Estate planning and copyright management

for dramatists, by dramatists.

Upcoming Events

Free live reading from Roundabout theater

sneaky by william s. yellow robe, jr

March 24, 2025 — laura pels theater

We are proud to announce that there will be a free reading of the play, Sneaky, by William S. Yellow Robe, Jr, presented by the Roundabout Theater Company on Monday, March 24th, 2025 at 7pm at the Laura Pels Theater. The reading is being presented by the Roundabout as part of their “Refocus Project”, a series highlighting overlooked writers from historically marginalized communities in order to expand the American theater canon. The presentation is directed by Madeline Sayet and will be followed by a panel discussion to explore the life, artistry, and impact of playwright William S. Yellow Robe, Jr.

ABOUT THE PLAY: Frank, Eldon and Kermit may not always get along, but they agree on one thing: their late mother wanted a traditional Assiniboine burial. Trouble is, her body is about to be prepared at the local funeral home. Can these three contentious brothers come together to honor her final request? SNEAKY is a dark comedy about the lengths a family will go to in support of each other.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT: The late William S. Yellow Robe, Jr (Assiniboine/Sioux) was a playwright, actor, director & teacher. Over his lifetime, Yellow Robe wrote over 70 plays, poems, and monologues, with his work produced all over the United States and Europe. He taught Native American studies, literature, history, politics, and culture, in addition to playwriting, theater, poetry, and environmental science at tribal colleges, Ivy League schools, and universities all over the US, including the Institute of American Indian Arts , University of New Mexico, University of Montana, and University of Maine. He passed away in 2021 at the age of 59, and his works were gifted to the Dramatists Guild. You can visit Yellow Robe’s legacy page here on the DGCM website: https://thedgcm.org/yellow-robe-legacy and you can read and license his work via Concord Theatricals.

Dear Dramatists:

A composer named Irvin Graham passed away many years ago, at the age of 92. Mr.Graham had written a lot of songs and shows during his long career and was a lifetime member of the Dramatists Guild. Upon his death, we were surprised to learn that the Guild was a beneficiary of his will. In fact, he had left his entire life’s work to the Guild...and we didn't know what to do with it.

Irvin was one of four writers of a song called “I Believe.” Elvis recorded it, Frankie Laine, Barbra Streisand—it’s been recorded by just about everybody. His one-quarter interest in that tune generated significant income for the Guild every year, without us doing anything more than answering the phone and depositing the checks.

We thought, “Hmmm… maybe there’s something more we can do with this.” Meanwhile, the Guild continued to receive calls over the years from members who were trying to put their wills together. They wanted guidance on estate planning, particularly on the matter of finding someone they could trust, or just somebody willing, to make decisions about their work after they were gone. They also wanted to do something for the Guild, like Mr. Graham did, in order to support future generations of dramatists. But we had no advice to offer on such matters and did not have the staff, resources or expertise to take on the management of other properties.

“Estate planning is an important and everlasting gift you can give to your family. And setting up a smooth inheritance isn’t as hard as you might think.”

— Susie Orman

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