The Good, The Bad & The Funny

Heading into the new year looking back on all the good things that have happened at Heartland Plays in 2014.  We still consider ourselves a young publishing company having launched our interactive website in November of 2010.  But thanks to your interest in our plays, we now show up on the first page of a google search for play publishers along with biggies like Samuel French and Dramatic Publishing.  We carry some of the best new plays available from some of the most gifted contemporary playwrights.  It’s good to know that you have discovered their work and that more and more of you have taken an interest in reading the scripts and applying for performance rights.  Thank you.  The only bad thing to report for 2014 is that once in awhile somebody decides to download a script under false pretenses.  We grant permission to download scripts for a nominal fee so that you can copy and distribute the script to your season selection committee or because you want to perform an excerpt from a script or a short play in an adjudicated competition.  And then there are those of you who just want to know the ending…since we omit the endings online for security purposes.  But now and then someone checks a box to allow the download of a script without paying royalties knowing, in fact, that the play will be performed and somehow that tidbit of information gets omitted.  And that’s not for security purposes, unless the security is to keep the production secret. But that’s funny because theatres need to shout out as loudly as possible by every means available what’s playing on stage.  Otherwise, how will the audience know?  So, in the new year we look forward to your sending us news about your productions of our plays and not keeping them a secret.  We’ll feature your production in our bi-monthly newsletter and let everyone know how great it was.  And that’s not all bad!