The Dramatists Guild

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The Dramatists Guild of America was established over 80 years ago, and is the only professional association which advances the interests of playwrights, composers and lyricists writing for the living stage. The Guild has over 6,000 members nationwide, from beginning writers to the most prominent authors represented on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in regional theaters.

The Guild is governed by a Board of Directors, elected from its membership, and which currently includes such writers as Stephen Sondheim (West Side Story, Gypsy, Into theWoods), Edward Albee (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, A Delicate Balance), Marsha Norman (‘night, mother), Tony Kushner (Angels In America), John Patrick Shanley (Doubt) and John Guare (Six Degrees of Separation). The current president of the Guild is John Weidman (Contact, Assassins, Pacific Overtures).The Dramatists Guild of America was established for the purpose of aiding dramatists in protecting both the artistic and economic integrity of their work. The Guild believes that a vibrant, vital and provocative theater is an essential element of the ongoing cultural debate which informs the citizens of a free society. The Guild believes that if such a theater is to survive, the unique, idiosyncratic voices of both men and women who write for it must be cultivated and protected.To that end, the Guild maintains model contracts for all levels of productions, (including Broadway, regional and smaller theaters) and encourages its members to use these contracts when negotiating with producers. These contracts embody the Guild’s over­arching objectives of protecting the dramatist’s control over the content of his work, and ensuring that the dramatist is compensated for each use of his work in a way which will encourage him to continue writing for the living stage.In addition to its contract services, the Guild acts as an aggressive public advocate for dramatists’ interests and assists dramatists’ in developing both their artistic and business skills through its publications, which are distributed nationally, and the educational programs which it sponsors around the country.Through a variety of activities, the Dramatists Guild of America works to ensure that theater in America will continue to flourish and that the voices which give it life will continue to reflect and celebrate the richness and diversity of the American experience.

Guild Staff:

•Ralph Sevush Executive Director, Business Affairs •Gary Garrison Executive Director, Creative Affairs •Abby Marcus General Manager •David Faux Director of Business Affairs •Joshua Levine Director of Membership •Robert Ross Parker Director of Publications •Tari Stratton Director of Education, Events & Outreach •John Minore Executive Assoc., Business Affairs •Madelena Ryerson Executive Assoc., Creative Affairs •Patrick Shearer Membership Assoc. •Andrea Lepcio Fellows Program Coordinator •Christopher Massimine Diary Editor/Web and Media Coordinator/Development Liaison ______________________________________________________

Guild Council:

John Weidman, PresidentMarsha Norman, Vice PresidentDavid Ives, SecretaryJohnathan Reynolds, Treasurer Lee Adams
Lynn Ahrens
Edward Albee
Robert Anderson
David Auburn
Susan Birkenhead
Craig Carnelia
Kristen Childs
Gretchen Cryer
Christopher Durang
Jules Feiffer
William Finn
Stephen Flaherty
Nancy Ford
Maria Irene Fornes
Rebecca Gilman
Frank D. Gilroy
Micki Grant
John Guare
Carol Hall
Sheldon Harnick
Tina Howe
David Henry Hwang
John Kander
Arthur Laurents
Warren Leight
Ira Levin
Kenneth Lonergan
Emily Mann
Donald Margulies
Terrence McNally
Thomas Meehan
Lynn Nottage
Theresa Rebeck
Mary Rogers
Stephen Schwartz
John Patrick Shanley
David Shire
Stephen Sondheim
Joseph Stein
Jeffrey Sweet
Jeanine Tesori
Alfred Uhry
Michael Weller
Lanford Wilson
George C. Wolfe
Doug Wright
Maury Yeston

Dramatist's Bill of Rights
1. ARTISTIC INTEGRITY. No one can make changes, alterations, and/or omissions in your script without your prior consent. This is called “script approval”. You should never permit this provision in your contract to be diluted by phrases such as “such prior consent not be unduly or unreasonably withheld”, or by settling for “consultation” rather than “approval” of such changes.”
2. OWNERSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. You own the expression of the ideas embodied in your script. You should grant your Producer only a particular license for a particular production, not general rights to produce your script in many arenas. If you so choose, however, you may grant a Producer specific rights (Future Options, Subsidiary Rights) for carefully delineated periods of time in specific venues. However, only you should have the right to formulate contracts for all other productions and uses of your script.
3. APPROVAL OF PRODUCTION ELEMENTS. You have the right to select the cast, designers, choreographers, conductors and director (including replacements) for your production. This is called “artistic approval”. Together, you and the Producer will also confer on other elements of the production (i.e. costumes, advertising, etc.).
4. OWNERSHIP OF INCIDENTAL CONTRIBUTIONS. You own all contributions made by other participants in the production to your script. You do not owe anyone any money for these contributions unless you have a written agreement providing for such payment.
5. SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS. In the first instance, you own not only your script, but also the rights to all exploitations of your script. If you agree to grant your Producer a monetary share of subsidiary rights (motion pictures, television, stock, amateur, etc.) from future exploitation of your script, you should grant it only after the aforementioned Producer has presented your script for an agreed upon number of performances. Any grant of subsidiary rights should only be for a limited period of time, and should generally be limited to income received by you from a well-defined geographic area (e.g. the United States and Canada).
6. FORMULA FOR RESOLVING DISPUTES. If you and your Producer disagree, you both agree to arbitrate the dispute, and not to litigate.
7. ASSIGNING YOUR RIGHTS. Your Producer cannot assign or license the rights acquired by him or her in the contract with you to a third party without your prior written consent.
8. DIRECTOR/DRAMATURGE AGREEMENTS. Although a director or dramaturge may work with you over time to shape your script, such development never makes that person an “Author” unless they have actively collaborated with you as an author. No director or dramaturge should have a right of first refusal for productions after the initial production by them, or be entitled to receive a percentage of your income from future productions.

For more information visit: www.dramatistsguild.com.
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