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| re: Mockingbird rights: problem solved. Kinda sorta | |
| Last Edit: bmc 12:42 am EST 03/02/19 | |
| Posted by: bmc 12:40 am EST 03/02/19 | |
| In reply to: Mockingbird rights: problem solved. Kinda sorta - ryhog 08:45 pm EST 03/01/19 | |
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| does anyone know if the productions of the Sergel play had Increased because of the Sorkin play? in other words,Have these production been 'piggybacking' on all the publicity for the play with Jeff Daniels? It reminded me of the time when Bernard Pomerance's play had their future screen rights lose value because of the movie produced by Mel Books. I think Brooks film had to make some kind of settlement,; Does anyone remember the details? | |
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| re: Mockingbird rights: problem solved. Kinda sorta | |
| Posted by: Teacher64 07:30 am EST 03/02/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Mockingbird rights: problem solved. Kinda sorta - bmc 12:40 am EST 03/02/19 | |
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| I am not sure if audiences in Ohio or MA are even aware there is a MOCKINGBIRD on Broadway to piggyback. And I think the Sergel version has always been a popular title with community and regional production companies. The question is, does the Sorkin production have the right to stop productions of the Sergel version? I believe the Sergel version was written back in the 70s. Apparently there is a condition that the Sergel version cannot circumvent another "first class" Broadway production or tour. (Does that relegate the Sergel version to 2nd class status?) Canceling these productions must be a financial hit to Sergel's family, one of whom manages Dramatic Publishing. But how does a MOCKINGBIRD production hundreds and in some cases thousands of miles from NYC impact the Broadway production? It doesn't. They are canceling these productions because there is a POSSIBILITY that the Broadway production might tour in the future. If that is the case, I would argue that the tour is at least one year (probably more) away and there is no guarantee that the tour is going to stop anywhere near these localities. I think the Sorkin people are being unreasonable. | |
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| re: Mockingbird rights: problem solved. Kinda sorta | |
| Posted by: Singapore/Fling 12:13 pm EST 03/02/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Mockingbird rights: problem solved. Kinda sorta - Teacher64 07:30 am EST 03/02/19 | |
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| Considering that Ruin's solution was to grant these small theaters regional premiere rights to the Sorkin version - including in cities where a national tour would likely stop - this doesn't appear to be about maximizing value exclusively for the tour. This reads to me more as Rudin keeping DPC in their place, so that they won't continue to grant professional rights improperly. The Sergel can be freely licensed to non-professional companies. | |
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| As I understand it... | |
| Posted by: TheHarveyBoy 09:01 am EST 03/02/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Mockingbird rights: problem solved. Kinda sorta - Teacher64 07:30 am EST 03/02/19 | |
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| As I understand it, 1. Scott Rudin was aware of the Sergal version when he contracted with Harper Lee (still alive at the time) and Aaron Sorkin. 2. The Sergal contract with Lee says that DPC can a) only license Amateur productions, and b) that they cannot license any productions in locations within 25 miles of a city with a population of more than 150,000 when there is a first class production of any version of "Mockingbird" in New York City. There may be a time element there but I don't remember. 3. DPC ignored both a) and b) and licensed both Amateur and professional production in all areas, regardless of proximity to large cities. So it seems Rudin was fully in the right. How he handled it is another story... |
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| re: As I understand it... | |
| Posted by: whereismikeyfl 09:18 am EST 03/02/19 | |
| In reply to: As I understand it... - TheHarveyBoy 09:01 am EST 03/02/19 | |
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| It has been reported that the it is not " locations within 25 miles of a city with a population of more than 150,000 " but rather " locations within 25 miles of a city with a population of more than 150,000 according to the 1960 census." One of the confusions is that Sergal wrote 2 adaptations of the novel. The contract for the first one was written in 1969. Whether its provisions apply to the second adaptation (which premiered about a decade later) is a question I have not seen addressed. |
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| re: As I understand it... | |
| Posted by: ryhog 10:45 am EST 03/02/19 | |
| In reply to: re: As I understand it... - whereismikeyfl 09:18 am EST 03/02/19 | |
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| Thanks to both of you. Is there a reason to think that there are 2 separate agreements relating to the 2 scripts? Ordinarily (and we already know this is not ordinary for multiple other reasons) the author of a book would grant someone the right to adapt it into a play and would retain the right to approve the adaptation. A revised adaptation would be handled as a second approval under the existing agreement, not a separate agreement. I guess one other question I have is: are all of these productions using one version or do people still do both? |
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| Both versions are available for license | |
| Posted by: BillEadie 12:13 pm EST 03/02/19 | |
| In reply to: re: As I understand it... - ryhog 10:45 am EST 03/02/19 | |
