charging theaters to read plays

This From Mark Harvey Levine. My version in the post
below this one.

Dear Theatre:

Attached please find my submission to your festival.
As you may or may not know, I charge $15 for
the opportunity to consider my plays for production.
I understand you charge $10 to submit for your
festival, which means if you would like to read my
play, you will owe me five dollars whether or not
you choose it.

Thanks so much.

P.S. Reading this cover letter just cost you $1.75.

Open Letter to Theater Companies Who Charge Fees

To Whom It May Concern:

Thank you for your invitation to send my script for
you to read and consider for production.
Unfortunately, I see you charge a submission fee. I
don't send scripts to theatres who charge fees. In
fact I have begun charging fees myself. You see
administrative costs being what they are, I can no
longer afford to continue to let people read my plays
for free.

Not only are things like paper and staples and
internet access expensive but the rising cost of
health care and my insane student loans from
playwriting school have made it impossible for me to
continue to offer my literature for free. I assure
you, however, that my work is of the highest quality.

I will be charging 20 dollars per page. Please let
me know what play(s) you would like to read and send
along your payment to the above address. (I also take
paypal) I will respond in a day or two with the
requested pages. If you find this is a play you want
to produce, (and I know you will) please contact me
for rights and I will consider if you are a producing
organization I wish to be associated with.

Thank you. I look forward to working with you.

Yours in solidarity and in the theatrical community,

Adam Szymkowicz

my 3 plays

now available from DPS

http://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=3820

http://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=3821

http://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=3728

in LA

Theatre of NOTE announces its annual 2 week Play Reading Series NOTEwood 35 new plays in 9 evenings. Open to the public.

New works by Taylor Negron, Emmy/Obie winner Rosalyn Drexler, Coleman Hough (Steven Soderberg's BUBBLE and FULL FRONTAL), Jason Grote, Ken Urban, Jacqueline Wright, Adam Szymkowicz, Ron Allen, Joshua Fardon, Bryn Manion, Tommy Smith, Pat McGowan, Barbara Wiechmann, Katherine Murphy, B. Walker Sampson, Erik Patterson, Caridad Svich, Aaron Henne, Jon Tuttle, Tom Sime, Henry Ong, Boo Killebrew, Terry Tocantins, Carson Kreitzer and Tom Beyer will be represented.

NOTEwood occurs once a year at Theatre of NOTE and is the touchstone used by the company in picking its season. This reading series will be the basis for the theatre's 2008 season. All readings are curated and feature actors from Theatre of NOTE. The public is invited to attend free of charge. WHERE : 1517 N. Cahuenga (just north of Sunset/next to Chan Darae) - Hollywood, CA 90028 ADMISSION : FREE OF CHARGE!

PARKING INFO : Validated parking at Arclight Cinemas ($3.00 all evening) The Plays : THIS CONTRACT LIMITS OUR LIABILITY - READ IT by Joshua Fardon, 1001 by Jason Grote, THE OTHER STORIES by Coleman Hough, EYE MOUTH GRAFFITI BODYSHOP & 20 PLAYS IN 20 MINUTES by Ron Allen, GLANCING AT THE WAR & DIAGNOSIS by Coleman Hough, FORCE : WANDERLUST by Bryn Manion, WHITE HOT by Tommy Smith, 2 HUSBANDS by Ken Urban, FILM by Patrick McGowan, HOLY MOTHER OF HADLEY, NEW YORK by Barbara Wiechmann, KING LEAR IN 90 MINUTES FOR SIX PLAYERS by Tom Beyer, HERBIE - POET OF THE WILD WEST by Adam Szymkowicz, ANNE by Adam Szymkowicz, DRUG OF CHOICE by Katherine Murphy, PRETTY THEFT by Adam Szymkowicz, SILENT STEPS - A PLAY WITH McGUFFINS by B. Walker Sampson, SEARCHING by Adam Szymkowicz, HE ASKED FOR IT by Erik Patterson, STEAL BACK THE LIGHT FROM THE VIRTUAL by Caridad Svich, CURRENT by Aaron Henne, FREAKSHOW by Carson Kreitzer, LUNA by Jason Grote, THIS STORM IS WHAT WE CALL PROGRESS by Jason Grote, HOLY GHOST by Jon Tuttle, YOU'RE JUST IN LOVE by Roslyn Drexler, BLOODLETTERS by Tom Sime, OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD by Rosalyn Drexler, SWEET KARMA by Henry Ong, AIR CONDITIONING by Tommy Smith, TRULE LOVE WAITS by Boo Killebrew, THEY'RE JUST LIKE US by Boo Killebrew, FORCE : CONVERGENCE by Bryn Manion, FEED THE MONSTER by Terry Tocantins, UNTITLED JACQUELINE WRIGHT PROJECT by Jacqueline Wright and LE CANARD GRIS (YOGA BITCH) by Taylor Negron.

