1. I'm interested in a play, but I don't know if I want to produce it at this time. What do I do?
2. How do I order a play?
3. If you're sending me an electronic copy, why do you need a street address and a phone number?
4. I could use some help choosing plays that will fit my needs. Can you help me?
5. Do you have a play catalogue?
6. Do I have to pay for scripts for my production?
7. Can I get a printable digital copy of a play?
8. Do you sell hard copy (printed) acting editions of your scripts?
9. Am I allowed to use one of your free monologues in competition?
10. I'm ready to license a play for production or competition. What are my payment options?
11. How long does it take to receive plays once I place my order?
12. I am outside the United States. Can I still place an order?
13. I placed an order for a digital license, and it's been more than 48 hours, but my digital files haven't arrived.
14. Why do I have to provide potential production dates when I order a perusal copy?
15. Can I have a play physically mailed to me?
16. How many performances do I need to order? What constitutes a performance?
17. Why is paying royalties so important?
18. Can I change my performance dates once I've paid royalties?
19. I've already paid royalties for one or more performances. I'd like to license additional performances. What's the best way to do that?
20. Can I make changes to a play?
21. We've had to cancel our production. What is your refund policy?
22. I'd like to use a cutting from a play (a scene or monologue) for a Thespian Individual Event or similar competition.
23. What if I want to use a play for speech or forensics competition?
24. I want to use a play for forensics, but there's no forensics ordering option for it.
25. I want to use a play in the classroom, but I don't want to stage a production at this time.
26. Do you offer any play anthologies?
27. Do you send out printed catalogues?
28. How does YouthPLAYS compare in cost to a traditional publisher?
29. Do you accept play submissions? If so, how do I submit?
30. Do your plays have ISBN numbers?
31. We'd like to make a video (or audio) recording of our production. May we?


Q1: I'm interested in a play, but I don't know if I want to produce it at this time. What do I do?
A: We recommend that you order a digital or printed (if available) perusal copy first. One may print a single copy of a digital script for evaluation purposes. Once you've read the play, if you decide you'd like to produce it, return to our website and pay royalties for the number of performances you'd like to stage and purchase either a photocopy license, hard copy books, or both.

Q2: How do I order a play?
A: Simple. Just click on the Browse Our Plays link and look around for something that catches your eye. Go to that play's special page and click on the Place an Order button. You'll be asked whether you wish to order a perusal copy (either a digital one or, when available, a printed acting edition) or performance rights. If you're ordering performance rights, you'll then have to choose a photocopy license (which allows you to make unlimited copies of a digital script for your production) and/or hard copies (when available). In the case of short duets/monologues, you will also have the option of ordering forensics rights (i.e. speech competition). Add whatever you need to your shopping cart, and then you can either checkout or continue shopping. Once you finalize your order at checkout, you will receive an automated confirmation email. Orders are then reviewed and approved manually, at which point digital scripts go out through our automated system, accompanied by the appropriate contract, while hard copies will be physically shipped (you'll still get an email with a contract). Professional theatres should email us directly at info@youthplays.com to license performance rights.

Q3: If you're sending me an electronic copy, why do you need a street address and a phone number?
A: This is a standard part of the verification process when you provide payment information to Google Checkout or PayPal, and of course we need it to invoice your institution if you are providing a purchase order. Even if you're an individual writing a check, we need it as part of our efforts to safeguard our authors' intellectual property and verify where their material is being sent. Please be sure to review your information carefully, as any errors (e.g. missing digits) can hold up processing of your order.

Q4: I could use some help choosing plays that will fit my needs. Can you help me?
A: Absolutely. You can email us at info@youthplays.com (include as much information as you can), or call us at 424-703-5315 (US callers only, between 10 AM-6 PM Pacific time). If you'd like to email a phone number, we'll be happy to call you, even if you're out of the United States.

Q5: Do you have a play catalogue?
A: Yes, we do. If you click on Download a Catalogue from the menu on the left, you can choose to open or save a printable PDF file with our list of plays. We update it on a regular basis, but be aware that the website Browse Our Plays will always have the absolute latest listings.

Q6: Do I have to pay for scripts for my production?
A: You have a choice of either purchasing a sufficient number of hard copy scripts (when available) for your cast and crew, or a photocopy license which allows you to make as many copies as you need for your production.

Q7: Can I get a printable digital copy of a play?
A: Absolutely. Just select the play you'd like to order and then add the Digital Perusal Script to your shopping cart. Please keep in mind that these are for perusal/individual use only and may not be copied for classroom or production use. To use a play in performance or the classroom, please purchase performance royalties and a photocopy license.

