Authors - we need you

We are only weeks away from the launch of a brand new theatre resource in Australia NZ.

If you are tired of paying overseas rights for overdone plays and want to source Australian written and performed plays FREE of rights or at least inexpensive in comparison then this will be for you.

We are currently seeking MORE performed but UNPUBLISHED plays, monologues pantomimes, any theatre art written in Australia or NZ.

So authors please contact us as soon as possible. The main web site will be operating at the beginning of July with the Official launch of Armpit Plays shortly thereafter.

We will be seeking editors and synopsis writers and Theatre consultants in all areas over the coming months. Please wait until we advertise!

You may visit http://www.armpitplays.com or for a more detailed guide to our resource then phone us on 0423 116 114

That's a joke right? What you'd really like is Australian and NZ playwrights to provide you with their work free of charge so that you could then make money out producing that work.

It's called theft
Nic

Do grow up Nic. No that is not the purpose of this. I am tired of watching performances of "Importance of being Earnest", and with the Howard Govt changes to copyright its difficult to stage a contemporary play when we are paying rights to overseas based publishing houses.

There is a plethora of talent in Australia, but not always picked up by publishing houses..we have authors already who actaully contacted me direct WITHOUT INSULTS and have learnt that we intend to have a resource of ANZ plays for the use of Community and school theatre.

We will also be donating a copy of each script that we bind to the State library.

Some authors have declined to charge rights to community theatre ( I am one) but would like to see their work performed to a wider audience.

I would suggest Nic, that your ignorance is almost on the same scale as your paranoia.

Perhaps posting an email to us you might learn instead of shooting your mouth off. ANYONE who would like to know exactly how the authors work and copyright REMAINS with them can email for more info.


Thou bawdy earth-vexing minnow!

sorry Alex...I called you Nic...not as defamatory as calling you a thief tho...

And I do get pissed when a know nothing doesnt even ask for more information before shooting their mouths off.

Every Community theatre in WA and by year end, theatres across Australia will soon be getting a letter detailing EXACTLY how this resource will work for and on behalf of theatre in Australia and NZ.

Regarding stealing ideas...well, I dont think so dear. As to making money producing them...no. But then thats why I spent the last 6 months researching this project and talking to professionals instead of sitting down and reacting without much thought at all. Which is why I and my partner ( both in theatre) are trying to put a resource of benefit to theatre lovers and authors of all theatre art together.

But then again it seems that your ideas are so precious that they should not be shared or performed, well that is probably right dear. And a very good idea.

So how about you tell us how this resource works? Many Australian playwrights still expect to be paid a royalty for performances, even if the works are unpublished. Be interested to know what the MEAA thinks of this? Have you run it past them?

Precisely my point. There wouldn't be any theatre if there weren't playwrights and it seems to me that they're the one part of the equation that everyone is happy to leave put when it comes to payment.
I've had my plays produced professionally over seas( and here in Australia) and I've always received and expect to receive the due copywrite payment.

To attempt to collect material from Australian authors on the grounds that reduced or no copywrite will be paid is theft and don't call me dear.
Nic

Obviously you guys don't restrict your 'drama' to the stage! My first time on this site and having experienced amateur theatre and its 'inhabitants' for too many years in my home town, it's obvious that these amateur egos exist everywhere.
As a playwright myself i certainly expect some 'compensation' for the hours or work and the expenses incurred creating a script.
Some people are happy to put their work out there for free and good luck to them and to Alan if he catches some.
I write because it's my passion but passion doesn't pay for paper, power or ink cartridges!
I know i have suffered petty abuse from envious amateurs at the local theatre, who then make good money from my work...so why shouldn't i get some sort of profit from that too?
Actors and Theatres (from Hobart to Hollywood) have to remember that without a script, they have nothing...and most of them wouldn't know how to pick up a pen and even write 'Act one, scene one'.

But, my advice to all is if Alan's 'Armpit' appeals to you, go for it...but if you think Alan's 'Armpit' stinks...quite simply, don't go there!

oh dear, as I said Alex,

You really have no idea of the resource we are putting forward. You are rude, up yourself and a valuable publicist.

The full premise is on the new website which will be launched on or after the 14th July.

Please note Authors:

Performing rights are YOUR business and you set them according to your wishes. If you wish to charge that is great, I do certainly, but not for all my writing and not for community theatre. If you wish to charge according to the calculations from the publishing industry fine.

