You are writing a play that consists of music and scenes from movies and plays between early 1900-1940 Do you need special permission from anyone to use songs or re-enact And from who?

Answer 1

Materials from 1900-1922 would be in the public domain and would not require permission.

Materials from 1923-1940 that were renewed would be protected by copyright. Unfortunately there's no reliable way to determine whether something was renewed except by requesting a search of the paper records at the Copyright Office, so it's often easier to assume it's still protected. You would need permission from the rightsholder of each work to publicly perform it. Permission is best requested in writing; be specific about the context in which you plan to include it.