Search and Rescue

Well, that a close one. A theater group almost got away with producing one of my shows without my consent, written contract or royalty payment. But, by gum, I caught 'em just in the nick o' time. Hoo-ray for me.

The story is rather silly and a wee bit embarrassing, but what the diggity dog, who gives a hoot in hell since it has a happy ending, amIright?

Last year, I was contacted by a theater group interested in one of my melodramas. (I'm leaving names out of this since everything has been settled to my satisfaction, which I usually can't get me no) I sent them a script and contract ASAP as they wanted to get on the boards by May. Unfortunately, Covid took over the world and theaters shut down here, there and everywhere. That meant said production was kaput as a few of my others were as well. I found it funny that the theater didn't contact me about no go, the show, but this pandemic thing knocked everyone for a loop and I gave them a pass.

This year, things were looking up again (at least for a little while) and I was fortunate enough to have a few plays back on stage again. I began to solicit theaters again about because hey, the show must go on, if at all possible of course. I sent a message to this particular troupe a little over two weeks ago inquiring if they might want to produce the same show they canceled perhaps next year. No reply. Ah well. Nice try anyway. 

Cut to this last Sunday. I'm farting around on the computer when I should be WRITING, but instead, I check my e-mail to find another message from Publishers Clearing House in my in box. Now don't shame me. I enter their contests now and then and have done so for some time. It's not like I'm blowing my shekels on lottery tickets. The entries are free, m'kay?  They even have their search engine called Search and Win. Every search is an entry in whatever contest they're running. I haven't played in awhile and when I do, I just enter my my name in the search and see what pops up. (There's another post I wrote a few years back about this: GO GOOGLE YOURSELF) Anyway, I wanted another chance for MILLIONS OF DOLLARS so I entered something else, the name of that melodrama in question.

Son of a bitch.

There was an audition notice for my play on Facebook. The dates were a month ago. The show was scheduled for this coming weekend. The very same theater.

UH OH...

No contract. No consent. No royalty. Whoopsie-daisy! I've been down this road before. 

Needless to say, but I'm going to anyway, I flew into warp drive with ahead full of steam and contacted as many of this theater's personnel as I could. boy, those strongly worded e-mails sure do the trick. Within a couple of hours, my in-box contained a message from the main culprit, the theater's treasurer who apologized profusely, had deleted the contract I sent a year ago so may I send another and would overnight a royalty payment to me the very next day. Contract sent back that afternoon and Tuesday night when I arrived home, my wife presented me with an overnight letter from the theater containing a check made out to yours truly, royalties for three performances paid in full.

WHEW!

The proof is in the postal pudding

So, kids, listen closely. I dodged another bullet here. Putting my work out there sometimes makes me a target. If you are an independent author such as myself, you must put your name and work(s) on Google Alerts (though this time they failed me. PCH for the win!) and every once in awhile, search on your own. Go to Bing, Yahoo, whatever else is out there. Just do it. Protect yourself if you are self-published. Be pro-active. Be vigilant. You may not have a publisher and their legal team on your side, but you do have recourse. The law is on your side. Remember that.

As for me, I'm hoping to get $5000 a week for the rest of my life from Publishers Clearing House so that I don't have to worry about this crap anymore. But until that day comes, I'm sleeping with one eye open.