I can relate to some of the experiences people have had with the older director. I've worked with both him and the younger guy. I enjoyed my experience with Zhain. He is incredibly communicative about what is expected before you arrive and is very thorough when he gives direction. He still operates under AEA rules, which is appreciated, and is very hospitable throughout the contract. The company manager doesn't manage the company; Zhain does. I brought my own car both times I worked here, helped give rides to the theater, and was reimbursed for my gas, which was nice. The holiday show is 9-10 shows a week, and while it is a packed schedule, I didn't find it too difficult to maintain my health and stamina throughout the run. You are also paid extra for any performance over 8, so I was making great money. My experience with the other director aligns with most of the other reviews. I won't go into it, but if you know, you know; if not, it's covered in previous reviews. The older director seems to fly by the seat of his pants, which can make the process really frustrating, with blocking changing all the time because he can't remember what he set or is just pulling it out of nowhere. Once you're open and through tech, he's mostly gone for the run, and that's when the experience can be enjoyed. The audiences here are very supportive and fun to perform for. The general management at the theater is very kind as well. Overall, I believe this theater is transitioning to younger management for the better. I've learned from both the positive and negative experiences at theaters where I've worked, as well as from various directors, both good and bad. I didn't allow the older director to taint my initial experience, but I understand how he could ruin someone's perception of this theater. I would return to work here again and would recommend it to other actors, with the few caveats mentioned above.

I wanted to come on here and first off acknowledge that everyone's experiences are 100% valid, especially with the guy who directs most of the shows at this theatre (Bod Tooth). Even if you're not in a show he's working on, he will make racist and misogynistic comments and inappropriate passes at the girls when you interact with him, (which is thankfully very little when you're not working on a show with him). By far the worse part of working here- and I imagine his shows are a one star experience. However, the other director this theatre utilizes frequently(who is also manages most of the administrative side of things), is, in my opinion, quite wonderful, and probably has the best artistic vision of any director I've worked with at a small regional theatre (i've worked at maybe eight so take this with a grain of salt). I would never recommend working on a show with Tooth, but the other director (name rhymes with Train), I would highly recommend. That be said, he is demanding. The rehearsal process is short (he is working on making this longer slowly) but currently shows go up in ten days, and he does expect a good product and will push for it pretty hard. That be said, he is very respectful of actors needs and outside circumstances, and once the show opens is incredibly supportive of the product. Generally they each cast their own shows as well, and the old racist tends to be much worse at casting in every facet, while the younger guy definitely casts with a good eye towards identities that need to represented, ages, talent, personality, etc. I'm gonna do some pros and cons, but this really only applies to shows directed by Train Troff, because I don't have the lived experience of working under Tooth directly. Pros: Housing is gorgeous, the nicest cast housing you'll probably ever live in. Everyone gets their own bedroom with a at least a full size bed, huge house with multiple living rooms, super easy to have people visit you on the contact and crash there, huge kitchen, backyard, there are local neighborhood cats that I personally adore (they are not allowed in the house for allergy reasons). the younger guy is really a great director with a great eye for the show, as someone who works at a fair number of small regional houses, this was quite refreshing. They used to be an equity house- and they are working back towards that, I believe, so at least during his shows, they operate under equity guidelines. (proper breaks, eight hour rehearsal days (before tech), reasonable call times, etc. Sold out crowds usually. Or at least very close. They hire enough tech that actors aren't doing the majority of set moving. Its a non equity house, so I still moved a couple small things on and off, but overall, was not tasked with doing a ton of scene changes. Cons: Even when working on shows with the younger guy, the older guy is around occasionally, will make inappropriate comments and passes at the girls. Absolutely awful- worst part of working here. Fortunately, only saw him maybe four times in the whole two months I worked here. They are a small theatre with a limited budget, set is very minimal, rehearsal period is very short. (costumes are pretty decent though, they have a huge warehouse) 8-9 show weeks with one day off, personally didn't mind it. The younger guy can be very demanding, again personally didn't mind it, but if you prefer a director who lets you do whatever you want with the character, you may not get that experience. I didn't get direct line readings, but definitely was pushed to bring his vision to the stage. Director is pretty good at helping you understand what he wants once you chat with him about it- but some of his notes hit hard. No cast car- they hire one actor as a company manager and he drives the cast to and from rehearsal/ grocery store, etc. They only hire six-eight out of state actors, and usually a few have cars, but it would be nice to have a cast vehicle. Overall, I had a great time working here, but I had a great deal of privilege that shielded me from the worst parts of this place. Additionally, the worst of this contract was the old guy, so I imagine if he had been the director of my show I would have had a much worse time.

