Copyright law is complicated, but unless the author has been dead
for at least 70 years you should expect to pay Performance Royalties
You must also have prior permission from the author or their agent, and
you should not assume that because a Play has been published that it's therefore
available for performance
And unless you're performing in a private home or a classroom, a Performance Royalty will be due
whether or not the Play is performed in whole or in part, whether or not it's for charity, and whether or not
the audience pays admission
Photocopying scripts without permission is also a breach of copyright
Details of how and where to apply for Performance Rights are invariably
printed inside the Play