual script of a great pre-show routine that gets the audience "in the mood and in the groove" for the participatory show.  And if that's not enough, we have lots of helpful info on our website and you have access to the playwright to answer all your questions any time of the day--not just 9-5 Monday through Friday.  We want to assure you that we'll do whatever it takes to ensure your production is a great success!

Q:    How much does it cost to produce a play from KMR Scripts?
A:     Probably a lot less than you think.  Our fees are set-- you don't pay according to your professional status or house size-- unless you are an Equity House (see next paragraph).  Let's say you want to produce six performances of our Wizard of Oz.  The Production Packet containing everything you need to produce the show is $100.00, the refundable deposit is $50.00, and royalty is $35.00 per performance (unless you present 10 or more performances, in that case the royalty is $30 per performance).  After you sign the Performance License and return it with a check for $150.00 (to cover the production materials and a $50 deposit which will be refunded when you return all your rented production materials within 10 days of your closing performance), we will send you all the materials:  Actor's Scripts, Director's Script, vocal lead sheets, Performance and Rehearsal Soundtracks on CD, and Educational Study Guide.  You're all set to begin rehearsals.  Then seven days after your show opens, you will then send us a check for $180.00 (your royalty in full for six performances @ $35 per performance).  Then after we receive your rented production materials we will forward your $50.00 deposit back to you.  So, in all, you paid KMR Scripts $280.00.

If your theatre is an Equity House (you'll know it if you are), your fees are based on standard Dramatist Guild contacts and rates.  Kevin M Reese is a member of the Dramatists Guild.  Contact KMR Scripts for details.

Q:  There are probably 25 versions of Little Red Riding Hood available out there-- and every other fairy tale-- why is the one offered by KMR Scripts so special?
A:  Because it was written by Kevin M Reese.  He brings his unique background and sense of humor together in a way few other children's playwrights can.  Professionally, he's been an actor, director, producer, music director, tour manager, stage manager, and tech director (he NEVER claimed to be a dancer!).  He's taught numerous acting classes to 9-12 year olds, he's conducted over 300 educational workshops in theatre and acting for ages 3 - 70.  He grew up in a very functional family, giving him lots of fond memories of his childhood, and since he does his writing out of his home, he gets to be "Mr. Mom" to his two boys and two girls, doing his best to make sure they have as fulfilling a childhood as he had-- and observing them every step of the way.  Some people write children's shows because that's all they know how to do, some write because they own a theatre and are trying to cut costs-- Kevin M Reese writes children's shows because he enjoys it.  And it shows-- not only in the scripts and music, but also in the way he does business with theatre producers.

Q:  What's the difference between "Children's Theatre" and "Youth Theatre?"
A:  That depends on who you ask.   Generally, "Children's Theatre" means the actors will be adults and the audience will be children, and "Youth Theatre" means the actors will be children (regardless of  who the audience is).  Some theatres combine the two, having children performing for children.   Most professional children's theatres use adults to perform for child audiences.

Q:  Can the plays offered by KMR Scripts be performed by child actors?
A:  YES!  The shows were originally produced by a professional theatre using adult professional actors but most of the plays offered by KMR Scripts have gone on to be performed by other theatres and schools using actors as young as SIX!.  Their short performance length and upbeat music make them perfect for young actors' training.

Q:  Aren't these scripts merely "Fractured Fairy Tales?"
A:  Kevin M Reese responds:  "If updating a fairy tale, making the lessons and story line vital to today's youngsters, and putting up-beat contemporary music in it makes it a 'fractured fairy tale,' then, yes, I guess it is.  Over the centuries, fairy tales and folk tales have always been adapted and modernized to make them interesting to new generations.  When I was a kid, I LOVED the Fractured Fairy Tales on The Bullwinkle Show.  They were fun!  That is where I come from, the influences I had as a kid.  My plays aren't for everyone, but they sure are being performed a lot all over the country!"

Q:  What's the deal with video taping performances?  Other performance contracts read that we're not supposed to-- that it violates copyright laws-- but we need to submit video tapes to qualify for grants!  Can we video tape shows offered by KMR Scripts?
A:  YES!  It's true most play licensing companies tell you an emphatic "NO" when you ask them.  They have to tell you that because of the contract they have with their playwrights-- and I think it really does make sense.  Think about it:  What if you wrote a play that you were really proud of and you hoped that it was so good that lots of theatres would want to produce it (thus, you would receive royalties every time it is produced).  Then an elementary school produces the show.  They do a nice job for an elementary school-- but nowhere near the quality that professional adult actors could do.  Well, they video tape their production, and that video tape is reproduced hundreds of times.  Then Theatre XYZ comes across the tape and  decides, after seeing the amateur production, that they don't want to produce the show.  Or, worse yet, what if someone starts selling the video tapes to the public.  That would be devastating for the playwright!   At KMR Scripts, we understand what producers have to go through to get funding for their seasons.  Many times you have to submit video tapes of your shows to grants organizations in order for them to see your work and approve future funding (It's too bad they can't take the time to actually stop by your theatre and watch the show in person, as the show was meant to be seen-- not on video.  But I won't get into that. . . .).