Please for the love of everything do not work here. It's not worth the mental instability you will get after working with the incredibly unprofessional production team. The director is racist, sexist, homophobic, ageist, and a misogynist who, in his own words, is "old-school and passionate. You just can't be passionate these days" -Bodd Tooth. There was another cast member who harassed fellow castmates and crew members backstage and was not fired until the two lead women didn't show up for a performance despite those 2 women having many conversations with the choreographer/production manager about him. I was the female lead of a musical here and I was grabbed, pulled, and harassed by the 80-year-old director, I had all my lines line-read to me, I was given no opportunity to speak for my character, and when I asked him "why" for what he made me do on stage he would say "because I'm the director and what I say goes." When my white male counterparts would ask him "why" he would open the conversation or go back to what the script originally called for. The work environment was hostile, especially towards women and more specifically women of color. If you still decide you want to do a show here, please don't do a show with any sort of substance matter because the patrons of this dinner theatre in Jacksonville will laugh at you when you're crying alone on the stage.

The Alhambra Theatre and Dining is ultimately concerned about ticket sales over the quality of the show. The performers are clearly less than secondary when it comes to treatment, pay, and overall consideration. Director Rhymes with "Bod Tooth," and is a misogynist who touches actors inappropriately. If you are looking for a short answer... run. BOOKING THE GIG / CONTRACTS Most actors who joined the cast were called on the phone directly about their offer, and were rushed directly into negotiations on the phone with director "Bod Tooth." Third party groups like agents, managers, and other outside professionals were very unwelcome in any sort of negotiation. Signing of contracts was on the first day. Actors had to ask multiple times for "sample contracts" to be sent via email. The energy is very unsettling here. The contract is signed in the very first moments you walk through the door, in this cast's particular experience, in complete silence. No introductions, no speaking, and no get-to-know-you circle. As you work through contracts, W-2's and, photo-release forms, your director walks around the room getting WAY too comfortable with the actors... kissing foreheads & cheeks, and tracing his hands onto your behind (especially the female actors) all while breathing the remnants of his cigarette into your face. Without waiting for everyone to finish reading/signing contracts, the Choreographer begins getting into stage-layout and choreography. It all felt extremely rushed. When contracts had all been signed, the director needlessly reminds the acting company that each contract was signed to him, and insinuates that no one can leave the show after signing the contract. To set up his next shows, the director will often pull actors into 1-on-1 private meetings outside the rehearsal room to discuss future roles, all while putting his hands uncomfortably close to private areas. FIRST READING / REHEARSAL The director gives out line readings and interrupts on every page of the reading. Actors will look around, laughing uncomfortably while "Bod Tooth" continues to re-read the sections they just read... in character. As the line readings get worse and worse, it becomes clear that the director and team have not thoroughly read the script (I use "team" loosely - as many as FOUR production roles can be placed on one staff-member at one time). Characters names are pronounced incorrectly, scene orders are confused, and no one is writing scenic notes down except the actors (at this point in the process, it is still very unclear who the Stage Manager is, and if there will be one at all). Multiple times throughout rehearsal, the director will inappropriately refer to actors as a "bunch of jack*ssess" and "bums" when he wants to try a scene again, or come back from a break. Director will use any name but your own. Furthermore, throughout the reading, the source material will undergo massive cuts and rewrites without justification or dialogue. Characters will pick up lines that do not match their description, and important stage directions will be drastically altered