RWS Entertainment Group's New Casting Arm Launches; Stewart/Whitley and Binder Casting to Dissolve

Duncan Stewart, the venerated casting director who co-founded and successfully co-ran the award-winning casting office Stewart/Whitley for over 14 years, will helm RWS Entertainment Group's new, independent New York- and London-based casting arm, ARC. ARC will mine talent for theatre, film, television and commercial projects.

As ARC launches, Stewart/Whitley and Binder Casting will dissolve. Stewart, along with casting directors and associates from both teams, will continue to maintain current Broadway productions including Life of Pi and long-running hit shows Disney's The Lion King, Chicago the Musical, the iconic Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, as well as numerous other productions.

"Bringing Duncan Stewart onto the team to transition Binder Casting into ARC was a natural fit and will help spearhead the industry's most exciting work," said RWS founder and CEO Ryan Stana. "His reputation as having one of the most discerning eyes for talent in the industry will elevate our powerhouse team and accelerate discovering world-class talent. He also brings with him a firmly held commitment to treating everyone with whom he engages with respect."

"I always knew it would take something truly extraordinary to pull me from Stewart/Whitley and that is exactly what this new opportunity is," said Stewart.

Patrick Maravilla from Stewart/Whitley will join as associate along with Mark Brandon CSA, Kyle Coker, Anthony Pichette CSA, Amber Snead, CSA and Jarrett Reiche.

To learn more, visit castingbyarc.com.

About Duncan Stewart

Duncan Stewart has served as casting director and partner of Stewart/Whitley since co-founding the firm in 2011. His New York theater credits include Life of Pi, Hadestown, The Lightning Thief, Rock of Ages, The Great Comet of 1812, The Black Clown (Lincoln Center), A Clockwork Orange, On The Town, Pippin, Chicago, La Cage Aux Folles, As You Like It, Elf the Musical, Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, Carnegie Hall, West Side Story, The Band Wagon, Stuffed, Curvy Widow and Pageant. He has also worked on numerous touring productions, including Hadestown, Hairspray, The Lightning Thief, Finding Neverland, Waitress, SpongeBob, A Bronx Tale, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, The Bodyguard, Dirty Dancing, The Sound of Music, Elf the Musical, Into The Woods, Once, Shrek, Flashdance, Anything Goes, Bullets Over Broadway, The Duck Commander Musical and We Will Rock You. Stewart is an Artios Award winner and proud member of the Casting Society of America (CSA).

About ARC

ARC, part of RWS Entertainment Group, is dedicated to securing the strongest talent for theatre, film, television and commercial projects. Headquartered in New York City and London, ARC is built upon decades of experience from the industry's most respected and innovative casting directors. Visit castingbyarc.com for more information.

About RWS Entertainment Group

Founded in 2003, RWS Entertainment Group is a global, Emmy Award-winning experience company with headquarters in New York City, London and Cincinnati. RWS provides ideation, design, technical, casting and operation services to create extraordinary entertainment, live events, exhibits, destinations, décor and branded attractions. RWS Entertainment Group and its three subsidiaries produce over 1 million live moments every day, making RWS the world's largest full-service provider of experiences and attractions on land and at sea.

RWS employs a diverse team of world-class designers, creators, producers and more, including the casting and recruitment of over 8,000 performers and technicians annually. RWS Studios, located in New York City and London, comprises over 100,000 combined square feet of offices, rehearsal studios, performer housing, fully equipped casting studios, acoustically treated music rooms and more.

In addition to ARC, RWS' subsidiaries include JRA, an award-winning creative studio specializing in master planning, design and project management, and ted, Europe's largest leisure entertainment experience company. Together, RWS' companies have served an impressive roster of clients that includes Apple, Azamara, The Coca-Cola Company, Crayola, Europa-Park Resort, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, The FRIENDS Experience by Original X Productions, Hard Rock Resorts, Hershey's, Holland America Line, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, Lionsgate, Marella Cruises, MSC Cruises, Roompot, Six Flags, Space Center Houston, TUI Group, Vera Wang, Warner Bros., Disney's The Lion King on Broadway, Chicago the Musical, Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes and many more. For more information, visit experiencerws.com.