'On The Stage' Announces Free, Full-Service Platform To Live-Stream Theater: 'Play It Forward'

ON THE STAGE, an arts tech company founded by Tony Award-winning Producer Hunter Arnold (Hadestown, The Inheritance, Little Shop of Horrors), announces the launch of Play It Forward, a complimentary full-service platform designed to help theater makers create and collaboratively live-stream productions - from first audition to final 'virtual' bow - with easy-to use tools and resources.

Created out of a desire to continue fostering creativity, community, and connection - that's completely free and accessible to all - during this challenging time of social distancing, Arnold and his team spent the last several weeks securing rights for a large collection of plays, and exploring ways to expand On The Stage's scope of technological services in order to meet the current needs of artists across the country.

At no cost to the artists, Play It Forward provides: access to a library of acclaimed, licensed plays; a how-to manual on best practices for producing and promoting online theater; a built-in, user-friendly framework for virtually auditioning and rehearsing the production; and finally, a live-streamed performance event, with technical support provided by the On The Stage team to ensure a seamless viewing experience for a global audience.

"Theater has always gotten me through the toughest times in my life," says Hunter Arnold. "It has incredible power to heal, teach, drive catharsis and generate joy. We are in a challenging time but just because we can't gather in a room together to create art does not mean that we can't look to the theater to help us through. We just must do it through innovation and technology. That's why we felt so strongly that we needed to deliver this to anyone who was yearning for the connection the theater community brings."

The Play it Forward program was created with community theaters, schools, and non-profit organizations in mind, but is a service available to anyone with the desire to put on a show - all for free. Non-profit organizations will also be able to activate a donation button, to appear for viewers during their livestream events.

Hunter Arnold will be hosting informational/Q&A sessions: on Thursday, April 23 at 1pm EST for Actors/ Students/ Performers & on Friday, April 24 at 1pm EST for Producers/ Directors/ Theatre Educators.

To register, visit: https://landing.onthestage.com/play-it-forward-info-registration

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