Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need permission to perform a play?
A: Nonprofit groups do not need permission to perform any of Jewell Ellen Smith’s plays, but if you plan to perform one, we (Jewell’s children) ask that you e-mail her older son David Smith at DSmith1204@aol.com (be sure to tell us which play you are going to perform; we have no way of knowing that automatically). We like to keep track of play productions and where the plays are being performed. For instance, we’ve been told of productions in China and India.

Q: What is the fee for performing a play?
A: None, for nonprofit groups.

Q: I need to print out several copies of the script and music of a play. Must I be connected to the Internet the whole time I am printing them, or is there a way to save the script on my computer to print later?
A: All of the plays are available in “Printer Definition File” (PDF) format. Depending on the programs on your computer, clicking (or double-clicking) on a play with “(PDF)” in the title will produce:

1.    Nothing happens, or the play appears on your computer screen, but the music or pictures don’t show up. In these cases, you do not have the Adobe (Acrobat) Reader program on your computer, or your Reader is out of date. Your Reader must be at least version 4. You can get the latest edition of the Reader for free at the following location:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
After downloading and installing the Reader, you should be able to go on to item #2:

2.    The play comes up on the screen, with all the music and pictures intact. You are ready to save a copy to your computer. Look on the left side of the screen, immediately above the script and below the “Address” field. You will see an icon of a floppy disk and the words “Save a Copy.” Click the icon, you will be prompted for a location on your hard disk to save a copy of the play. Write down the location and name of the PDF file so you can find it again. You can go back to it at any time and print as many copies as you want, without being connected to the Internet.


Q: Could you send me a copy of the play by postal mail?
A: Please try the “PDF” method in the previous Q & A. If you still have trouble, e-mail David Smith with your postal address, and we’ll be glad to send you a copy (and don't forget to tell us which play you want).

Q: I’d like to make some changes in a play (for instance, to use a more modern biblical translation than King James).
A: We encourage folks to adopt plays in any appropriate way, as long as you give credit to Jewell Ellen Smith as the original author. Several people have made adaptations of the plays, which we have published on the website with their permission. We encourage you to send your script to us as an e-mail attachment. If the play is in Windows-readable format, such as “.doc”, “.htm”, or “.pdf”, send it to the above e-mail address; if it is in a “Mac” format, send it to Jewell’s daughter Nan Kemp at NPKemp@swbell.net .

Q: We took some pictures at our play performance. Are you interested in them?
A: Definitely; we might even want to put them on the website (with your permission of course). If your pictures are in a digital format (i.e. “.jpg”), send them as an e-mail attachment to David Smith’s e-mail address (with the name of the play, please!). If you have printed photos rather than digital files, you can mail copies of them to him at:

David L. Smith

500 Spanish Fort Blvd. #96

Spanish Fort AL 36527-5006.

Q: My question isn’t listed!
A: Please e-mail us; we’ll try to send you an answer immediately.

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