How much do Playwrights get paid?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 2:34am

How much does a Playwright get paid? Like for instance, Adam Rapp, how much does he get for his show "Red Light Winter" or someone like the Martin McD. who wrote "Pillowman"? Do they get a chunk of the weekly take? Or do they get like a lump sum upfront?

On a side note: Is it Playwright? Or Playwrite? Or what?
Updated On: 4/27/06 at 02:34 AM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 2:36am

Adam Rapp, and Playwright.

They get nothing. They donate their work out of the kindness of their hearts.

[BWIDB Charlie]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 2:37am

You might want to make that Adam Rapp.

I'm not entirely sure what the typical breakdown is for commerical runs of legit plays. I'm sure someone will be able to answer.

- Charlie Piane

---Edited to add---

Munk beat me to the correction. Updated On: 4/27/06 at 02:37 AM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 2:45am

Yeah, my bad about the name. I have the play sitting right here in front of me.

Munk, I don't get why your comments are so condescending? I was just asking a question. Thanks.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 2:46am

It wasn't condescending at all. I was just kidding around.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 2:50am

'Aight, Its hard to tell someone's tone on the board, ya know?

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 2:51am

Rentboy, I'm not sure if this helps, but on The "Who Makes How Much?" article on The New York Times it was reported John Patrick Stanley makes 10% of the weekly gross of Doubt. I am more familiar with musical theater authors who usually get paid about 1% to 2% of the weekly gross on Broadway. Perhaps on the Dramatists Guild web site you'll be able to find more information about union rules and stuff.
Updated On: 4/27/06 at 02:51 AM

[Jon]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 8:27am

Writer's Guild standard (minimum) is 6% of the weekly gross.

In the case of musicals, that amount is divided up between composer, lyricist, and book author. If the show is based on a novel, play or movie, the book writer might have to share his 2% with the author of the original material. So, for exaple, in the case of LESTAT, Elton John might get 2%, his lyricist gets 2%, the book writer gets 1% and Anne Rice gets 1%.

It's a nice deal if you have a hit show written by one person. At the height of it's popularity, RENT had two tours, besides the Broadway company. With each company grossing around $600,000 a week, the Jonathan Larson estate was pulling in over $100,000 a week total in royalties.

[andyf]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 11:06am

Playwright vs. playwrite:

It might seem as if a person who writes plays should be called a "playwrite" but in fact a playwright is a person who has wrought words into a dramatic form, just as a wheelwright has wrought wheels out of wood and iron. All the other words ending in "-wright" are archaic, or we'd be constantly reminded of the correct pattern.

From a personal favorite of mine:

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html#errors

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 11:19am

I love Andyf's etymological explanations.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 2:38pm

Oh okay. They make pretty decent money then. I mean, if the play is making a good profit.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 2:20pm

um i dunno how decent that is,, most writers move to television because it is much better pay. besides the royalties, writers are often comissioned or given grant money to write things. Warners paid Elton and gang money up front to write there stuff.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 2:32pm

well, I can understand with Elton, but I mean, I'm wondering for something like BKYLN or something like that, where the writer was writing this project for a while and then came to a producer to get help. It seems its more "their" project. Like I wonder how much money Schwartz is milking out of Wicked.

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 2:33pm

If the show is not a big hit, though, they're in tough shape. Consider LaChiusa's financial difficulties (at one point having to sell his piano to pay rent and finish a score), and he is often responsible for music, lyrics, and book and should be taking home the full 6%. The upside to this is that it makes writing a financial necessity for him and we get to enjoy the fruits of his labors. Adam Guettel, on the other hand, doesn't need the money and is slower than tar finishing a score.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 2:45pm

well Schwartz will make more money in CD sales, music sales and residuals from stuff like that. Touring productions and the like. He was paid a lot up front from the Producers. I'm not sure the history of BRYLYN, but sometimes when shows are moved from independance or obscurity to workshops and festivals then those companies can start collecting percentages and fees from profits. I think it would take a massive hit like say Hairspray for book writer to get rich quick. But even in that case, he adapted it from exisiting material. It is all very interesting. It's makes me wonder if the writers get the biggest shaft of all.