Q8: Do you sell hard copy (printed) acting editions of your scripts?
A: Many of our plays are available as printed acting editions in addition to digitally. And our printed acted editions have a special that you can't find anywhere else: a mini-interview with the play's author that will give you insights about the play and the playwright. If a play is available, you'll see the price on its special page for a Printed Script. You can order a single perusal copy or enough copies for your entire cast and crew. Want to order a photocopy license for your production (which allows for unlimited copying of a digital script for your production) but still want a few hard copies? You can do that too.

Q9: Am I allowed to use one of your free monologues in competition?
A: We are happy to grant permission to use any of our free monologues in competition with the purchase of a digital perusal script or printed script (when available) of the play from which it comes.

Q10: I'm ready to license a play for production or competition. What are my payment options?
A: When you go through the checkout process and select performance or forensics royalties, when you're ready for checkout, you'll be asked to log into your account or to create a new one. You'll choose a shipping option (if you have ordered scripts or books that need to be physically shipped) and then will be asked to review and accept our Royalty Statement.

Individuals or organizations outside of the United States will then have a choice of paying either by check or credit/debit card (through secure Google Checkout or PayPal). Organizations in the United States may also use a purchase order. If you select purchase order, you will be prompted for a purchase order number. We will then invoice you and your organization via email.

Credit/debit card and purchase order payments are processed right away, whereas payments by check must be received before orders will be processed.

Keep in mind that all checks must be in US dollars, and orders paid by check may be held until the funds clear. To expedite this process, we recommend obtaining a bank/cashier's check or a money order.

Once we receive your payment, we'll authorize the order, and your materials will be on their way shortly. Just let us know how we can help!

Q11: How long does it take to receive plays once I place my order?
A: We process orders as quickly as possible, but please understand that all orders are reviewed by a human before being approved. Typically, orders are processed within one business day. If you place an order for a digital script and pay electronically during the business week, you'll have your materials within 24 hours (and sometimes within hours or even minutes). But if you place your order on a Friday or over the weekend, you may not receive it until Monday. If you choose to pay by check, your order will not ship until we receive your payment, and of course hard copies require printing and shipping, which obviously takes longer (you'll have a choice of shipping times). If time is an issue, we highly recommend ordering digital scripts.

Q12: I am outside the United States. Can I still place an order?
A: Absolutely! Many of our customers are in Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and even in Africa and Asia. For customers outside the US and Canada, though, we recommend ordering electronic scripts, or expedited delivery of your printed scripts, as standard international shipping can take a number of weeks. Also, we've found that particularly if you're at an international school where your credit card may have one address but you are located elsewhere, PayPal is more forgiving than Google Checkout when it comes to payment verification.

Q13: I placed an order for a digital license, and it's been more than 48 hours, but my digital files haven't arrived.
A: Chances are they did--and got caught by your spam filter. Check your spam box to make sure your scripts and contracts aren't waiting for you there, and be sure to add info@youthplays.com to your whitelist so that mail from us gets through to you. Also, please make sure you are able to receive attachments--some systems, particularly school or government email addresses, may block them, sometimes even before they reach you at all. But if your email isn't cooperating, have no fear. Just log into the website (using your email address with which you signed up and the password you created when ordering) and click on My Account in the upper right corner. You'll see a list of Your Orders. Just click View for the order in question, and then click on the link to download your materials.

Q14: Why do I have to provide potential production dates when I order a perusal copy?
A: This information, which can be changed as necessary, allows us to generate a contract which may then be mailed in directly for those who wish to pay by check offline.

Q15: Can I have a play physically mailed to me?
A: In most cases, yes! Almost all of our plays are available in both digital and printed form. If a play is available in a print edition, you'll see a notice on the play's page and it will appear as an option in its shopping cart (along with your choice of shipping speeds) when you go to place an order.

Q16: How many performances do I need to order? What constitutes a performance?
A: You must order one performance royalty for each time the play is produced in the presence of an audience outside of the cast and crew. It doesn't matter whether admission is being charged, whether the actors (or anyone else) are being paid, or whether it's part of a school assembly or other program. Therefore, an "invited" dress rehearsal at which friends, family or staff view the show still counts as one performance.

Q17: Why is paying royalties so important?
A: On the most basic, practical level, our authors generate some or all of their income through the licensing of their work for production. When one doesn't pay this money, that could be an author's rent or food money or electric bill. Being able to earn money through the licensing of their plays allows playwrights to have time to create new work (as a profession and not simply a hobby) for the stage for schools and theatres to perform. On a philosophical level, the payment of a royalty is a statement that a play is something of value, and acknowledges the time and effort that went into it--just as one would be paid to do any other job. Finally, it's important to remember that a play is wholly owned by the author, and failure to license your performance in advance and pay royalties is copyright infringement, which is against the law both in the United States and abroad. The penalties for infringement include statutory damages of up to $150,000 per incident, plus legal costs...so just don't do it.

