Public Domain?

[Prosthetic Foreheads]

My mother is involved in children's theater and wants to do a 10-15 minute skit of an exerpt of the children's book Caddie Woodlawn. She would like to write the script herself but people have warned her in the past of copyright laws. Someone else told her they thought if a work was more than 50 years old, it's public domain.

This would be for a small audience and I told her she should just do it, but she is wary. We tried to look online for a script of past stage productions, but had no luck. Is there somewhere to find a list of protected works or something? Any help at all would be great.

[Medievalist]

Caddie Woodlawn is still under copyright.

[Marlys]

To clarify, your mother's acquaintance was wrong--in the U.S., the only works you can be sure are in public domain are those published before January 1, 1923. Caddie Woodlawn was published in 1935.

Here's a summary (http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/public-d.htm) of when things go into public domain. For more info, search the U.S. Copyright Office (http://www.copyright.gov/)page.

[xhouseboy]

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but a work is not public domain until 50 years after the author's death, and in the UK I think that's now been increased to 75 years - not sure about the US.

[Prosthetic Foreheads]

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but a work is not public domain until 50 years after the author's death...
I'm sure this is either what she was told or the other person got it confused. Thanks for the replies. I guess she needs to seek permission or find a script somewhere.

[Jamesaritchie]

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but a work is not public domain until 50 years after the author's death, and in the UK I think that's now been increased to 75 years - not sure about the US.

Life plus 70 years here.

[Cat Scratch]

If the skit is for school/learning purposes than I don't see where the copyright owners would object. This mainly becomes an issue when it's a for-profit endeavor.