I know a member of a national organization of professional theatre producers (the BIG guys!).  He recently returned from a convention where they all sat around a table talking about this very issue.  They ALL video tape their productions-- they have to!  I'm sure the play licensing companies know this goes on, but they just turn their heads.   It's a funny thing:  your not allowed to do it, but EVERYBODY does it!  Your arrangement with KMR Scripts is that you may video tape your production for ARCHIVAL PURPOSES.  This means that you can video tape the show so you have a visual record of your production so you can send it to grants organizations, potential sponsors, Arts Councils, etc.  You are also given permission to provide copies of that video to your actors, staff and crew-- but not to anyone that was not directly involved with the production.  The only stipulation is that no person or company can make a profit from the sales of the tapes and you have to send a copy of the tape to KMR Scripts.  Under no circumstances may you sell the tapes to the public or as a money-making venture for your theatre.

By the way, if you'd like to read some hints on video recording live productions, CLICK HERE.

Q:  I'm a parent-- may I video tape the parts of the show my child is in?  Just for us?
A:  No.  We can't give you permission because we do not have a contractual agreement with you-- only the theatre you child is performing with.  Our agreement with the theatre states that they may video tape the show but only for archive purposes (historical evidence of the show, often used to acquire Grants and funding).  They are also allowed to share any such recording with their cast/crew for their personal use.   Now, if they choose you to be their official videographer-- that's okay with us.  We're more concerned with the USE of any recordings than with WHO does the recording.

Not all theatres want video cameras in their auditoriums.  You must remember that theatre is LIVE.  No video recording, regardless the talent of the person shooting the camera, can capture the true essence of a stage performance.  Also, having a camera in the audience is a distraction (not only for the performers, but for the kids, too).  NOTHING should distract the audience away from what's going on onstage.

We don't know your theatre's video taping policy so we're not about to encourage you to ask them if you may video tape.  We don't want them to tell you "NO" then have you explain to them that we said it was Okay  -- 'cause it's not.  It's all up to the theatre-- you deal only with them.  Chances are good that they already have someone who is experienced in video taping live theatre to record their archive video, and chances are good that they will make it possible for you to get a copy.  But-- it's possible that they won't.  And that's okay.  We will back them 100%.  The theatre is our customer-- not you.

Q:  We want a particular show for our season, but can't find it anywhere.  How would we go about having someone write it for us?
A:  Kevin M Reese is available to write  new shows.   The first question he'll ask is "is the story under copyright?"   Unless the story is in the Public Domain (not under copyright protection, such as fairy tales), he would have to make arrangements with the owner of the copyright for permission to have his/her story adapted for the stage.  It's a long legal process that could take months before he'd even receive a response to his initial request!   Assuming the story is in the public domain, just tell Kevin how long you want it, how many characters/actors, any set requirements, etc., and he'll let you know if he will do it and how much it will cost.  Kevin does NOT write "for hire" and he retains ownership (copyright) of everything he writes.  His usual fee is $3000.00 for a 35-45 minute musical with 12 months writing time before the first rehearsal.  Click HERE for more information about commissioning Kevin M Reese to write a show for you.

Some other options:

1    Hold a playwriting competition.   Advertise that you're looking for entries of a particular story and offer a full production as the prize.  This way you get a lot of versions of the story that you can pick from. and you can set the technical guidelines for all the entries.  If you do it right, you'll get a lot of entries-- and you won't even have to pay them anything.   Keep in mind that a playwright's willingness to work for little/no pay is in direct proportion to his/her experience/skill level.  And it takes a few years for word-of-mouth to kick in before you get lots of entries to your competition.

2.  Put an ad in a writer's magazine or theatre trade magazine for what you're looking for.  Interested playwrights will respond and let you commission them to write a script for you.  You will pay for their work.

3.  Scour the Internet for playwrights.  Most of them are willing to let you commission them to write a script for you.  You will pay for their work.

4.  Write it yourself.  Let a talented group of actors and a director develop the show using improvisation.  Perhaps your organization has a closet playwright lurking in the wings and just needs a push.  If I can do it, others can, too.