Armpit plays have no intention of charging commissions, purchasing or setting performing rights fees at all.

Copyright of your work is protected and we have no interest in it. Indeed, should you gain yourself a publisher whilst that work is on our resource we will remove it as we do not wish to be in breach of copyright.

Armpit plays is for unpublished but preferably PERFORMED works.

Armpit plays after consultations with professional and peak bodies and copyright lawyers is in the business of providing a resource for playwrights, Community and (we hope professional) School and student drama which our research shows just doesnt exist up until now.

Those of you who have shown interest in our micro enterprise, you have our thanks, Those too ignorant and arrogant to ask a civil question , at least we have a handle on your standards.

yes.

I have a civil question (although in this format, tone of voice is much too ambiguous to assume that you will take it as civil): how does a playwright know whether their rights are being taken advantage of? I am experienced, and tend to ask the right questions, but am wary of handing over scripts to people I don't know, haven't met, and won't work with. This is not paranoia, but caution. I want to know that my work is being used in a way I see fit (even playwrights' want a bit of control over their work), and that is hard to do if the group using it is interstate or overseas.

Having said that, I don't intend on sending you my scripts, I just want to point out that in this day and age of piracy (Australia being one of the top countries of pirating things off the internet and so forth), that people like Alex have a relevant point - and that their questions come out of concern for their work, not ignorance.

I wonder if you could post some details on this site as to how you will ensure the rights of the playwrights will be retained. If you have answered that already somewhere here, I apologise, I must have missed that (and that is not a sarcastic comment, I am curious).

Thanks

Na

Dear na, I have watched and seen your posts on previous "issues" and your rapport with the illustrious Craig is obvious.
at least you have not excused us of larceny. Although you seem to be reading a lot more into the concept advert than is actually there???

We are more than happy to discuss the resource and its operation in a candid manner as we have we with MEAA and others.

your concerns have been answered, I believe, in one of our responses to one of alex's remarkably premature outbursts.

I suggest that you contain your excitement until the end of July, OR like many others dial the 0423 116 114 number that appears in the original post and you can actually REALLY talk to a person who will answer your questions.

My God what a concept...actually ask someone? Or is it so much easier to accuse and rant by email? jeez.

Not Na that you ranted, and we appreciate your frankness and honest enquiry and welcome others in the same spirit.

We have worked our buns off to give a chance of a resource for ANZ writers and community theatre to access quality ( i hope) writing and affordable fees for Community and other theatre.

The preliminary ads(posts) we thought would read well enough to be teasers for the community. We cannot see any misleading information, everyone has our email and phone contacts, a call to MEAA would establish the financial membership of a principal, a reading of the temporary web page www.armpitplays.com would establish the concept and an email (as others have done) would result in a prompt and informative reply.

Hey guys heres a concept...lets READ the first post properly and if in doubt SPEAK to a HUMAN???

Sorry obviously far too revolutionary. LOL

Alan, thanks for your response. And even though, yes, I could call the number, I do believe that I am writing to a "human" as you put it (unless somehow the reply was computer generated)...so why can't you answer the question here? I may have missed some information in the previous postings, or assumed something in your postings, but I still have no clue as to how you will go about protecting the rights of others.

Considering you posted the ad on this forum, I would have thought it would be a good idea to answer these important questions for others to read. Or is that too democratic?

(And yes, now I'm getting narky, I'm sick of being told to be smart and ask the right questions, and ensure my rights, and then get ambiguous answers in return when I do ask. If I'm so dumb, then maybe you can enlighten me. Your experience doesn't excuse your attitude.... Scream all you want, I'm tired of sticking up for my own opinion, and for being less experienced than others.)

Gee, Alan, I hope I don’t get shot down in flames for my own honest enquiry …coz I’m not certain I’d like to be welcomed in the same spirit as the post above. At least my ignorance is much bigger than my paranoia, so I’ll not be afraid of your response to me repeating a previous question. However, I’d better take your advice and ‘READ the first post properly’. Be right back…


...Okay, checked it out. Also visited the website, although itÂ’s still under construction and didnÂ’t tell me much more than youÂ’ve already said here. I considered calling the mobile but I doubt youÂ’d appreciate chatting after 2:30 in the morning, and besides, IÂ’ve already paid for a phonecall by dialing up the internet tonight, so IÂ’d much prefer to communicate via the line thatÂ’s already open.

