named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Action Alerts and Advocacy Task Force
Organizes rapid-response advocacy campaigns and provides resources for dramatists to lobby against censorship at state and federal levels through the DLDF Action Task Force.
Amicus Brief Program
Files legal briefs in support of playwrights’ rights in cases involving censorship, copyright, and First Amendment protections, often in collaboration with the ACLU and other civil liberties organizations.
Banned Together: An Anti-Censorship Cabaret
A national initiative featuring live performances and a podcast series presenting songs and scenes from theatrical works that have been censored or challenged, aimed at raising awareness about artistic suppression.
DLDF Clinics for Dramatic Writers
Free legal clinics in partnership with law schools such as Columbia and NYU to provide legal education and support to graduate-level playwriting students on copyright, contracts, and free speech issues.
Defender Award
Annual award recognizing individuals or groups who have made significant contributions to free expression in the dramatic arts, such as students, families, or institutions resisting censorship.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Free Expression Defense & Advocacy 6 activities
- Advocates against theater censorship through public statements and campaignsConducts advocacy campaigns to combat censorship on American stages, including issuing public statements in support of challenged productions such as Almost, Maine, RENT, Julius Caesar, and Hamilton, and condemning censorship efforts targeting student and professional theater.
- Develops and maintains The Defender censorship databaseCreates and maintains The Defender, a public database documenting dramatic works that have been challenged or censored in the U.S., including public submissions. Uses the database to educate about censorship standards and support research on free expression.
- Files amicus briefs and legal interventions in free speech and copyright casesFiles amicus briefs in legal cases involving playwrights' rights, including free speech, copyright, and fair use. Examples include cases involving Friends of George’s, Adjmi v. DLT Entertainment Ltd. (2014), Lombardo v. Seuss (2017), and others. Also provides legal analysis on copyright issues such as derivative works.
- Operates a censorship hotline and provides direct support against censorshipRuns a censorship hotline to assist writers facing censorship and provides direct support to students and schools by securing alternative performance spaces, facilitating author-led discussions, sending advocacy letters, and connecting individuals with legal representation.
- Provides educational resources on college theater censorshipPublished the 2022 College Cancellation Toolkit and offers a toolkit for students, faculty, and administrators to foster respectful dialogue and support reinstatement of challenged theatrical productions on college campuses.
- Supports dramatists' rights through collaborative legal actionsCollaborates with Dramatists Guild attorneys to draft complaint letters enforcing dramatists' rights under the Guild's Bill of Rights and joined coalitions supporting class action litigation, such as the Authors Guild lawsuit against Google over library digitization.
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Performing Arts Production Support 1 activity
- Awards grants to support censored theatrical productionsFunds the relocation and remounting of censored theatrical productions, including providing emergency financial support to continue productions such as "The Secrets We Keep" in alternative venues.
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New Play Development Programs 1 activity
- Produces anti-censorship public programming and eventsOrganized and supported the production of "Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret," which presented scenes from censored works in multiple cities, expanding to sixteen productions nationwide by 2017. Released a podcast version in 2022. Also supported the 2017 24-hour Musicals fundraiser in Los Angeles.
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 1 activity
- Provides legal services to dramatic artists and educatorsOffers no-cost or low-cost legal assistance to dramatic artists and educators facing censorship, copyright issues, or theater-business matters, particularly those of limited means. Operates free legal clinics for graduate playwriting students in partnership with Columbia Law School and NYU Law School.
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Theatre Awards and Honors Administration 1 activity
- Recognizes free expression advocacy through annual awardsAdministers the Defender Award, presented annually to individuals or groups who demonstrate courage in defending free expression in theater, such as the 2024 award to the Hightower family of Sherman, Texas.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$40K
Contributions & grants$40K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$31K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$12K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$108K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$108K
3 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue +40.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
board members · 4
- CHERYL DAVIS — DIRECTOR
- LARRY SORKIN — DIRECTOR
- LYDIA DIAMOND — DIRECTOR
- MARA ISAACS — DIRECTOR
relationships · 33
Who they work with
- ACLU Partner — DLDF filed an amicus brief in a case brought by the ACLU on behalf of arts organizations challenging a federal anti-DEI funding requirement.
- Alston & Bird Partner — Law firm contributing pro-bono attorneys to DLDF’s outreach list.
- Amy VonMacek Partner — Collaborated with DLDF to lead the "Banned Together" initiative and co-produced the podcast.