Q:  I want to start producing shows for kids.  How do I start?
A:  Whole books are devoted to that question.  Here's my condensed version.  First of all, you need a SPACE, AUDIENCE, ACTORS and MONEY.  

For the space, anything from a meeting room in a church to a regular theatre stage will do.  Price is a major factor.  You don't want to pay more for the rental of the space than you pay for everything else put together.  If you're creative enough, you can make a deal with your church or school to use one of their rooms and you give them a percentage of the receipts.  Make sure the space is big enough for your sets (how high is the ceiling?) and there are there sufficient electrical outlets (lights, sound, etc. take a lot of electricity).  If you're truly starting from scratch, you DON'T want to buy a theatre space until you get your feet wet and know you can do it.

As far as the audience goes, make sure there WILL BE an audience.   Have you checked out the demographics of the area to see if you have a likely audience base?  Are there other theatres in the area producing theatre for kids-- and can the market bear another performance group.  You will need a lot of PR to get your theatre started and get people in your doors.  "If you build it, they will come" is only guaranteed in the movies.

It seems silly to mention that you need actors (and a director, music director, choreographer, etc., too!), but too many times, theatres try to produce children's theatre using actors and directors who know absolutely nothing about the peculiarities of performing for kids.  Unless your acting company is made up of seasoned children's theatre performers, teachers, or others trained to interact with kids, you may be in for a terrible shock come performance time.  You may also need that input when you are selecting the shows you plan to produce.  Do you want social issue plays, musicals, or participatory shows?  Are there any stories in the core curriculum that you can produce onstage?  Are you going to be touring the shows to different schools?  If so, you'll want shows with simple technical requirements.

You need money.  How much?  Anywhere from less than $100.00 to 5.3 million (did you like that round number?  ha) 

PRODUCTION MATERIALS:  You'll need a play to produce.   If you can't write one yourself, you'll need to pay someone else for one.   Production materials (scripts, music, etc.) and royalties for just ONE performance can run you anywhere from around $50.00 to a couple thousand dollars-- depending on where you go for the script.  Check out our Links page for play sources.  We'll save you some time:  KMR Scripts shows are of the highest quality and about the least expensive to produce that you'll find anywhere.

SPACE:  Rental of your performance/rehearsal space.  Do you have to rent chairs?  Will you need lighting and sound equipment?  Who's going to build your sets?  Can you rent them? 

AUDIENCE:  You may be able to get by on free publicity-- but can you afford to take that chance?  Do you need to hire a PR specialist?

ACTORS:  You get what you pay for-- though sometimes you can get very lucky.  Many "professional" children's theatres pay their actors $25 or $30 per performance.  Your circumstances will vary -- assuming you pay them at all.  Being an actor myself, I recommend that you be prepared to pay well for good actors.  This isn't to say that you can't use volunteer actors.  Don't forget that you will need a competent director.  I don't recommend "the blind leading the blind."  Get a director who knows how to direct a children's theatre show.  Consider bringing in a local grade school teacher, music teacher or childcare professional for a workshop with your actors.  Hey, did we mention that Kevin M Reese is available for workshops?  (heh-heh-heh....)

Q:  I want to start producing shows with kids as actors.  How do I start?
A:  Again, whole books are devoted to this subject.  I won't talk about the obvious (see answer to question directly above) but I want to stress a couple other things.  Over the past 10 years, I've been involved (as a teacher, playwright and director) with quite a few organizations that use child actors. 

First of all, I hope you are certain as to the purpose of your endeavor.  Are you really interested in the effects on the kids involved in your program?  Unless you are, you won't last long.  And unless you strive to make sure your kids come first, and it is evident in the way you run your program-- you won't last long.  The odds of succeeding are pretty much against you anyway (theatres come and go), so you need to make sure you do everything right-- from the beginning.  Do yourself, your kids and theatre in general a favor and emphasize three things through your program above everything else:  Integrity, Ethics, and Teamwork.

Integrity:  Responsibility. Pride in their work. Help them learn that they need to be responsible for their actions. In theatre, this means that if they commit to the show, they must be on time to rehearsals, prepared when they show up, and focused on the needs of the show while they are there. Help them learn that they can't blow off rehearsals. Help them learn that a one-line, walk-on part is as important to the show as the leads. Help them learn that in theatre (and in life), there are no excuses-- only results.

Ethics:  (See Theatre Code of Ethics)  This also covers work ethic. This is more than just helping them learn not to cheat or lie. It's helping them learn that in the long run, it really IS better for everyone if they behave ethically at all times. In a society, we have to have rules of behavior and there are consequences for our behavior.  In theatre, we need to foster in our young actors (and tech people, too!) that "theatre" is much more than just the production they are working on at the present time.  Theatre has been around for thousands of years and will hopefully be around for thousands more.  The best way for that to happen is if we bring up our new practitioners with the values and respect for Theatre that will assure quality and artistic integrity in every endeavor.