So far your ‘far too revolutionary’ approach is getting me nowhere. So forgive me for continuing to persist with this online forum. Hopefully, someone ‘HUMAN’ might read it? If not, maybe you’ll be able to help.


So first IÂ’d better check out some of the other posts above, to see if my questions have already been answered. Be right backÂ…


Alan said:
> your concerns have been answered, I believe, in one of our responses to
> one of alex's remarkably premature outbursts.

Â…Only bickering here. Okay, better go further backÂ…



> Armpit plays have no intention of charging commissions, purchasing or
> setting performing rights fees at all.


Does this mean you wonÂ’t promote works which DO charge rights? Or just that you wonÂ’t add your own fees to those charged by the author?
ItÂ’s unclear, to me and I suspect many others here, whether you are only seeking authors willing to donate their work or whether the resource is broader than that. If you DO accommodate those authors who expect to earn royalties, how is that arranged with your clients?


> Copyright of your work is protected and we have no interest in it. Indeed,
> should you gain yourself a publisher whilst that work is on our resource
> we will remove it as we do not wish to be in breach of copyright.


See, thatÂ’s another bit that confuses me. Copyright exists in a written work. It just does. Whether itÂ’s published or not. You say itÂ’s protectedÂ…but how? What stops your customers taking a play you give them and performing it outside the bounds of the performance rights? Like, it might start as a school classroom play, but whatÂ’s to stop it being produced for gain by someone in a different context, maybe years later?


My question then, is What exactly is the distinction you make about UNPUBLISHED plays? Is the assumption that 'published' means professional? IÂ’m not certain thatÂ’s necessarily a given, but I canÂ’t think of any published amateur examples so IÂ’ll assume thatÂ’s what you mean.
So my concern is for some of the unpublished work you are seeking. I work with a lot of professional playwrights, who all expect to get paid for the right to use their work, and yet none of them are published. Companies like the Perth Theatre Company obviously perform published scripts, but many new Australian works are simply scripts. They fit the description you seek, but they have all earned their authors an income. Now, these authors might be keen to see their work picked up by other companies, but IÂ’m sure they are concerned as to how rights and royalties are managed.


> Performing rights are YOUR business and you set them according to your
> wishes. If you wish to charge that is great, I do certainly, but not for all
> my writing and not for community theatre. If you wish to charge
> according to the calculations from the publishing industry fine.


I think this is still slightly ambiguous. So are you saying that your service gives authors the opportunity to charge? Or are you saying, if you want to charge, go elsewhere?
And in my understanding, the publishing industry and its associated charges are something entirely different to the fees payable for performance rightsÂ…yet your last sentence seems to confuse the two.
Maybe this is why you are getting so many people asking questions. YouÂ’ve confused them.


> Regarding stealing ideas...well, I dont think so dear. As to making money
> producing them...no.

ThatÂ’s reassuring, as far as authors who will be dealing with YOU. But can you speak for the people who will use your service? What protection is in place for authorÂ’s work so that users of your site arenÂ’t seen to be stealing or making money from them?


> Every Community theatre in WA and by year end, theatres across
> Australia will soon be getting a letter detailing EXACTLY how this resource
> will work for and on behalf of theatre in Australia and NZ.

Yes, but most of these writers donÂ’t affiliate with any particular theatre or even a community theatre. Putting more details HERE, rather than being so enigmatic, would help heaps.




> Dear na, I have watched and seen your posts on previous "issues" and
> your rapport with the illustrious Craig is obvious.


Hey! I got a mention! Although I have no idea why or in what context? I detect a trace of sarcasm toward na, or is it toward me? Â…I occasionally argue for or against her, but IÂ’ve never met herÂ…although I once lent her a hat..! I guess that creates rapport.


> at least you have not excused us of larceny.

Whoops! What was that? YouÂ’re admitting larceny, and are glad na is not excusing you? So do those others who accused you have a basisÂ…?





Glad to see you attempting to start a new business to help the theatre community. And I hope your bedside manner with people who have come to you with concerns and questions won't scare away any potential customers.

Cheers,
The illustrious Craig

[%sig%]

Thanks for your public posts and private messages Craig,Na and Rob. Sorry I came across as enraged, but my prick tolerance must be at zero at the moment.

For the benefit of the tape: here is the way our resource will operate.

