Goldnutmeg
Monday 29th April 2013 10:05pm [Edited]
155 posts
Quote: Jinky @ April 28 2013, 12:00 AM BST
So....how much do the writers get paid?
HAHAHAHAHHA....only joking.
Hi Jinky, 
Actually while retaining our sense of humour 
, we take that thing called money seriously too ... This year we have a very small amount of external funding (any legitimate offers accepted!) and when we have had more funding in the past, it was a matter of matter of covering expenses and giving actors and directors a token contribution to their expenses (£5 ...).
What playwrights get (for free): to keep his or her or their own copyright, the chance to work with a professional director and actors and see his or her or their play in performance in front of a live audience who are usually given an event programme which includes the name, brief biog and contact details for the writer(s).
After every RealDeal Theatre event, participants get contact details for all involved: directors, actors and, if we have one, the stage manager. This is often the first time a playwright has had work staged and we give guidelines which can stand him or her in good stead for any future staging of his or her work. They also get photographs and a video of their work, if we film it (which we try to do at every event). See the photo gallery at http://www.realdealtheatre.org.uk
If by chance somebody or some organization decided to bestow some dosh on us, our first concern would be to cover the event's expenses (phone calls, stationery, publicity, rehearsal space etc) in a transparent manner. Then to pay at least basic expenses of actors and directors. If there were any possibility of paying writers, (and I'm a writer myself), we would, as we aim to work in cooperative manner.
In other words, we treat our writers as we would wish to be treated ourselves by a low to no budget event reaching a professional standard and recognizing the value of all the artistes involved.
At the moment we do have a contribution from an individual of £100 for this event - our maximum funding for an event has been £1000 and, believe me, with six pieces with separate casts and directors and assistant directors (we like to help emerging talent that way too), we had to work very hard with that to keep within budget. When I say "we", it's actually me doing most of the on-the-ground organizing as RealDeal is my brainchild with the sturdy support of one other.
At the moment, our events tend to be set up at short notice, so we haven't yet experimented with crowdfunding. So paying everyone concerned, including writers, at least a minimum wage is a distant dream but then once so was putting on popular events showcasing the work of so many writers and other artistes from around the UK, as we have done. So we're ever hopeful ... RealDeal is our name and that's exactly what we aim to provide!
Blimey, did I say all that in one breath 
!!!!
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