Teamwork:  There really is not much difference between theatre and team sports. They both have the kids work toward a common goal, are presented before a live audience, and are evaluated by their outcome. Although there are undoubtedly kids who display more talent or a higher skill level, everyone has an important role in the endeavor. And above all: theatre should be FUN!

Q:  How does the Internet figure into the future of KMR Scripts?
A:  It is a MAJOR part of our future.  There have been times that a theatre needed a revision to a script for their production.  We had the playwright make the changes and we Emailed the revised script to the theatre that evening.  Or one time, a theatre needed a special version of one of the songs for their performance soundtrack and they had someone there who was proficient enough on the computer that we could send the new track as a .WAV file.  Then they just recorded the new song onto their performance tape or CD.  We use the Internet whenever we can.  

Right now, the Internet is a big part of our PR/Marketing efforts.  A couple of our biggest customers (i.e.:  do a lot of our shows every year) found US while they were surfing the Net.  We save probably $100 every month in long distance phone bills because we do the majority of our business calls/correspondence via  Internet Email-- and more and more theatres are going online all the time.   We probably get 3-4 times more hardcopy catalog requests from the Internet than we ever got when we advertised in a national theatre magazine.   Right now, all our advertising dollars are being spent exclusively on the Internet and theatre conventions.

We have the ability to accept payments (via PayPal) over a secure connection.  We offer our customers the option of paying for perusal scripts and even production materials and royalties via credit cards.  Think of it:  no more waiting for checks to arrive before your materials are shipped.  We also see in the future that scripts, study guides, music and other production materials could be Emailed to your computer via the Internet and you could burn off your own Production Soundtrack CD and print off your own rehearsal scripts.  The possibilities are only limited by our imagination-- and at KMR Scripts, we like to use our imaginations a LOT!

Q:  Why don't you offer perusal scripts or sheet music via Email right now?
A:  Good question.  Internet technology is advancing faster than we can keep up with it.  We certainly could offer our entire production package via email (see section directly above).  Unfortunately, Internet SECURITY is not up to the task.  Congress is still working on Internet related copyright laws.  We know a colleague who is offering preview scripts via email (Fox Plays) and we're watching his experience very closely with hopeful optimism.  Our biggest concern is not with the general theatre public-- but with the unethical few who would capitalize on the security/legal weaknesses of this new technology.  There are theatres right now who find ways to acquire scripts and music without going through the proper channels and are producing shows without paying the appropriate fees.  Right now the Internet makes it just that easier for those unethical theatres to accomplish their illegal goals. 

Q:  What are the "Production Packets?"
A:  They're sort of a Production in a Box.  No more trying to figure out how much you're going to spend for all the materials in your production packet. $3 for each script? $10 for this? $75 for that? -- Now it's just one price for everything you need in order to produce one of our shows. And all you need to return after your production are the CDs and the Sheet Music-- you get to keep the rest. What does the Packet include? For a musical, it contains enough scripts for all the characters listed in the script, a director's script (full-page, double spaced, with LOTS of notes and tech information), sheet music, complete performance soundtrack on CD, Education Study Guide tailored for each show, a sample script for a Pre-show that adds a lot to the kids experience. We figured up the AVERAGE cost for all the materials, deducted about 10% and made that the cost for all the Production Packets. We're trying to make the whole process a lot simpler!  There are no Production Packets for our non-musical shows.  You'll just need to purchase enough scripts for everyone involved (no photocopying allowed).

Q:  What if we want to "hold-over" or "re-mount" a production?
A:  You must rent our Production Packet again for a re-mounting but you don't have to rent it again for a production that is held-over-- as long as you notified us in writing before your original run ends.  A couple definitions are in order here.  To us, "Held-Over" means the exact same show (all the same actors and director) is given additional performances in addition to its original run within a relatively short time period.  "Re-mount" means that the same script is presented by a theatre sometime after an original run using some or all new actors and/or director).  "Held-over" shows don't usually require much additional rehearsal, "re-mounts" usually require additional rehearsal.  Additional rehearsals require rehearsal materials.  Since it is against the law to photocopy our scripts and music, and the rehearsal materials have been returned to us from the original run, we  assume you'll need to rent our packet so your actors can learn the show.