FRIDAY, JULY 13 10:30PM: THIS CONTRACT LIMITS OUR LIABILITY - READ IT by Joshua Fardon/curated & directed by Kiff Scholl

SATURDAY, JULY 14 12PM: 1001 by Jason Grote/curated by Hiwa Bourne & Lisa Liang/directed by Stephen Carver 2PM: THE OTHER STORIES by Coleman Hough/curated by Ron Morehouse/directed by Coleman Hough 4PM: EYE MOUTH GRAFFITI BODYSHOP & TWENTY PLAYS IN TWENTY MINUTES by Ron Allen/curated by Justin Alston/directed by Jemal McNeil 5PM: GLANCING AT THE WAR & DIAGNOSIS by Coleman Hough/curated by Hiwa Bourne/GLANCING- directed by Guy Zimmerman & DIAGNOSIS-directed by Coleman Hough

SUNDAY, JULY 15 12Noon: FORCE: WANDERLUST by Bryn Manion/curated & directed by Lauren Letherer 2PM: WHITE HOT by Tommy Smith/curated & directed by Ron Morehouse 4PM: 2 HUSBANDS by Ken Urban/curated & directed by Karen Martinson 6PM: FILM by Pat McGowan/curated & directed by Pat McGowan 8PM: HOLY MOTHER OF HADLEY NEW YORK by Barbara Wiechmann/curated & directed by Julia Prud�垍omme 10PM: KING LEAR IN 90 MINUTES FOR SIX PLAYERS by Tom Beyer /curated by Julia Prud�垍omme/directed Tom Beyer

MONDAY, JULY 16 5PM: HERBIE POET OF THE WILD WEST by Adam Szymkowicz/curated & directed by Lisa Clifton 7PM: ANNE by Adam Szymkowicz/curated & directed by Rebecca Larsen 9PM: DRUG OF CHOICE by Katherine Murphy /curated & directed by Lisa Clifton

TUESDAY, JULY 17 5PM: PRETTY THEFT by Adam Szymkowicz/curated & directed by Rebecca Larsen 7PM: SILENT STEPS, A PLAY WITH MACGUFFINS by B.Walker Sampson/curated & directed by Lisa Clifton 9PM: SEARCHING by Adam Szymkowicz /curated & directed by Terry Tocantins

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18 5PM: HE ASKED FOR IT by Erik Patterson/curated and directed by David Bickford 7PM: STEAL BACK LIGHT FROM THE VIRTUAL by Caridad Svich/curated & directed by Stephen Carver 9PM: CURRENT by Aaron Henne/curated & directed by Mark McClain Wilson

SATURDAY, JULY 21 11AM: FREAKSHOW by Carson Kreitzer/curated by Blaire Chandler/directed by David Wilcox 12:30PM: LUNA by Jason Grote/curated/ directed by Scott McKinley 12:35PM: THIS STORM IS WHAT WE CALL PROGRESS by Jason Grote/curated & directed by Lisa Liang 2:30PM: HOLY GHOST by Jon Tuttle/curated/ directed by Phil Ward 4:30PM: YOU'RE JUST IN LOVE by Rosalyn Drexler/curated & directed by David Conner

