The Vision Behind Stage One

Peggy & Holly Hollingsworth

Peggy Hollingsworth, a career elementary school teacher who specialized in Special Education, retired., She then realized that a segment of the population needed help and using the newly evolved medium of Video, reached out to teach English to the ESL population. She believed language should be taught through engaging stories, music, repetition, and real-life communication—not memorization alone. That vision became Stage One, an innovative English learning program trusted by schools and educators and used by thousands of students around the world. Working alongside a talented team of educators and television professionals, Peggy helped create a program that made learning English both effective and enjoyable. Today, we continue her mission by preserving the original educational philosophy while digitally restoring the classic videos and expanding the curriculum for a new generation of learners. "The heart of Stage One has always been helping students gain the confidence to communicate."

The Stage One Legacy

More Than a Language Program

What began as one teacher's vision grew into a collaborative effort involving experienced educators, creative professionals, and television production specialists—all working toward one goal: making English easier and more enjoyable to learn. From the very beginning, Stage One combined educational expertise with professional-quality video production to create an immersive learning experience that stood apart from traditional language instruction. Through engaging stories, memorable songs, practical conversations, and visual learning, students built confidence while enjoying the learning process. Today, those original materials are being carefully preserved, digitally enhanced, and expanded with new curriculum resources so a new generation of learners can benefit from the same educational philosophy that made Stage One successful.

The People Behind Stage One

A Collaboration of Educators, Artists, and Television Professionals

Stage One was never the work of one person alone. While founded by Peggy Hollingsworth, the program was brought to life by a remarkable team of educators, filmmakers, musicians, artists, actors, and production specialists who shared a common goal: creating an engaging and effective way to learn English.

Produced at the Yale Video Production Studio in Anaheim, California, Stage One combined classroom experience with professional television production—an approach that was uncommon for educational programs of its time.

The original production team included:

  • Peggy Hollingsworth — Executive Producer, Associate Director, Creator & Writer
  • Thel Rountree — Producer / Director
  • Wendy Dart — Associate Producer
  • Nila Osline — Adaptation for Video
  • Ed Wilson — Director of Photography & Video Recording
  • Joe D'Allura, Andy Prewett, George Prince — Camera Operators
  • Paul Wright — Video Technical Director
  • Richard Flauding — Original Music Composer & Arranger
  • John Fischer — Music Recording
  • Mike Pearce — Video Recording
  • Cathy Perata — Production Assistant
  • Drinda Frenzel — Vocal Performance
  • Julia Johnson — Vocal Performance
  • Robert Nash — Voice-Over Narration


Supporting them was a talented cast of actors, classroom educators, musicians, artists, graphic designers, and community organizations whose contributions helped transform Stage One into a complete educational experience enjoyed by learners for decades.

Today, we proudly continue their work by preserving the original program while bringing it to a new generation through digital restoration and modern online learning.

Continue the Journey

Nearly forty years after its creation, Stage One is beginning a new chapter. Join us as we continue Peggy Hollingsworth's vision of helping learners build confidence through English.

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