Our policy is, unless previous arrangements are made, once the production packet is returned and/or your production is completed according to the original agreement, future performances are considered new productions and rental of the production packet is necessary.  We know that sometimes shows are held-over for a longer run than originally planned.  We also know that the longer it is between productions, the more likely that cast changes are made or rehearsals are needed.  Unless the production has exactly the same cast and production staff, it is considered a new production.  The way around this is if the theatre lets us know before the closing performance of the original run, we will most likely allow a "held-over" arrangement for performances.  If an unusually long period of time passes between the original run and the extended run or if there are any changes in the artistic staff (cast and/or director),  we will consider it a new production and you will need to pay the Production Packet rental again along with all the other fees involved (deposit, royalty, etc.).  

Q:  We're kind of in a rush.  How soon can we get our materials?
A:  Plan on two weeks from the day you mail your order until the day your materials arrive.  We realize that sometimes a theatre gets into a bind and needs to put the whole process on fast-forward.  We will accommodate the best we can.  However, we have policies we must follow.   We must have a signed contract and payment in advance before any rehearsal materials can leave our offices.  Once you decide which show you want to produce, contact us for the price (we can email you a contract and invoice, if needed).  If you "next-day" the check to us, we will have your materials in the mail the day after we receive it.  If you add the appropriate amount to your check, we will "next-day" it back to you.  We now offer secure online payments via PayPal.

Q:  You offer references and direct links to a lot of your competitors on your web site-- that seems a little weird for a business.
A:  We're pretty selfish in that way.  First of all, we really don't consider them competitors.  They aren't selling the same shows we sell because only KMR Scripts offers plays by Kevin M Reese.  Aside from that, we know that when one theatre succeeds, that makes it all the more easier for another theatre to succeed.  We're here for kids and Theatre.  Our shows aren't for every theatre.  Some consider our shows the best thing since peanut butter, while others consider them merely "fractured fairy tales."  That's OK.  We're growing-- and that has a lot to do with not only the quality of our shows, but also the way we do business.

If you've read the rest of this page, our other FAQ by Kevin M Reese, or our Business Philosophy page, you'll notice that we bend over backwards to help our customers provide the best possible theatrical experience for their audiences.  We also offer a lot to those who are not our paying customers (check out our Classroom Helps and Green Room sections).  We've had numerous people write us with the most (seemingly) unusual questions and after we do our best to help them, many of them return to our site for more info or even to order our shows.  We tell people who holds the rights to "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"-- or steer them toward PlaysandMusicals.com.  We advise people not to add the songs from the Wizard of Oz film to their own, new play adaptation.  We had a university grad school Children's Theatre class write us about our thoughts on Children's Theatre and Tragedy (shudder!).  We do whatever we can to help.  That's why we make it easy for people to check out our "competitors."  It's in our best interest to do so.  

Q:  You charge $50.00 for RUSH shipping?  Isn't that a little steep?
A:  We think so!  But you get what you pay for.  If a theatre does their job and applies for a show with plenty of time for all the red tape and legal mumbo-jumbo, we will be happy to pay for the shipping of the materials.  If, however, a theatre finds themselves in a time crunch--  they will need to decide if it's worth the extra $50.  We don't enjoy having to rush our job because of something out of our control-- but if WE mess up and need to ship next-day to make up for it, we'll gladly pay for that.  With the help of the Internet, we can significantly reduce the processing time, but you should allow at least 2 weeks for the process.  Unless you want to PAY.

Q:  I've got a play that I've written-- how can I get it published?
A:  Don't send it to us.  We only handle plays written by Kevin M Reese.  We will however, give you some advice as to how to improve your chances of getting another publisher to consider handling your new show.  See our page on Getting Published.

Why don't you accept Purchase Orders (POs) from a school?
POs are a way for companies and organizations to get merchandise without paying in advance-- it's an IOU.  We don't extend credit.  Our materials aren't that expensive.  It may take a little more advance planning for schools who are accustomed to using POs, but it won't be that inconvenient.  You would think schools were a good credit risk, but we had to wait almost a whole year to collect from one school-- so we don't allow POs anymore.  The time and effort involved to collect on POs isn't worth it to us.

Q:  Have your shows won any awards?
A:  No.  None of our shows have ever received any awards.  Nope, not a one.  It would be nice if one of them did, but we're not even sure where you go to get one.  I've noticed quite a few "award-winning" shows that aren't produced very much.  Ours are produced all the time all over the US.  We are closing in on the 2 million mark for how many people have seen our shows-- and the far majority of them are kids. Besides-- from what we've seen, all the awards are given out by adults.  We don't write for adults-- we write for kids.  Too bad Nickelodeon's "Kid's Choice Awards" don't cover theatre shows-- we might have a chance....