On the Boards TV

On the Boards TV is an exciting new streaming video collection that we’re pleased to make available to ACC students, faculty, and staff. What makes On the Boards TV different from our educational video platforms like Films on Demand is its exclusive focus on theater, dance, and music. This isn’t an ordinary collection of dry educational documentaries about playwrights and musicians, but a high-quality collection of beautifully photographed performance films.

On the Boards TV specializes in capturing a live performance so painstakingly that you would swear that you were present in the audience. How do they do it? Every play, dance, or performance piece is shot with as many as five HD cameras from vantage points throughout the performance space. The performers often serve as consultants during the editing process to help assemble videos that capture all of the nuances and highlights of the live performance.

What types of performance films will you find here? Right now, On the Boards includes about 40 classical, contemporary, and experimental plays, dance performances, and installation pieces by small cutting edge groups from around the world. The videos were captured during live performances in Portland’s On the Boards theater, as well as in other performance spaces in New York and Austin, TX. The collection keeps growing. On the Boards will continue to add new films throughout the year. 

The best way to sample On the Boards TV is to stop by and browse films by categories such as dance, theater, and music. (You can find On the Boards TV or any of our online resources by visiting Databases A-Z.) You’ll find eclectic, cutting edge performances such as Beth Gill’s colorful dance piece Electric Midwife, which is typically performed for an audience of about 14 people. Now you can be a part of that audience, and you can watch whenever and wherever you like, even on your mobile device. If you’re off campus, just be prepared to sign in with your ACC eID and password. Then get ready to take a front seat.