Revising Published Scripts Info

Tips on Revising a Published Script

Last Revised: 07/10/03

OK, so you've found a script you want to produce, applied for and have been granted a performance license, paid all the fees you're supposed to, got all the materials you need to go into rehearsals. You've also made a few line changes, cuts, added a song from the movie, added a couple funny bits, and a punch line that you've always thought would be great in a particular scene, and added a little more dialogue to reinforce the characterization of a character you're changing from a female to a gay male. Sound familiar? But, oh-oh, didn't you read in the contract that you are not allowed to make ANY changes to the script? Technically, if you do, the publisher/licensor can revoke your performance license (no refunds either!) and prevent you from producing the play. Shut down. Oh, the horror! The embarrassment!

Even Though its a Way of Life. . . .
If you get a group of theatre producers/directors into a big, BIG room and ask them how many of them alter the scripts for their productions, I'm sure 99% will raise their hands. It doesn't matter if they work with secondary school programs, professional, touring, dinner theatre, summer stock, Equity, URTA, community theatre or put on plays in their back yards-- they all do it. Though this is very frustrating to the publisher/licensor (not to mention the playwright!), it is a fact of theatre life. For some reason, many people seem to consider a play as merely an outline for a "work in progress" -- not as a tangible work of art.

I've visited with many directors and producers (I must admit, I used to be one) who have expressed the opinion that "Hey, I paid the royalties, it's my show now and I can do it any way I want. They should be just be grateful that I'm honest enough to pay the royalty. to begin with." I know most high school-- and even college theatre programs-- routinely produce plays and musicals using scripts that the director cut and revised. We are teaching the students that it's acceptable to revise copyrighted scripts, then those students go on and teach the next generation, and so on. For some reason we're not seeing the ethical dilemma we're creating, and for some reason, we don't realize that it's also a legal one.

I've been in theatre long enough to know how the production process works. More times than not, a producer tackles the script search job with the idea "what show are we ABLE to produce here" as apposed to "what show do we WANT to produce here. That's the reality of theatre today. I'm not bashing it-- that's just the way it is. The problem is that in looking for a play they are ABLE to produce, sometimes a theatre will look at the piece as a malleable work. Sort of like having a round hole (the season slot) and not finding a round peg (a perfect play that needs no changes), they will cut, hammer and force a square or triangle peg--or a round peg that is too big or too little-- into the hole. They get it to fit, but, boy, they sure changed the peg.

In my ideal world, a producer reads thousands of scripts every year (I can dream, can't I?). They find one that conveys a particular message in a particular way, and the producer is inspired to mount that production in a way that only that his/her theatre can. They share the same vision with the playwright. The play is considered the playwright's work of art and thus, they present the show EXACTLY the way the playwright wrote it. No changes, no deletions, no additions.

Generally . . .
There are some changes for which most publishers/licensors will look the other way. Bound by their contract with the playwright, they usually cannot openly permit changes, but realize the changes will most likely be made anyway, and as long as they are insignificant (i.e.: don't affect the vision and spirit of the playwright's copyrighted work), they will adopt a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Of course, if a theatre takes too many liberties with a script, the publisher will take action, ranging from a letter of chastisement or a monetary fine, to black listing from future licensing or even shutting down a performance-- and a myriad of alternatives in between.

What Kinds of Changes are Usually Tolerated?

The operative word here is USUALLY. There are always exceptions.
Insignificant word changes: Such as deleting cuss words or changing a line that says "red sled" to "blue sled" to match the color of the sled you borrowed for your production. Any word or phrase substitutions that don't effect the spirit of the play (of course, most playwrights will argue that ALL substitutions effect the spirit of the play).
Cutting dialogue and songs: The show is running 45 minutes too long-- what else can you do? Instead of the preferred option of choosing a shorter show to begin with, many theatres take out the red marker and start cutting dialogue and songs. Notice I don't add that they may then write new dialogue to smooth the transitions.
Adding bodies to a nameless ensemble: You can have 5,000 kids in the chorus of Annie if you want. You may add "passersby" to give a scene some atmosphere. Generally speaking, as long as it doesn't affect dialogue, you may add as many "bodies" as you like to establish atmosphere.

What Kinds of Changes are NEVER Tolerated?

Adding dialogue: It doesn't matter if the dialogue you are adding comes from the movie version of the same story, even if it was penned by the same writer-- it's illegal to add dialogue. Even to just add a funny line. Major copyright violations. This also covers some clever directors who find ways to rearrange the existing dialogue to make the scene read a different way.
Adding new songs: Same as above in regards to songs from movie versions. More times than not, the film music was written by someone other than the person who wrote the stage music. If you pay royalty for the stage version and add film songs, only the stage music royalties are being paid. You are therefore stealing (not paying royalties) the music from the film composer.
Changing the ending. I don't think I even need to address this.
Adding new characters. You can't start adding characters to a show and giving them lines because you have to find something for all your actors to do. It doesn't matter that you're merely re-assigning the existing dialogue. You should have picked a show that had enough parts to begin with.
Turning a musical into a non-musical. If there isn't a non-musical version of the show already available, there is a reason for it. Most likely, the authors don't believe the story is as good without the music.

How to Go About Making Changes?

Don't make changes to a copyrighted script yourself. Just don't do it. Ever. It's a BIG copyright infringement and you'll be setting yourself, your theatre and your actors up for a potential lawsuit (yes, your actors can be sued for knowingly performing an altered script).
Contact the Copyright holder or publisher for permission to make changes. This is the only ethical thing to do. Chances are, a publisher has had other such requests for a particular script and may have an authorized revision available that will meet your needs. You may get lucky and the publisher may give you permission to make the cuts but will ask that you send the results to them so they can give approval. The bottom line is: ask. Get approval. Don't assume anything. In the contract you signed, you swore you would not make or allow to be made any changes to the script and agreed to consequences if you did. Don't be surprised if it happens....

KMR Scripts is a Little Different . . .
The way we handle shows at KMR Scripts is very unique. We know that probably the only theatre capable of living up to the standards of the above-mentioned scenario would be one in which the playwright was also the producer, director, actor, and audience member. Everyone else must take the limitations of their environment (staff, facilities, talent, audience, etc.) and find a way to make the show viable. That's where we come in. We help theatres do just that. We can help make our shows work in virtually any environment. And if you need changes made to the script for your particular production, chances are good that we'll get the playwright to make them for you. He is constantly revising his scripts for the particular needs of various theatres around the country. More times than not, the changes make their way into the published script for other theatres to use.