Q18: Can I change my performance dates once I've paid royalties?
A: Yes. Just send us an email to info@youthplays.com with the revised dates.

Q19: I've already paid royalties for one or more performances. I'd like to license additional performances. What's the best way to do that?
A: This is a common occurrence when a group has licensed a play for competition and advances, for example, or wishes to add extra performances for the school community. Just go to the play's page and place an order for the additional performances. Easy as pie.

Q20: Can I make changes to a play?
A: No cuts, additions or changes of any kind may be made to the script (dialogue or stage directions) without prior written permission from YouthPLAYS. Please email us at info@youthplays.com with any questions or requests regarding a particular script. Please be specific. Because we must confirm any requests with the play's author, be sure to contact us sufficiently in advance.

Q21: We've had to cancel our production. What is your refund policy?
A: Printed and digital scripts, photocopy licenses and forensics licenses (as well as textbooks) are non-refundable. In the case of performance royalties, the first performance is non-refundable. Additional performances are refundable minus a $5 processing fee up to 7 days before the scheduled production date. Performances canceled after that date but no later than the scheduled opening date will receive YouthPLAYS credit. There are no refunds or credits allowed after the scheduled date of performance.

Q22: I'd like to use a cutting from a play (a scene or monologue) for a Thespian Individual Event or similar competition.
A: Royalties are waived for the use of excerpts/cuttings lasting less than ten minutes in Thespian IEs or similar adjudicated competitions. Each participant is required to purchase through the YouthPLAYS website a digital perusal copy (or hard copy, if available and they prefer) of the play from which the monologue or scene comes. Once you have done so, you may either print this explanation as permission to perform or contact info@youthplays.com with your name, school and event information to receive a statement of permission. Please email us with any specific questions about the usage of materials.

Q23: What if I want to use a play for speech or forensics competition?
A: For plays of 10 minutes or less being used in adjudicated speech or forensics competitions, you must either purchase a forensics license OR sufficient printed copies of the script (if available in printed form) for each competitor. The forensics license allows you to print the copies you need for one team per year at your school (non-transferable) to use the piece an unlimited number of times in competition. You may also order sufficient printed copies of the play for each competitor, and if you select the printed script option, royalties are waived for adjudicated competitive performances of 10 minutes or less. Want to use a cutting of 10 minutes or less from one of our longer pieces? Email us and we'll see what we can work out. Longer plays (for example, one-acts for group speech competitions) will generally require the payment of standard performance royalties. (And if you're looking for material for a Thespian IE, there's a specific FAQ question that addresses this.)

Q24: I want to use a play for forensics, but there's no forensics ordering option for it.
A: In most cases, we only preset forensics ordering options for short duets and monologues. But if you'd like to use a longer piece, email us and we'll work out a reasonable forensics licensing fee.

Q25: I want to use a play in the classroom, but I don't want to stage a production at this time.
A: If you wish to use a play in the classroom (i.e. your class will be studying it as a group), you may either purchase a classroom set (if hard copies are available) or purchase a single performance royalty along with a photocopy license. If you need a limited number of copies for small group work, you may purchase the requisite number of printed or digital copies. Please keep in mind that no scripts may be copied unless you've purchased the performance royalty/photocopy license package.

Q26: Do you offer any play anthologies?
A: Yes, we have two so far, with more on the way. Go to the Plays by Type pulldown menu up above and check them out!

Q27: Do you send out printed catalogues?
A: To save the environment, we try not to. You can download a PDF version of the catalogue by clicking on the "Download a Catalogue" link on the left, or if you're having trouble, we'll be happy to email you one. That way, you can print only what you need and protect the planet.

Q28: How does YouthPLAYS compare in cost to a traditional publisher?
A: While we think our plays are a great choice regardless of budget, our materials are generally cheaper than those available at traditional "bricks and mortar" publishers. Why? Because our performance royalties allow for the purchase of a photocopy license that allows you to make sufficient copies of the script/score for your production, thus potentially saving you as much as several hundred dollars on a large cast play or musical.

Q29: Do you accept play submissions? If so, how do I submit?
A: We are always interested in submissions of plays and musicals that are appropriate for young actors/audiences. Please click on the Submit a Play link on the left-menu and read the guidelines carefully.

Q30: Do your plays have ISBN numbers?
A: Yes, they do. Not all of our digital scripts have them listed, but just ask and we'll be happy to help you.

Q31: We'd like to make a video (or audio) recording of our production. May we?
A: The rights you receive when licensing a play for production are live stage rights only. They do not convey any permission to make video or audio recordings of any kind. If you would like permission to make a video recording, you may contact us: some authors may allow limited video rights (e.g. you may make a limited number of DVDs for private, in-home use in exchange for an additional performance royalty), but this is on a case-by-case basis.