FreePlays.org - an open letter to
parents, guardians, and folks with kids
Hi.
I'm writing to folks with children who've written a play, or may be
interested in doing so.
Last summer, my 10-year-old son took a drama class. I got
involved too, and tried to find free scripts on the internet. I
found very few. Some Christian sites offered free scripts, but
ours is a mixed-religion group, so we can't use 'em. Other sites
claimed to offer free scripts, but really didn't; they'd show just a
fragment (and charge for the rest), or ask for royalties if you
performed the play.
I've started a website; www.FreePlays.org, with a simple purpose:
to publish free scripts. Free to print, copy, modify,
distribute, and perform. OK to charge for performances, no
royalties to pay. One major limit: if the plays are
redistributed in any form (including audio or video recordings of
performances) the redistribution must be free of charge.
If your child would like to give their finished work away to the world
on this basis, free of charge or royalty, I will be happy to publish it
on FreePlays.org so that anyone in the world with an internet
connection can benefit from your child's work. However, to do it,
I would need your permission.
Though FreePlays.org is young, I've already found that some people and
organizations take offense at it. They say that it will harm
playwrights, that I'm disrespectful of their craft, or that I am
committing an offense even to ask a skilled professional to give away
their work. I've been asked “how would you like it if someone
asked you to give away your work for free?”. That's actually an
easy answer for me; I like it just fine, and do it all the time.
We computer geeks often give away our very best work to anyone who
wants it. I used free software to write this letter (and to serve
it to you, if you're reading it on the web site).
Back to the point, which is your children, who are presumably not
professional playwrights. A person could ask “Why should I let my
kid give away their work? Sounds like a rip-off”.
Well, I surely don't want to rip off your kid. I probably feel
more or less like you do about that; anyone that tried to rip off my
kid would find themselves in a very uncomfortable situation. But
I think that FreePlays.org supports kids, not rips them off.
I want a drama teacher, homeschooling parent, camp counselor, or anyone
else who cares for and about children, to be able to come to
FreePlays.org, search for scripts, find a few, browse through 'em,
print 'em off, and be ready to go. Total time spent, maybe 10 or
45 minutes. Put the performance on, charge money for it if that
makes sense. Modify the scripts as desired and appropriate.
No money goes to FreePlays.org or to anyone else. No time spent
writing letters or checks, obtaining permissions, or sending royalty
payments. That leaves more time and energy for providing rich,
creative, participatory experiences that stimulate kids intellectually,
emotionally, spiritually, and artistically.
But to accomplish any of that, we need scripts. A good way to get
'em is for kids to write 'em.
Why would a kid want to write a play? And why would they want to
give it away after they do? Well, talk to your own kid and hear
what they say. It turns out that many kids love the idea of other
kids reading, enjoying, and benefiting from their work.
Sometimes, older kids like the fact that only when writing plays do you
determine the speech, behavior, and actions of another human
being. Other humans become the characters you have created, speak
your words and thoughts, and carry out your actions and
directions. For at least some kids, that's really exciting.
M y own son loves writing plays for FreePlays.org and begs me for the
chance to write more. Imagine that!
Another reason some kids like the idea of publishing a play on
FreePlays.org is, we will help distribute sound and video recordings of
performances, once they exist. Lots of kids like the idea that
someone might perform their play, someone else might record it and
share the recording, and eventually, they'll get to see and/or hear the
performance of their play, even if it was far from home (especially if
the performance was overseas).
A third reason, that sometimes appeals more to parents than kids
themselves, is the exposure, or publicity, that FreePlays.org
provides. FreePlays.org can publish plays by kids that would
otherwise go into the trash or into the “old homework” box,
leaving the plays and the authors unknown. I don't envision
FreePlays.org as a place to become famous, but the site does support an
"author profile/bio", which may describe the author and include contact
information. Of course In the case of minors we are very careful
about this; typically including the contact info of the parents, not
the kids; and not including any contact information at all without your
permission.
This opportunity to publish plays, and get verifiable “credit”, has
appealed to folks looking for something unique to put on their kid's
application to a 7 sisters, Ivy League, or other good school.
If you, dear parent, after reading all this, disagree with our effort
and/or feel that to give your permission would be wrong, or allow your
child to be ripped off, I apologize for any offense I may have given,
beg your pardon, and ask you to please disregard this whole matter.
On the other hand, if you approve of FreePlays.org and our goal of
promoting participation in and love of drama, perhaps you would
consider giving your permission to publish your child's play on
FreePlays.org, deliverable to the world, free of charge, under the
terms and protections you may read by going to FreePlays.org (they're
described at the bottom of every page of the site).
Thank you
Paul Bunyan
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perform any and all of these
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