Where Playwrights Make Enough Money To Fund Their Little Theatre Habit

“Peterson offered the example of the prime-time, one-hour network show: Minimums dictate that a staff writer earns about $3,800 a week—and a fee of more than $36,000 for any episode for which he or she is credited as story and teleplay writer. The first time that episode is rerun, its writer receives an additional $24,000. Members of the writers’ guild also receive health insurance and pensions, benefits bestowed to playwrights only in very rare circumstances.”