The Dramatists Guild of America, the trade association for playwrights, composers, lyricists and librettists, has announced its first-ever compensation study for theater writers. All writers who have had a show produced in any capacity are encouraged to participate, regardless of Guild membership.
By conducting the study, the Guild intends to gather information regarding income— including wages for theatrical writing work and a survey of other sources of income — to better advocate on writers’ behalf. The Guild also seeks to understand the disparities in pay and treatment in order to fight for equity within the industry.
The Guild plans to utilize the results of the study to back its advocacy efforts and help establish standardized guidelines and best practices for writers.
DG director of business affairs Jessica Lit pioneered the creation of the study.
“The Dramatists Guild’s Compensation Study is the first of its kind and has the potential to be a game changer for theater writers and for the entire theater industry,” Dramatists Guild president Amanda Green explained in a statement. “We hope to use our findings to empower theater writers to sustain and support themselves financially while embarking upon their creative work.”
Members will be alerted regarding the study. Theater writers who wish to participate and are not members of the Guild can sign up to participate via this form.