- Brooklyn Public Library Partner — Collaborates with Brooklyn Public Library on initiatives related to intellectual freedom and access to reading materials
- Brooklyn Public Library’s Books Unbanned Initiative Coalition — Recognized alongside the Hightower family as a past recipient of the DLDF Defender Award, indicating shared values in defending free expression.
- California Lawyers for the Arts Partner — Organization with which DLDF maintains contact to expand access to pro-bono legal networks and low-cost mediation services in the arts.
- Columbia Law School Partner — Partnered with DLDF to present a free legal clinic for dramatic writers.
- Davis Wright Tremaine Partner — Law firm contributing pro-bono attorneys to DLDF’s outreach list.
- Dramatists Guild Network — DLDF is a working committee of the Dramatists Guild.
- Dramatists Guild Network — DLDF was formed as a support organization for the Dramatists Guild and is managed by a Guild committee.
- Dramatists Guild Partner — Collaborated with DLDF in submitting a joint letter supporting the Authors Guild lawsuit against Google.
- Dramatists Guild Partner — Collaborates with DLDF to draft complaint letters addressing violations of dramatists' rights.
- Dramatists Guild of America Network — Co-produced the "Banned Together: The Anti-Censorship Cabaret" podcast.
- Dramatists Guild of America Network — DLDF operates as a legal advocacy arm within the broader Dramatists Guild of America, which represents playwrights, librettists, lyricists, and composers.
- Dramatists Guild of America Network — DLDF was established by the Dramatists Guild of America to advocate for free speech in American theatre.
- Friends of George’s Partner — Supported through the filing of an amicus brief in their legal case against the state of Tennessee.
- John Weidman Partner — Co-founded DLDF, served as a producer for the "Banned Together" podcast, and provided ongoing leadership.
- Latham & Watkins Partner — Law firm contributing pro-bono attorneys to DLDF’s outreach list.
- NCAC Partner — Collaborated with DLDF on public statements and letters defending free speech in the arts.
- NYU Law School Partner — Replicated the DLDF Clinic for Dramatic Writers in partnership with DLDF.
- National Queer Theatre Partner — DLDF filed an amicus brief in support of National Queer Theatre in a lawsuit challenging federal anti-DEI certification requirements.
- Raúl Esparza Partner — Directed the "Banned Together: An Anti-Censorship Cabaret Podcast" and co-produced the production.
- Rhode Island Latino Arts Partner — DLDF filed an amicus brief in support of Rhode Island Latino Arts in a lawsuit challenging federal anti-DEI certification requirements.
- Robert Schenkkan Partner — Playwright and DLDF Board Member who presented the 2024 Defender Award to the Hightower family.
- Ropes & Grey Partner — Law firm contributing pro-bono attorneys to DLDF’s outreach list.
- Steeplechase Arts & Productions, LLC Partner — Plaintiff in a copyright infringement case analyzed by the organization.
- The Dramatists Guild Government — Shares mailing address and administrative infrastructure with The Dramatists Guild.
- The Theatre Offensive Partner — DLDF filed an amicus brief in support of The Theatre Offensive in a lawsuit challenging federal anti-DEI certification requirements.
- Theatre Communications Group Partner — DLDF filed an amicus brief in support of Theatre Communications Group in a lawsuit challenging federal anti-DEI certification requirements.
- Tisch School Partner — Replicated the DLDF Clinic for Dramatic Writers in partnership with DLDF.
+ 3 more
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Free Expression Through Legal Advocacy and Strategic Litigationmethodology: legal_advocacy_for_free_expressionBy challenging censorship through legal advocacy, amicus briefs, and pre-litigation dispute resolution, the organization protects playwrights' constitutional rights, because systemic suppression of theatrical works chills artistic freedom and disproportionately impacts marginalized voices.
- More Speech, Not Less: Countering Censorship Through Dialoguemethodology: more-speech-not-lessBy promoting open dialogue, educational engagement, and critical discussion around controversial works, the organization resists cancellation and suppression, because robust discourse neutralizes harm more effectively than silence and expands rather than contracts expressive freedom.
- Network-Based Pro Bono Legal Referral Systemmethodology: pro_bono_network_referralBy connecting dramatists with pro bono legal representation through partnerships with major law firms, the organization scales access to legal defense, because institutional collaborations with the private bar enable sustainable, high-capacity support for artists facing rights violations.
- Pro Bono Legal Access for Indigent Dramatistsmethodology: pro_bono_legal_supportBy providing means-tested pro bono legal support to low-income playwrights, the organization increases access to justice and protects creative rights, because financial barriers disproportionately prevent marginalized artists from defending their work against censorship or infringement.