Overall, The Fireside has been a very nice place to work for me, personally. While i definitely agree that Ed gives far more of his attention to the women vs the men and is far from my favorite person (or director), I've never seen him personally step over any lines. Rehearsals can be a chore if you're called the whole day (and yes, Ed has fallen asleep many a times in rehearsal lol), but he tends to hire some really great people/performers, and everything performed there that i've seen has been quite good. Housing is hit or miss, depending on your situation, but improving, from what i've heard. Town can be boring but if you're with a good group, you'll make the most of it. 4 stars for show quality, general casting, and some really awesome crew members. (edited)

No brown face! (edited)

Attempting to cast non Latino actors in their upcoming production of West Side Story! (edited)

Housing and boss unacceptable.

Honestly, I don't know how management (the one person) is still the same after #metoo . . .

I really liked it here but I’m sad to hear that women feel they were violated. AEA should do an investigation.

Housing is horrible. Some of the worst housing I've ever had. No laundry, the van will take you to the laundromat but it costs 6$ a load. No cast car and you're in the middle of nowhere. The director falls asleep in rehearsals. not to quote the people below but Ed is a fear monger who preys on young women. We had five separate incidents where a cast member harassed other cast members and the theatre did nothing about it after being told. On top of this there is no daily call, no electronic coordination. Everything is done through a physical call board in the theatre. They changed the van pickup times without telling us and left cast members at the house/theatre on more than one occasion. You also do not get paid if you call out with an injury or are sick. For the most part they hire good people and it is a good experience. But with taxes taking out almost 200$ from your paycheck, you're basically working at a non equity theatre with less perks and amenities.

Echoing all of the reviews listed below about the rehearsal process, the Fireside’s union guidelines/future, and Ed. As a Midwest-based actor with a car this is a really sweet gig, especially with the Thursday-Sunday show schedule. I’d recommend working here.

I've worked here a few times over the past few years. Quick "yes and" to the things already mentioned: - Rehearsals are interesting. The first week is JUST blocking, no "acting." All actors are called every day unless otherwise you ask or are told directly not to come. - If you can have a car with you, bring it as they do not have a company car (there is a van to do pick ups and errands but it's on the theatre's time and never on personal time). The town is dull, but Madison and Milwaukee are close. Chicago is also not far all things considered. - The pay is decent, and the gap between union and nonunion is small. The Fireside actually does not follow COVID safety guidelines anymore. AEA does not have any rules anymore, so they make up their own rules, ignoring the CDC, and they will dock you your paycheck saying you were "sick" even if they keep you out of the show for weeks until you test positive. Fireside is five seconds away from going nonunion at any moment, and that is kind of terrifying as everyone is overworked and underpaid on staff... so the less rules they have to follow, the scarier this place will be. Ed needs to retire, but at the same time, when he leaves, the theatre will most likely go strictly nonunion. I hope I'm proven wrong, but the owner is very anti-union which is never good, regardless of your personal views on AEA specifically (labor unions are good, union busting is bad). There are a lot of hoops Ed makes you think you have to jump through. Reminder that you do not have to, and while working here is a nice paycheck, your worth is WAY more than a contract here. A lot of people do 3 or 4 and get so burnt out from this place. While others come back every other show! Perspective is key. Feel it out for yourself, but come knowing you need to advocate for yourself whether you're AEA or not. (edited)

I have worked at the Fireside several times (they are loyal and love to rehire great company members and nice people). They are a well-oiled machine and adhere to all Equity and Covid safety guidelines. The Artistic Director Ed Flesch directs and casts all of their productions and has for many decades so you will not be reinventing the wheel if you are cast in a classic musical they've done many times. Pay is decent, housing is below the standard of most regional theatres (but nothing scary) and their discount/comp ticket policy is very generous for cast members. As another reviewer mentioned, music rehearsals are more of a casual sing-thru than anything artistic, so it's best to learn your music before you arrive and make great choices on your own. Ed hires great choreographers so be prepared to dance for real! And while most shows do not have much of a set, they make up for it with fabulous costumes! The town of Fort Atkinson is small and quaint, but welcoming. And Milwaukee and Madison are both within an hour drive - as are beautiful hiking trails, camping, and lakes. So if you have a car or can borrow one, try to do that! Otherwise, there are no company cars. Just a big shared van that takes you to the theatre everyday (1 mile from housing) and to the grocery store/laundromat once a week. Hard for people who value freedom or get impatient waiting for that last cast member to come out of the stage door before everyone can go home. Another pro is the schedule! Rehearsal schedule is the typical 6 days a week, 8 hours a day. But currently, shows only run Thursday-Sunday. So if you need to be back in NY for an audition or family obligation, you have three days a week to make that happen. I'm so sorry to hear another reviewer's experience working with Ed. No doubt about it, he's of that older generation who believes that the show must go on and that a musical can only be done a certain way (the original way!) and he has a lot of decision-making power. His style of directing is slow and steady, which isn't everyone's cup of tea. But he has a real gift for hiring talented and kind performers. And I have always felt proud of the product we put on stage. Since the Fireside is a massive family-run theatre and restaurant and shopping complex, they have hundreds of employees and built-in systems for reporting safety and harassment concerns for everyone, not just the actors. So if you have a similar experience to the other reviewer and are being mistreated or made to feel uncomfortable, please know there are people to talk to outside of the artistic team. (edited)

The shows are decent... the housing sucks, and oh yeah Ed is a fear monger who preys on young women. He is disrespectful and vain... if Ed was not part of the equation this would be 4 stars. Ed has had many accusations in the past but nothing comes of it.

A very positive experience, you will have minimal music rehearsals so anything you can do to prepare for that ahead of time is good. There are no company cars they drive you everywhere in vans.

I had the BEST time at the Fireside. Lots of fun and lots of cheap beer (if you’re into that)