or thrown out without purpose. As actors begin to speak up about line readings and out-of place scene cuts, the director yells "I'M THE DIRECTOR" to end the discussion. Staging becomes a living nightmare, as the almost 80-year-old director starts to physically push/pull actors into place on stage, not allowing for a single natural moment. Director continues letting his hands wander, often gravitating around the young-adult women in the cast. At this point comments about actor's bodies have become more common than a note. ROLES / CASTING Team struggles to cast according to an actor's playable age, and will not do the necessary research about a performer's history and background before casting. Roles will be condensed and often double-tracked. No swing tracks are present, and on-stage understudies will be assigned during tech/dress (be sure to ask for re-negotiation if you are assigned an understudy after signing). High school students are casted in ensemble tracks, but will be asked to multitrack as many as 3 parts last minute due to sickness and absences. THE 8-SHOW WEEK Show weeks run from Tuesday-Sunday, Saturday and Sunday both being doubles. Shows begin at 1:50pm and 7:50pm, call is 30 minutes before. Opening week is approximately 12 shows (including rehearsals). Director tells cast that there is an expectation not to get sick, and that if you do, you should power through. Understudies are assigned late in the process to pressure the cast to never miss a show. "You'll never need them to go on, just stay healthy." SAFETY Actors are choreographed to enter through the house many times during shows at The Alhambra, and often run into standing guests, waitstaff, and patrons. It certainly doesn't help that at top of show, people are SCATTERED about the aisles, waiting to use the restrooms and talking to friends at other tables. Kneepads are offered for kneeling choreography, however, and no large injuries were sustained during this cast's show. INTIMACY There is no intimacy choreographer at The Alhambra. Actors will be told to kiss, and the entire acting company will likely be in their seats watching. No counts were given to clarify timing, and no further discussion was had about those moments. Education is not a priority at this theatre. THE GOOD (rhymes with) "Zhain Ztroff" is one of the other Directors who puts on shows at The Alhambra, and he is much better than "Bod Tooth." Once an equity actor, "Zhain" is very knowledgeable regarding the needs of a cast, and his presence has surely helped make my time here bearable. I can't speak too much on how he directs, but I know he provided car rides to cast members, advocated for the new housing, and is genuinely concerned about the well being of the actors. He also deals with getting everyone's paycheck in on time, and communicating about move-in and move-out. The backstage crew and tech people are all so wonderful as well, and seem to be eager to change the direction this theatre is heading. I hope that they continue fighting that fight. Until they have made some serious ground, I would be very wary about accepting a contract with The Alhambra... especially with "Bod Tooth."

Once a pretty sought after theater to work at, you can definitely see the difference pre and post covid (aka before and after they were kicked out of the union). While i don't believe this place NEEDS to be union, pay should be higher, firstly. Living/housing conditions are pretty decent (especially if you negotiate properly), and the audiences are usually pretty enthusiastic. Sound can be atrocious...they just need a new system in there. Decent area (and Florida during the Winter is always a nice choice). Overall - Mediocre, and could be better if they wanted it to be. 2.5 Stars (edited)

I loved working here. The rehearsal process is QUICK, but the product is strong and they care. It is a family atmosphere and really speaks to their level of passion. Shain was a passionate director who approached everything with intention and taught me a lot. The cast I had was beautiful and fun and I couldn't be more grateful. On the logistical side of things, the housing is GORGEOUS. Clean, spacious, and with a neighborhood pool and basketball courts!! Only reason this is five stars is because the communication is not always great (were not informed of photo/recorded shows, did not get notes in a timely manner at times). Otherwise I highly recommend working here, especially a Shain-directed show.

