Producer Hunter Arnold Launches ON THE STAGE STREAMING, A Full-Service Theater Streaming Platform

On The Stage, the arts tech company founded by Tony Award-winning Producer Hunter Arnold (Hadestown, The Inheritance, Little Shop of Horrors) who launched the free remote production platform Play It Forward this spring, has announced exciting new expanded capabilities for the user-friendly platform.

Designed to provide theater makers with easy-to-use tools and resources to create and collaboratively live-stream productions - from first audition to final 'virtual' bow - the beta program has now been developed into a full-service producing, marketing, ticketing, and performance platform. Named On The Stage Streaming, the expanded program now offers the flexibility to create, promote and stream productions of any kind - live, remote, or pre-recorded - using one single system.

Created out of a desire to continue fostering creativity, community, and connection during this challenging time for live performances, the hugely successful beta launch of Play It Forward in April 2020 helped theater makers from 21 states host over 100 virtual productions for nationwide audiences - all for free. Now, with the increasing clarity that theater operations will be coming back in different ways and on different timelines based on location, the On The Stage team developed this new platform expansion to provide artists with the flexibility to create and share their work online in accordance with their organization's unique goals and local safety guidelines. Whatever the 'new normal' may become for the live arts industry, Arnold felt it would be vital to have streaming technology that truly supports all aspects and versions of production - whether completely live with an audience, fully-isolated, pre-taped, or remote. It's not just technology, though, that will be required to help theater makers move into this new era - On The Stage has also compiled a full suite of how-to-material, live seminar tutorials, best practice exchanges and resources to ensure that artists have everything they need to create the best possible experience for performers and audiences.

On The Stage Streaming provides users with: support in acquiring works from an extensive library of acclaimed, licensed plays and musicals approved for streaming use; a built-in, user-friendly framework for virtually auditioning and rehearsing the show; a secure, custom-branded production website to promote the production, sell tickets and merchandise, or accept donations; software to record the performance (whether on-screen virtual capture or on-stage live filming); and finally, a secure viewing platform for broadcasting the production to your audience. Throughout the entire process, technical support is provided by the On The Stage team to ensure a seamless experience for all. Although this program was created with community theaters, schools, and non-profit organizations in mind, it is a service available to anyone with the desire to put on a show - all for free to the producing organization: 100% of the program's fees (which are among the lowest in the ticketing industry) can be incorporated into the ticket price at the online box office.

"On The Stage has developed a platform that takes the stress out of the technology part of the process," says Sarah Kane, Drama teacher at Notre Dame High School in San Jose, CA, the fate of whose season was thrown into uncertainty when COVID-19 hit. "From sending invitation and reminder emails about rehearsals, to having real people on call to answer questions, I felt completely supported in making the transition to digital performance. I was able to focus on the text since the tech was taken care of."

Unlike other streaming platforms in the theatre space, On The Stage has no exclusivity agreements in place to limit producers' options for content. Hunter Arnold said, "Our core mission with streaming is to partner with as many publishers and vendors as possible - to enable clients to make the best theatre they can, and to create a truly egalitarian environment for playwrights, bookwriters, composers and lyricists. Organizations don't want to have to switch platforms based on which show they wish to produce; not only is it bad for audience development - which is vital in this unprecedented time of suspension for live arts - but when an artist's work is only available on certain platforms, they lose valuable income in a moment when value for their work can be vital. At On The Stage, we've worked tirelessly to not only create the best technology, but the best environment where we can serve the ENTIRE community, where all work can thrive."

OnStage will be hosting free live information and Q&A sessions on Thursday, July 23 at 5:00PM EST and Wednesday, July 29 at 12:00PM EST. For more information, visit www.onthestage.com/streaming.

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