Support Actors. Support Theatre.

Why Donate?
Your donation keeps original theatre alive and ensures actors are paid fairly for their craft. It helps us cover production costs while pioneering a new way to share theatre — we are the first company streaming live performances on Substack, bringing the excitement of Off-Off-Broadway straight into people’s homes. Every contribution directly supports artists, sustains grassroots theatre, and makes it possible for audiences everywhere to experience bold new stories in fresh and accessible ways.

Support Fair Pay for Actors
At Open Road Stage, we believe great theatre starts with great artists — and they deserve to be paid fairly for their work. Your donation helps us honor the time, talent, and commitment of our actors, ensuring they can continue bringing bold, original stories to life. Every contribution goes directly toward compensating performers and keeping grassroots theatre alive in New York City.

Our Audience
The audience for Open Road Stage is made up of adventurous, engaged, and curious people who crave something different from traditional theatre. They are drawn to the immediacy and intimacy of Off-Off-Broadway, where stories unfold up close and every performance feels personal. Many are seasoned theatre lovers who appreciate new voices, original one-acts, and the chance to discover emerging talent before it hits larger stages. They come to The Producers Club and other small NYC venues because they enjoy being part of the energy of the grassroots arts scene, where risk-taking and experimentation are celebrated.

At the same time, our work reaches a broader audience through Substack, where we are among the first companies to livestream original theatre directly to homes. This creates a new kind of community: younger, tech-savvy theatre fans who want access without the limitations of geography. They are people who might not normally get to New York but still want to feel the electricity of live performance — and our Substack livestream gives them a front-row experience wherever they are. These viewers value the originality and urgency of live theatre, but also the convenience of digital access, making them a pioneering part of our growing audience base.

Our community also includes local arts supporters in New York City who value grassroots creativity and want to help small companies thrive. Many are professionals who enjoy the cultural life of the city and actively support independent artists. They bring friends, spread the word, and return because each Open Road Stage event delivers a new lineup of stories that are sharp, relevant, and emotionally resonant.

Together, our audience is united by a respect for bold storytelling, a passion for original theatre, and the excitement of being part of something that feels new, authentic, and alive. They are not passive consumers — they want connection, conversation, and the thrill of saying, “I saw it first.”