Re: Anyone else have problems with Baker's? Disorganized and slighty sleazy

Date: 12 Jul 2003 06:25:49 -0700
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre.plays,rec.arts.theatre.misc,rec.arts.theatre.stagecraft
Size: 2,328 bytes

Before you produce a play, you need
> to review your local calendar of events. How about contacting your
> surrounding theaters? If it was found that the same production was to
> be only "5 miles away", it is clear that you were the one unorganized.
>
> You did not mention if you were producing one of Baker's published
> plays, or just a play that they are able to license for you. But
> either way, I would imagine it would take any publisher some time to
> find the rare case of the duplicate production in any restricted
> distance.
>
> All I can say is that I love Baker's Plays. I have tried so many
> other sources through the years, and they are certainly the most
> friendly and helpful. So, sleazy one, it just sounds like you
> need... well... friends and help.
Whoa!
The play was one they publish. I asked this question since our
experience with them was not good and I could not find anyone who had
ever dealt with them.
Duplicate productions are not rare and it is the job of the job of the
licenser to see that they do not happen. Most can do it in minutes. In
fact, they have to since if there is another production within a
certain distance, they are contractually forbidden from allowing
production. This is standard. If you deal with Samuel French,
Dramatists, Broadway Play Publishing or most agents, they will often
say "I am sorry, we cannot give you the rights since another company
is doing it in X."
(It is not appropriate to ask other theater's to provide lists of
plays they are considering. I myself would never do it, since another
company get to the licenser first and scoop the rights.)
Our fault was not reading the contract closely enough to see that we
had no exclusivity. However, in the initial phone call, the Baker's
representative said that no one else in the area was doing the play
and that "would not be a problem." My suspicion is that the other
group got the rights after us-- but I do not know, nor does it matter
which of us was told that the rights were already purchased. I just
think it is odd.
What really thought was questionable was that they said we had not
paid. We could not get our refund until we produced the cancelled
check. It is hard to think that would not keep records of royalty
payments.
I am glad at least that our experience seems to be unique.