Hitting the Stage Founder Steps Down

After five years as Director and one of the founders of Hawai'i's only website solely devoted to the state's theatre scene, Troy M. Apostol is stepping down from his post.

Hitting the Stage (hittingthestage.com) is a clearinghouse of information for those interested in seeing and/or participating in theatre. It houses posts on theatre auditions, classes and other news as well as reviews. The all-volunteer staff at Hitting the Stage includes those who review shows presented here; those reviews are posted on the site soon after the opening night of each show. The website also posts community reviews that can be submitted by anyone via a link on the website.

"HTS has always been about the people, the community" says Mr. Apostol. "We ask our general public to 'tell us what you think' about the quality of theatre produced on our shores." He continues, "for the past five years, the press releases and columns and interviews published have been great, but most importantly, people have become more confident in submitting critical, thoughtful reviews. That has been the most fulfilling thing, watching the community become stronger."

Apostol is taking on an advisory position during this time of transition as Michael Donato steps up to take his role as director of Hitting the Stage. Michael has been a volunteer-member of the Hitting the Stage team since its inception in 2012.

The partnership with Hitting the Stage is overseen by the Hawai'i State Theatre Council and the website itself was developed by, and is hosted by Charisma Industries.

In 2016, Hitting the Stage began its partnership with the Hawai'i State Theatre Council (HSTC). The council is a non-profit organization created in 1970 to encourage and spread theatre arts, consult for the State Foundation of Culture and the Arts, work cooperatively with artists and organizations in Hawai'i to obtain optimum development of theatre arts, and offer opinions and advice on theatrical matters. They accomplish these goals by promoting live, local theatres and act as a medium for local theatres to work collaboratively and provide educational experiences in the performing arts. HSTC established the annual Po'okela Awards to celebrate theatre in Hawai'i.

Donna Blanchard is the Managing Director of Kumu Kahua Theatre, Vice President of the HSTC and was the driving force behind the partnership with Hitting the Stage. "The volunteers behind Hitting the Stage are an amazing group of people, so devoted to uplifting the level of our art through review and communication" says Ms. Blanchard. "We applaud Troy's legacy, thank him for his vision and commitment and look forward to working with Michael Donato to continue our mutual goal of strengthening our community through the unique conduit of live theatre."