In search of scripts

BAT opens its 2018-19 season with Dr. Frankenstein a gothic tale written by Selma Dimitrijevic. This is not your father’s Frankenstein. In this startlingly fresh, lyrical and haunting contemporary adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel, Dr. Frankenstein is reimagined as a woman. Victoria Frankenstein and her articulate Creature tell a thought-provoking story that follows Mary Shelley’s book more closely than other productions, but with wonderful new twists.

This is only the second time this script will be produced in America. That has created its own unique challenges. Here is a small, but telling example:

For rehearsals, BAT provides the actors the crew with “acting editions” of the script. Each person gets their own script. Selling scripts, of course, is how the publishing houses make their money.

Dr. Frankenstein is published by Oberon Books in England. I could only find a copy here and a copy there, but I could not find anyone with ten copies on hand. I did not want to pay ten separate shipping charges.

So I contacted the publisher. They gave me the name of the US distributor and contact information. But when I approached the distributor, I was told they were not a distributor for the Dr. Frankenstein script.

Back to the publisher. Luckily the folks at Oberon Books could see my dilemma. They offered to send BAT ten copies of the script, with one shipping charge.

Then there is the question of payment. Like the royalties to the show itself, the price for the scripts and shipping fees are in British Pounds (£). With a little help from BAT’s bank, a small wire transfer fee, and that day’s conversion rate, all was good.

BAT may be small, but we are mighty, and part of international trade. We also have ten copies of Dr. Frankenstein on the way.

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