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| ...according to the Dramatic Publishing Service website. The site lists an “original” and a “revised” version of the script. There is a notation on both versions that, because of the current Broadway production, licensing may be heavily restricted. There is also a provision on both versions that no cuts or changes may be made. By the way, I think that the site has its versions reversed. The adult Scout is the narrator in the revised version, while one of the gossipy neighbors is the narrator in the original version. In any case, the site gives potential applicants the choice of versions. Bill, in San Diego |
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| Link | To Kill a Mockingbird on the Dramatic Publishing website |
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| re: Both versions are available for license | |
| Posted by: ryhog 02:07 pm EST 03/02/19 | |
| In reply to: Both versions are available for license - BillEadie 12:13 pm EST 03/02/19 | |
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| I had seen that both were available (the notation being of recent vintage obviously :-) ) but what I was curious (if only slightly) about was if the affected productions involved both versions. | |
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| re: Both versions are available for license | |
| Posted by: BillEadie 12:34 pm EST 03/04/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Both versions are available for license - ryhog 02:07 pm EST 03/02/19 | |
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| I was curious, so I went to the Dramatic Publishing website and searched for productions through August 31. It’s a mix of versions. Here’s what the site returned to my query: Title Venue City State Country Dates To Kill a Mockingbird (revised) Playhouse Theatre University Park Pennsylvania US 4/5/2019 - 4/12/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (revised) Fairview Library Theatre Toronto Ontario CA 5/16/2019 - 5/25/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (original) Roxy Regional Theatre Clarksville Tennessee US 3/8/2019 - 3/23/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (revised) Community Theatre League Williamsport Pennsylvania US 5/2/2019 - 5/12/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (revised) Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown Jamestown New York US 3/8/2019 - 3/17/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (original) Star Center Theatre Gainesville Florida US 5/17/2019 - 5/25/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (revised) LHUCA Lubbock Texas US 2/28/2019 - 3/10/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (revised) 6th Street Playhouse Santa Rosa California US 4/26/2019 - 5/12/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (original) Onstage Inc. Monroe Georgia US 4/26/2019 - 5/11/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (original) Theatre of Gadsden, Inc. Gadsden Alabama US 3/1/2019 - 3/10/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (original) Crown Playhouse Kingston JM 2/26/2019 - 3/12/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (revised) The Vail-Leavitt Music Hall Riverhead New York US 4/26/2019 - 5/10/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (original) The Historic Elwood Opera House Elwood Indiana US 4/11/2019 - 4/13/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (original) Savas-Kostas Performing Arts Center Mt Gay-Shamrock West Virginia US 3/28/2019 - 3/31/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (revised) Monroe County Heritage Museum Monroeville Alabama US 4/8/2019 - 5/18/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (original) Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts Franklin Louisiana US 4/11/2019 - 4/14/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (revised) Gloucester Stage Company Gloucester Massachusetts US 3/29/2019 - 4/14/2019 To Kill a Mockingbird (original) University of Maine at Fort Kent Fort Kent Maine US 4/11/2019 - 4/13/2019 Bill, in theatre-savvy San Diego |
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| re: Both versions are available for license | |
| Posted by: BillEadie 01:39 am EST 03/05/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Both versions are available for license - BillEadie 12:34 pm EST 03/04/19 | |
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| More background on the rights controversy, from American Theatre. | |
| Link | American Theatre on Mockingbird Adaptations |
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| re: Both versions are available for license | |
| Posted by: ryhog 09:02 am EST 03/05/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Both versions are available for license - BillEadie 01:39 am EST 03/05/19 | |
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| Thanks for this. A really meaty article. | |
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| re: As I understand it... | |
| Posted by: TheHarveyBoy 09:27 am EST 03/02/19 | |
| In reply to: re: As I understand it... - whereismikeyfl 09:18 am EST 03/02/19 | |
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| Thanks for the clarification. The probably puts a lot more cities on the list. | |
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| re: As I understand it... | |
| Posted by: mikem 11:47 am EST 03/02/19 | |
| In reply to: re: As I understand it... - TheHarveyBoy 09:27 am EST 03/02/19 | |
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| According to Wikipedia, there are currently 173 cities in the US with over 150,000 people, and in 1960, there were 82 such cities. So the difference in the amount of restriction is probably substantial, especially because the 1960 census probably had a large concentration in the Northeast and Midwest, and the current estimate is probably much more spread out across the country. | |
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