The talk with Professor Lodge provided much insight into the intricacies involved with copyright and the world of theater. I was not previously aware of how much had to be done to get clearance to perform a play. It truly can be a very nerve-wracking process. Also, I did not realize how much of a problem it could be to edit an already-existing work, and that permission would be needed to take out certain parts. The most extreme case of this was seen when Professor Lodge talked about Rent, and stated that nobody is allowed to edit any portions of it at all. This however does make sense to an extent, as some scenes do have major importance to the central meaning as a whole, and losing them would end up majorly changing the entire production. The discussion as a whole was both interesting and insightful, and taught me much about the world of theater.
Agreed! It was great to hear about how copyright plays a role in our own backyard. I also found it interesting how performances by student organizations could get the college theatre blacklisted from copyright holders if the student groups did not follow protocol.
I, also, thought it was interesting that student performances can get the school blacklisted. Personally, I feel like the play right laws are way out of hand in that aspect because I doubt students are trying to be sneaky and get around these laws. It probably just has to be with them being uneducated in copy right laws.