Apply for Nonprofessional Stage rights to produce a full-length play, one-act, musical or a complete published collection of one-act plays by one author. (U.S. and Canada only.)

Apply to inquire into the availability of Professional Stage rights.

International Performance Rights Application

Apply for rights to a produce a play in a country other than the U.S. or Canada. See the International Licensing page regarding contact information for our exclusive international agents.

Multiple One-Act Plays Rights Application

Apply for rights to produce multiple one-act plays published in different collections and/or by different authors. (U.S. and Canada only.)

Please DO NOT use our applications for performance fee quotes. Standard nonprofessional royalty fees can be found on the play's description page.

Royalty fees for musicals are set on a case-by-case basis. If you are uncertain whether your theatre is professional or nonprofessional, see the FAQs page for more information on this topic.

Theatres with 250 or more seats will be charged higher fees than those shown on the plays' pages. Fees will be based on seating capacity, ticket price, and other factors.

If your application is immediately approved, you will receive a license within 24 hours by email. If your application requires review, you will receive a response by email within approximately one to two weeks.

Special clearance must be obtained for all productions in New York City and the greater Los Angeles area. This clearance can take additional time to secure, and approval in these areas is by no means guaranteed.

DPS advises you to not hold auditions, begin rehearsals or make any major production plans before you obtain written permission to proceed.

Full payment of license fees and materials are due at the time of application. Production materials ship upon payment.

During the application process, you will be prompted to provide credit card or purchase order payment information. You may also submit payment via check by supplying your DPS Customer Account Number. Orders without payment within 30 days of license approval may be subject to cancelation.

All DPS plays are protected under International, Federal and Common Law Copyright. Any unauthorized performance or use of these plays may constitute an infringement of the copyright and a violation of the law, with potentially serious legal consequences for the infringer.

No play may be produced unless written application is made to and written authorization received from Dramatists Play Service, Inc. All performance rights are granted by written contract only. There is no such thing as "verbal approval."