I have lost count of the amount of enquiies I get for Australian or NZ plays to perform and we all get referred to some UK or US site with nothing suitable on it.

This business concept and practise has been run past MEAA, Copyright Lawyer (ouch - wallet emptying exercise that) and many luminaries in the theatre industry . I am a member of MEAA and support it 100% but more we now have a concept to support Australian Theatre and Theatre practitioners.

Armpit plays, that is myself and my partner have long seen a need for a
range of Australian plays/theatre art available for general performance. Unfortunately up until we commence operations this resource just doesn't exist.


We don't intend to purchase rights, set rights or do anything about rights apart from collect them ON BEHALF of the author. These will be remitted in full to the author.


Copyright will be retained by the author, we only act as an agent for
collection of the fees that the author sets. If the author gets a publisher
and assigns the rights he/she advises us and we remove the play from those available.


The author will sign a declaration and indemnity stating (in simple terms)that they agree to us distributing the performing rights to their work specified, also stating that the work is entirely their own and not
plagiarized, they also sign that they can withdraw the work at any time forany reason providing the rights for performances that we have collected on their behalf and remitted and the paid for performances will be allowed to proceed in good faith. No charges will accrue to the author at all. If they do get a fat contract from say Heinemann then a donation to our champagne and bright light fund would be appreciated.
Authors will be informed of any and every purchase enquiry if they wish. They can in that case refuse certain companies/directors should they choose to do so. It is their work after all.


The site will be run as follows: a GOOD synopsis of the
play/monologue/whatever will be on the website with extracts from 1st and last acts or sample dialogue as well as characters required.
The price and conditions of performance that the author sets as performance rights will be included in the synopsis. Any prior reviews and testimonials will also be available.


Yes I am hoping that MOST authors will not charge Community and Charity performances more than a token amount. After all we are looking for plays that had a run in say Kalamunda or Wauchope or Ettalong Beach or small professional or profit share companies and have not been seen since.


Community and Oceanic Theatre in general theatre is crying out for this resource and we are simply trying to make a place for it and make the playwrights and yes ourselves a bit of beer money. And SAVE Community and professional theatre a bit of money if possible.


Where's our money come from?..well we tell only our contributing authors that NOT LOL oh LOL ...duh...we charge for the scripts, nicely bound and with space for notes. That's copyright advice as you would be aware. We don't charge much but as me and de missus are doing them...we don't need to charge much.

We will also deliver FREE one script copy of each play sold to the relevant State library as a resource for the future.
That's it! There is another side to the business that will we hope provide work for actors like meself and partner, but that's for another day...and yes its been run past MEAA and everyone already including the Govt grant people who may grudgingly give us some money to support us while we bloody well try.

So, if you havent please submit an enquiry either thru the above email address or from the website.

Again thanx to the many positive enquirers and jeez Craig your a pedant but LOL. And yes, in response to two enquirers It is me in the story that Jay tells about the feral cat.


Thou spleeny plume-plucked barnacle!

The best thing about this post is that almost everyone has used their answers/questions/rants to hint at what profilfient writers or actors they are. Go you guys. I think rob was right abgout amateur egos.

Mrs Sondheim wrote:
>
> The best thing about this post is that almost everyone has
> used their answers/questions/rants to hint at what
> profilfient writers or actors they are. Go you guys. I think
> rob was right abgout amateur egos.



Excuse me, mine's a professional ego thank you very much.


And you're either so prolific, profulgent, or proficient as a creative writer that you managed to make up an entirely new word...!


Cheers,
Craig

Thank you. That's all I wanted - succinct information.

And sorry about being narky, obviously my tolerance was low too.

Alan wrote:
>
> Again thanx to the many positive enquirers and jeez Craig
> your a pedant but LOL.



When I grow up I'm going to be a Devil's Advocate. If you can justify yourself, argue back and put me in my place, then you score bonus PR points and hopefully stifle any further accusing questions.

It's an interesting idea, I hope you get it off the ground smoothly.


Happy Inde-Pedants Day for tomorrow.

Cheers,
Craig

[%sig%]

Whoops, my bad! Obviously Im not as good a writr as I thought. Well, there goes my ego. Oh woe, woe to the highest degree!

...and in the end, there was harmony!
Well done to all contributors! There is something very healthy about constructive debate and i'm sure there's several of you out there now with a big smirk on your face!
Have a great weekend and as it's Friday, it's your shout at the Pub!