SUNDAY, JULY 22 10AM: BLOODLETTERS by Tom Sime/curated & directed by Lynn Odell 12NOON: OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD by Rosalyn Drexler/curated & directed by Rebecca Larsen 2PM: SWEET KARMA by Henry Ong/curated by Hiwa Bourne/directed by Terry Tocantins 4PM: AIR CONDITIONING by Tommy Smith/curated & directed by Inger Tudor 6:PM: TRUE LOVE WAITS by Boo Killebrew/curated & directed by Michelle Hilyard 6:15PM: THEY'RE JUST LIKE US by Boo Killebrew/curated & directed by Lisa Clifton 8:15PM: FORCE: CONVERGENCE by Bryn Manion/curated & directed by Lauren Letherer 10:15PM: FEED THE MONSTER by Terry Tocantins curated & directed by Terry Tocantins

MONDAY, JULY 23 7PM- MANTIS AND DEATH COLLECTIONS by Jacqueline Wright/curated & directed by Jacqueline Wright 9PM: LE CANARD GRIS (YOGA BITCH) by Taylor Negron /curated & directed by Kiff Scholl

still in MA

So I got my ten pages for clubbed thumb application, wrote a couple thousand more words for the novel that will be finished one day, and I revised Susan Gets Some Play (this year's fringe, baby!) and I finally got the screenplay outline to a place I can live with and now I'm writing the damn thing. It won't write itself, sadly. But, I'll do my best to finish it as soon as humanly possible.

quote of the day

"Let's be clear about blogging: It is a way for those
of us with computers to elegantly express our
importance."

Matthew Freeman

http://matthewfreeman.blogspot.com/2007/07/interview-with-author-advertising.html

discounts for Sam and Betty at NYTW

New York Theatre Workshop
THE BLACK EYED,
the New York Premiere of a new play
written by Betty Shamieh, directed by Sam Gold.

Tickets for all performances July 17 – August 19 are
just $35 each (reg. $50).

Use code BEBLG28 when ordering.

To purchase tickets, call TeleCharge at (212) 947-8844
or visit
http://www.broadwayoffers.com/go.aspx?MD=2001&MC=BEBLG28

New York Theatre Workshop also offers both Student
Tickets and CheapTix Sundays.

CheapTix Sundays: All tickets for all Sunday evening
performances at 7pm are just $20 each! Tickets are
available in advance but must be purchased at the NYTW
box office on a cash-only basis.

Student Tickets: Full-time students with a valid
student ID may purchase $20 tickets for all
performances (subject to availability). Limit one
ticket per ID. Tickets must be purchased in person and
require an ID at the box office.

The NYTW box office is located at 79 East 4th Street
(between Second Avenue and Bowery) and is open Tuesday
- Saturday from 1pm - 6pm.

great post--excerpt below

http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/2007/07/l33t-justice.html

h/t

http://lucaskrech.livejournal.com/153697.html

We are faced with utterly shameless men. Cheney and
the rest are looking our representatives right in the
eye and saying "You don't have the balls to take down
a government. You don't have the sheer testicular
fortitude to call us lying sonuvabitches when we lie,
to stop us from kicking the rule of law and the
Constitution in the ass. You just don't. What's beyond
that abyss -- what that would do to our government and
our identity as a nation -- terrifies you too much. So
get the fuck out of our way."

And to a great degree, the White House is right. You
peel this back, and you reveal that the greatest
country in the world has been run, for the last six
and a half years, by men who do not give a shit about
the Constitution, or fair play, or honesty. No, not
just run by corrupt men, or bribe-takers, or
adulterers or whatever, we could handle that --no we'd
be admitting It Went Wrong.

There is a sizeable population in America that just
does not, cannot wrap their head around the fact that
the President may be a Bad Man who does Bad Things.
He's President of America. We're Americans. We're the
good guys. Remember, the Nixon mythos in America is
that the system worked. "See, in America, even the
President is not above the law."

winter in darfur

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/winter-miller/in-darfur-in-central-pa_b_55304.html

retreat in MA

I've been outlining a screenplay all week. i was
hoping to have it done monday but it stretches on and
on as i reject previous plot points and search for
missing plot points. I'm getting to know the
characters and gradually the story is coming into
focus but I'm so impatient to start writing it I can't
stand it. Maybe by the end of the day I'll be close
enough to just start banging it out.

Frustrating. Still a couple important things missing.
And i clarify one character and then my main
character is all of a sudden getting lost. arrgh.
I'll get there.