[LM_NET] HIT:Reader's theatre scripts and copyright?

[Barb Engvall <macbarb@CHARTER.NET>]

Thanks to Carol Simpson I will once again keep myself out of
trouble...and since Reader's Theatre is becoming more and more common I
thought I would pass on the fact that to take the text of a book and
make it into Reader's Theatre is a violation...you are making an
adaptation which is a derivative work and hence a no-no. (unless you
get permission, of course!) There are lots of websites out there with
Reader's Theatre scripts and while some may be legal, many may not be,
so beware!

What I would like to do is something like How the Grinch Stole
Christmas so I plan on getting 6 or 8 identical copies in paperback and
then marking the parts.

Using some of the old traditional stories that are in public domain are
ok though...and these would include things like Night before Christmas,
Andersen's Fir Tree and Dicken's Christmas Carole. (right?)


Barb Engvall

Teacher-Librarian
John Campbell Elem
Selah, WA
macbarb@charter.net
http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/JC/jc.cfm


On Nov 29, 2004, at 5:47 PM, Barb Engvall wrote:

> What is the opinion, legality, etc., of when you take a story and turn
> it into a reader's theatre script? I am playing around with the idea of
> doing this with my 3rd and 4th graders with some holiday picture books
> but I am planning on taking all of the text so feel that this is ok...I
> am not changing the story itself. Is this OK?
>
> Barb Engvall
>
> Teacher-Librarian
> John Campbell Elem
> Selah, WA
> macbarb@charter.net
> http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/JC/jc.cfm
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
> To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
> In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET  2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
> 3) SET LM_NET MAIL  4) SET LM_NET DIGEST  * Allow for confirmation.
> LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/
> Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
> EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/el-announce/
> LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>

--------------------------------------------------------------------
All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET  2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL  4) SET LM_NET DIGEST  * Allow for confirmation.
LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/
Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/el-announce/
LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------