What is "Do Not Collect $200"
"Do Not Collect $200" is a short play by J.Wiltz. It follows the historical figures Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Lenin, and James Joyce as they face each other in a not-so-friendly game of Monopoly. "Do Not Collect $200" made its debut at the Oxford, MS, Double Decker Festival in April 2002 and has since been performed in Pennsylvania and at the University of Vermont. In 2003, the script was converted into a screenplay and used as the basis for the short film Exile, which took the award for Best Comedy at the Magnolia Film Festival in Starkville, MS. "Do Not Collect $200" has also been published in the play anthology Ten Minute Plays from Oxford.
What is the Exile Game and how is it played?
The Exile Game is an ongoing writing contest, which allows readers a chance to determine where "Do Not Collect $200" will go. Each month, participants in the Exile Game will read the existing script and then write the next ten pages, picking up where the last line leaves off. The best submission will then be added to the script and the game will begin again. By the time the game reaches its conclusion, we will have something very unique: a single play written by many different authors.
How much is the Exile Game submission fee?
The submission fee is $10. This fee will allow you to submit three entries for consideration. If you like, you can submit all three in a single month or space them out over a series of three months. The choice is yours.
What if I only want to submit one entry? Do I still have to pay the full $10 entry fee?
If you only wish to submit a single entry, the cost is $5.
What are the benefits of having my entry picked to be a permanent part of the script?
In addition to becoming a lasting part of this unique writing experience, each author whose submission is chosen to become a part of the script will be featured in our special Boardwalkers section, where their bio and resume will be posted. (Freelance and aspiring writers may use this as an opportunity for self-promotion and work.) All authors whose work is chosen will receive $200 and have their submission fee refunded. And of course everyone whose work is chosen will receive the simple thrill of bragging rights.
Will I retain the rights to my submission if it's picked to be a permanent part of the script?
Yes. As a site maintained by writers for writers we are familiar with your concerns, and we want you to rest assured that we have no desire to take credit for your work or to ask you to sign it over to us. Your work will remain your property. Period.
I understand that "Do Not Collect $200" has been performed by several theater groups. Will I receive royalties if my portion of the play is performed by a theater group?
Yes. As a contributing author, you are entitled to royalties received from the play's performance. Here's how this works: If the entire play is performed by a theater group, the royalty payments will be divided equally among all the authors. (Let's say the play is performed at a time when the script is 40 pages long for a rate of $500. In that case, there would be four authors, and each would make $125.) In the event that a theater group wants to perform only your portion of the script (perhaps as part of a short play festival), you will receive 100% of the royalties. As we've said, we have no desire to take credit for your work. Please note, however, that you are entitled only to royalties from the play's performance. You will not receive any portion of the revenue generated by this site.
If more than one of my submissions is chosen to be part of the script, will I receive even MORE royalties?
That won't happen. Because our goal is to produce a play written by many different authors, only one submission per author is eligible to become part of the permanent script. This is why the submission fee is refunded to everyone whose entry is chosen. If your work is chosen for pages 11-20, that's your contribution to the story. Of course, there's an obvious way around this if you really want to keep submitting. That is to simply put someone else's name on an entry, let them collect the royalties, and then get the money from them. But hey, you didn't get that idea from us. We're only saying that no author will be credited twice.
Is it okay if I take some of the existing characters out of the script or introduce new ones into it?
Yes. As you begin writing, you are free to take the story in any direction you wish to see it go. If that involves moving characters in and out of the action, so be it. The only thing we ask of you when removing various characters is that you "lead" them out. Don't stop writing lines for an existing character and expect them to magically disappear. They have to go somewhere.
Do all of the characters in the script have to literally be exiles?
Not at all. The phrase Exile Game is derived from Exile, the 2003 screen adaptation of "Do Not Collect $200" by Nautilus Films. It's not intended to be taken literally. What matters is that your characters are recognizable figures (living or dead) that stand as representations of various attitudes or philosophies. It would be just as appropriate to introduce Gandhi into the game as it would be to add Paris Hilton. Big personalities are the driving force of the script.
What if you don't get any good entries by a certain deadline?
One of the purposes of our submission fee is to separate the serious writers from the curious onlookers. Anyone serious enough about their writing to pay a fee for its submission must have faith in their work, and so do we. We are confident of our readers' abilities to take the action of this play in fun new directions. However, in the extremely unlikely event that a month goes by when everyone is suffering from a collective bout of writer's block, all contributors will be credited a month, refunds will be given where applicable, and we'll try it again.
Why not let the readers vote on which submissions become part of the script?
There was a time when this idea was being considered, but we eventually put it to rest, fearing that the game could quickly devolve into a popularity contest if readers were allowed to vote on the submissions. As people close to the source material, we want to see the story progress in the best way possible. We believe the best way to ensure this is to choose winners based on merit and not on numbers.
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