Director - inappropriate. Insulted cast. (edited)

Working here was honestly awful... "Owner" rhymes with Bod Tooth. 1. Owner is a racist, misogyinst who used the n-word in telling a story 2. Owner directs most of the shows and physically touches the women in the shows, calling them any name but their own (sweetie, honey, etc). There have been many reports to no avail. 3. They don't care about their performers at all - "we only care about the audience" was told directly to this specific cast. 4. Servers constantly affecting the scenic elements 5. No consistent stage management so the shows are inconsistent night to night 6. Letters have been written to the owners to address Owner's racist remarks and misogynistic tendencies, and in response one of the top donors said that if Owner is gone, he would pull all of his funding. 7. Actors were harassed at housing, and the company didn't do anything to stop it, instead insisting the actors were out of line. Overall, awful place to work, awful schedule that they force you into with no breaks. Their staff is overworked, underappreciated, and admin is complicit in Owner's behaviors. They rush into tech (not ready) just to make more money, and claim that "the show really finds itself in the first two weeks of the run". Just an awful place with no other competition in Jacksonville because they're the only "professional" theater. Please work elsewhere. Truly.

Pay is decent and you can supplement by working serving shifts. Communication was good. Housing was fantastic. But the director, whose name rhymes with Bod Tooth is a MASSIVE PERVERT. If you're female you WILL be touched inappropriately on stage as part of his "directing process" and comments WILL be made about your body. Our entire cast tried to take this to the owners but it went nowhere and they are protecting him. Also, if you're a white guy he enjoys telling racist jokes in private using the n word. All around crappy person to work with.

There are some great parts about the Alhambra, and there are some awful parts about the Alhambra. -I played the lead role of a show in 2021 and only received 300/week. Criminal if you ask me, I only accepted it since it was a dream role. -The man who usually directs everything is very out of touch, handsy, oversteps production team boundaries, and can be quite offensive. He sometimes has good ideas, but most of the time he's making it up on the spot and won't change an idea. It's time for him to retire. -The rehearsal and performance schedules don't make any sense. Learn ALL vocals and have a readthrough the first day, block Act I in two days, block Act II in two days, MAYBE a runthrough day, designer run day, ONE day off, tech, tech tech, double preview, opening, double Saturday, double Sunday. -Dressing rooms are small and can get a little stinky. -This is a dinner theater, but they do not let you have any food that may not have been served that day (at least for the four shows I've worked). Not even on double days. Not even a discounted meal. Now for some great parts -The housing used to be awful, but now they have a huge house that is very nice. No one has to share a room, great kitchen and up to date appliances. -They have a thrust stage that is very interesting and fulfilling to perform on, it opens up the possibility for unique scenes and choreography. -The local actors are some amazing people, some great friends have been made. -The executive director is VERY smart and has wonderful ideas. He's the yin to the old director's yang. He should be running every show, not the other guy. -Wardrobe is taken care of very professionally. -Once you're in at this theater, you're IN. They'll keep you for a good amount of time, and if they need someone later down the line they'll give you a call. All and all, there's a LOT of garbage you have to put up with to work there. I say go for it if work is slow at the moment, or they're doing a favorite or a dream show of yours.

My experience with the Alabama Supper Club… I mean Alhambra spans between 2020-2022. There were many cases where the safety of the cast was not a concern. They were the first show in the country to reopen during the pandemic (June 2020) and we wore masks for like the first day? Interesting… heard of some people definitely getting COVID during one of the shows in 2020 and they were told not to test so they won’t get pulled from the show…. Sus. overall the quality of shows has gone downhill since they use the same director for everything (don’t get me started on him… handsy and crass and nobody will do anything about it). And on top of it they still stick to an outdated 10 day rehearsal process that doesn’t give the shows time to marinate til the second week of performances. I always urge my friends and family to come two or three weeks in so we can get through our “dress rehearsal first week of performances”…. The pay is not good. My first show there I was offered $200/week for some EMC points.. and then I got bumped to $300/week and stayed there for a long period of time. I’ve heard they are slightly moving up the scale but not by much. I haven’t auditioned here in a hot minute but their seasons look stacked with well known shows that are bound to be extremely technical and difficult (which might be poorly executed).