Dramatists Play Service

The Dramatists Play Service is the organization that holds and administers the amateur performance rights for Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire. According to the copyright and permissions notice in the published edition of the play, all inquiries concerning the amateur rights of A Streetcar Named Desire must be directed to the Dramatists Play Service, located at 440 Park Avenue South, New York 10016, and no amateur performance may be given without its written permission. This arrangement places the Dramatists Play Service as the gatekeeper for non-professional productions of the play, a role that reflects the broader system of theatrical licensing in the United States, where a central agency manages the rights for educational, community, and other non-commercial stagings.

Role in the Play's Publication and Licensing

The Dramatists Play Service is explicitly named in the copyright and permissions section of the New Directions edition of A Streetcar Named Desire, which was first published clothbound in 1947 and reissued as a New Directions Paperbook in 2004. The notice states that the play is published by special arrangement with the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, and that the Dramatists Play Service is the sole entity authorized to grant amateur performance licenses. This structure is typical for Broadway plays of the mid-twentieth century, where the commercial production rights are handled by the publisher and the playwright's estate, while amateur rights are delegated to a specialized service. The Dramatists Play Service's address—440 Park Avenue South, New York 10016—is provided in the text, indicating that it is a New York-based organization with a physical office for handling licensing inquiries.

Significance for the Play's Cultural Reach

The Dramatists Play Service's control over amateur rights has had a significant impact on the cultural dissemination of A Streetcar Named Desire. By requiring written permission for any amateur performance, the organization ensures that the play is staged only under authorized conditions, which typically include payment of royalties and adherence to the script as written. This system has allowed the play to be performed by countless high schools, colleges, and community theaters across the United States and internationally, while also protecting the intellectual property of the Williams estate. The notice in the published edition emphasizes that no amateur performance may be given without the Dramatists Play Service's written permission, underscoring the legal and commercial framework that governs the play's life beyond its original Broadway production.

Connection to the Play's Production History

The Dramatists Play Service's role is part of the broader production history of A Streetcar Named Desire, which was first presented at the Barrymore Theatre in New York on December 3, 1947, by Irene Selznick, directed by Elia Kazan, and starring Marlon Brando, Jessica Tandy, Kim Hunter, and Karl Malden. The play's commercial success and critical acclaim, including the Pulitzer Prize and the Drama Critics Circle Award, made it a staple of the American theatrical repertoire, and the Dramatists Play Service's licensing system has facilitated its continued performance by amateur groups. The organization's existence reflects the professionalization of theatrical rights management in the mid-twentieth century, a development that allowed playwrights like Tennessee Williams to earn ongoing income from their work long after its initial Broadway run.