No writer should have to choose between their Guild and their finances.
That's why our "pay-what-you-can" program allows DG members to extend membership for one full year, without any change to services or benefits. We are committed to subsidizing member dues for those who need assistance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we will not ask you to pay the difference at any point in the future. All we ask is that you retain your Guild membership.
Generally, the services that we provide to our members are worth more than the price of annual member dues. That is, the cost to the organization is more than we charge for membership. Since the Guild was created, the difference has been made up by First-Class dues called assessments, paid by the portion of members who are fortunate enough to have a First-Class production in any given year. (A First-Class production is a play or musical produced on Broadway or certain Equity National Tours.) As a result, roughly 0.5% of our membership is effectively subsidizing the dues of the other 99.5%, enabling us to keep our dues at the low rate of $90-$130 for the majority of members. With no First-Class productions able to run this year, we do not have that income to offset the cost of our services.
To avoid a necessary cut in the services we offer, it is more important than ever that those who are able to pay their dues do so in a timely manner. And we encourage any member with financial stability to pay their member dues in full at the appropriate due date.
Please note that this is not a change in member dues. It is a one-time, non-precedential response to an unprecedented event for the benefit of all our members, offered at a time of unparalleled financial loss for the institution. The program will not be available after theatres are permitted to fully reopen to live audiences.
In addition to our "pay-what-you-can" program, the Guild also offers a monthly payment plan and a biannual recurring payment plan for member dues.
Please contact questions@dramatistsguild.com if you require further information.