Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 

Have your plays been audience tested?

Absolutely! ASWaterman plays have been continually in performance since the early 1990s, to widespread acclaim and very positive reviews.

Can you describe your plays?

ASWaterman plays are highly entertaining, but they are also high-quality mystery, such as might be seen on PBS. We view mystery as an art form. If you’re seeking what might be called “buffoon mysteries,” i.e. comedic farce that’s short on plot and high on vulgarity, you would be well advised to look elsewhere. The mysteries that we offer have earned their longstanding success and reputation because we take mystery seriously.

What types of audience are they intended for?

Our plays are best suited to independent and nonprofit theatre groups, although professional theatres are welcome to inquire as well. Our scripts work especially well for dinner theatre, regional and community theatre, charity fundraisers, and business organizations with audiences between 30 and 300 persons. They have an approximate parental rating of PG-13. They also work extremely well for corporate events such as holiday parties and conventions.

The productions can be as interactive as you would like. We encourage allowing audience members to question the characters between scenes. Audience members love trying to solve the mystery, and we strongly recommend giving audience members an opportunity to do that, by employing solution cards, online polling features, or teams. We also recommend not allowing characters to lie when questioned, except when they are asked if they are the killer. To this question, they should all be allowed to answer “no.”

Each play contains at least one highly significant “fatal” clue that can lead to only one solution. Although questioning the characters may also yield significant clues, each mystery can be solved using only the information contained in the scripted action.

How do we arrange to perform one of your plays?

It’s easy! Select a play title and purchase a full script to review. (For pricing, see below. All prices are in U.S. dollars.) If you decide to produce it, then sign and submit the licensing application, included with the script. Once approved, we’ll send you a contract. Just sign and return the contract, pay the licensing fee for the number of performances you have planned, and we’ll send you the co-signed contract and authorization.

Then you’re all set!

If we license a play, do you require a certain number of scripts to be purchased? Do you charge per script?

No to both. First of all, monitoring script copying is nearly impossible. Second of all, we understand the needs of the types of theatre groups that we serve.

We charge $50 for an initial review script. This does not include performance rights. Once you have been approved for production and paid the licensing fee, you can make as many script copies as you need.

How much are the licensing fees?

For nonprofit groups, amateur and independent theatre:

1 to 5 performances: $100 per performance

6 to 10 performances: $600 total

11 to 20 performances: $850 total

More than 20 performances: to be negotiated

Professional theatre companies should contact us directly to discuss their needs.

Licensing fees are required, regardless of whether you charge admission to your productions.

Important:

At present, we are only accepting payment by check drawn on a U.S. bank. We hope to be able to accept online payments very soon.

Do you allow livestreaming and “Zoom” shows?

Recent events, and especially the Covid-19 pandemic, have changed the nature of theatre as we know it. For many long months, livestreamed and online shows were the only options. These gradually gained in popularity, and many theatres have continued to offer them as part of their production cycle, even after in-person performances resumed.

Thus, the simple answer is “yes,” although some conditions apply. Please inquire.

What do your contracts require of us?

Just the basics: Proper credit for the author; a copyright notice; compliance with intellectual property laws; what types of changes are allowed; etc.

More questions?

Contact us! We’d love to help.