What do you mean the play must be presented "without any changes, alterations or deletions"?
That is the first condition on all of our licenses for a reason. The plays we publish are protected by Federal copyright law, which prohibits anyone from making unauthorized changes to a script or from producing the play without obtaining permission. Copyright law has the reputation of being complicated, but it stems from a simple, concise premise. The creator (in this case, the author) of a work of art (the play) is the sole owner of that work. That's it. That is what intellectual property is all about. What confuses many people is that intellectual property covers a wide set of rights, all of which are separate. Once you write a play there are many ways in which that work can be "exploited." There are stage performance rights, publishing rights, adaptation rights (like turning the play into a musical), film rights and so on. Another thing that makes intellectual property difficult is that it's not tangible. You're paying for something that cannot be seen or held. It's helpful, therefore, to think of stage performance rights as something you're renting. Pretend that THE CRUCIBLE is a car you've just rented from Acme Auto. You're free to drive the car around...but you can't have it repainted. Or pull out the radio. Or turn it into a convertible. "Look," you might say. "I've improved the car. It feels great to have the wind blowing through your hair." Acme Auto, however, may feel differently...and it's doubtful your insurance will cover it. The point is that the play belongs to the author. If you have a terrific idea for a story or a vision you want to create, great, fabulous! Write a play!
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