The new owners are the sweetest dumb people I've ever met. It's clear they care about the place but also that they know nothing about theatre or running this business. As such, they leave all theatrical decisions to CB who is grossly underqualified and knows it (as does everyone who works there). Not only are his artistic capabilities sub par - resulting in him asking cast members to fill in his blanks, he's also extremely passive aggressive, immaturely petty and preoccupied with defending himself ALL OF THE TIME. Even if they're nice, what kind of "good people" let a grown man behave that way towards others in their business? This is towards cast members and other staff alike. He also apparently continues to put casts in the awkward position of defending his poor sexual behavioral choices around children during runs of shows - yes apparently the owners were there to defend it too and support the reason for the cast meeting - Crazy. It seems they are more concerned with their relationship with him than: the good of their business, the good of the cast, the good of the quality of shows they put on, their standards as owners, liability and basically anything else. Beiser is the worst thing that could happen to that theatre and the reason that even "good" productions there are C+ at best - even though they charge $70 a ticket. High School theatre productions do better choreography than this "professional" theatre does & there's so many missteps in the direction that you wonder if he read the script or knows much about staging or script analysis or... theatre outside of what's on YouTube or LCDT archival videos. The owners are such sweet people but they never stand up to him and would never. The backstage culture is toxic which is enabled and furthered by the folks in charge (Director, AD, MD, owners, Stage management). When rogue personalities come about or tensions rise between cast and those in charge, they become aware of problems and do nothing but hide their head in the sand and wait until the contract ends so they can just replace people. Unfortunately, that does nothing for the people that are stuck in the situation for 2.5 months, the bad experiences, bad habits and reputation continues and it seems like every production out of there has so much DRAMA. Some regulars are apparent DIVAS - enabled by staff and any actor from out of town that has a terrible time does not matter because they'll be "gone in two months" and will be replaced and blamed. - You can't be an effective business owner AND be afraid of conflict, confrontation or addressing issues or ignoring problems and bad behavior. - You can't be an effective business owner AND bend over to anything and everything one employee (CB) wants KNOWING the problems he is single handedly causing. - You can't be an effective business owner AND be a friend when you need to be the boss. - You can't be an effective business owner AND make decisions that are good for a few but not for the company as an entity. - You can't be an effective business owner responsible for creating a healthy environment AND allow things to happen because "it'll be over soon." - You can't be an effective business owner and can't shake an abysmal reputation by listening to every single person give feedback on the VERY SAME person/role/problem and continue to empower it... or pretend it's just one "angry actor" or that every single person, we're talking large amounts of people, saying the SAME THING... are wrong. - You can't be an effective business owner AND blame all the problems on previous owners when you've continued the cycle. Spoiler alert - the last ownership was far from the only problem. - You can't be an effective business owner and expect everyone to be "nice" and "easy to work with" when the environment you create and the things employees are asked to do, suck. That's just gaslighting. - You can't be "good people" AND allow bad things to happen. Sorry new owners, you get an A for intention and a big F for performance. This theatre continues as a poor work place and a toxic environment with a sub par product and always will be until you step up and do something proactive for everyone involved. The newest contracts have not improved and unfortunately even though you're sweet people, that dirt is on YOUR hands now. (edited)

I was coming on Gigintel to post a review for another theatre I worked at, and I couldn’t help but notice that La Comedia was trending! Don’t get me wrong, when I worked here, I completely expected your usual summer stock BS. I wasn’t expecting a fancy equity experience. But one thing I do expect is basic human decency, and that was NOT provided at this theatre. I have been made aware that the theatre has new owners, in which I have heard are great people. But it also confuses me as to why they’ve made so many poor decisions thus far during their takeover. A person on the production team, let’s just say he makes most of the creative decisions, is one of the most unprofessional people I’ve ever worked with. He has a sour attitude, thinks he’s serving Broadway flare, but all his choreography consists of are circle patterns and jazz squares, all of which stem from his show choir background. He also is very rude and condescending towards actors, often expecting them to read his mind. For example, he expects people to be off book before even blocking a scene (something that wasn’t even made aware prior to rehearsal). Honey. You’re paying me 300 a week. I’m at least going to know what my blocking is before I memorize. Industry standard is to memorize right after blocking. He also would be very weird with certain male actors he would find “attractive.” There are so many red flags with this guy. But industry standards are null and void here. He has no acting or singing experience besides just performing at local theatres, and the new owners are REALLY missing out by not bringing in fresh blood to make their shows better. They certainly have the money. They make nearly a million off of their Christmas show alone! Another member of the production team is just there collecting a paycheck. She loves to flaunt her power and be petty. She was constantly just playing games during rehearsal, not knowing what was going on even though she was supposed to be in book for us. Professionalism? What’s that? The main vibe at this theatre was resentment and vindictiveness. Out of towners were upset with the unprofessionalism. Locals were upset because the out of towners speak up about their theatre, which they don’t like. And the production team feeds into the locals and tries to turn them against the out of towners. It’s very petty to watch, and toxic beyond belief. And it’s really sad to see some of the locals defend this place. I really loved working with some of them, and it’s hard watching Stockholm Syndrome play out right in front of me. It’s the only professional theatre for miles, so they are kind of stuck with it. But change comes with raising up your voice, not defending the norm. Especially when the norm is not professional whatsoever. La Comedia never learns from their mistakes it seems. It makes sense, it’s just a random stock theatre in Ohio. And they’ll always have desperate actors who are willing to take any contract, so they can pay them pennies and make a fortune. All I have to say is: 70 dollars a ticket for mostly mediocre grade performances, elementary level choreo, and tinny musical tracks? Sounds like a scam to me. Don’t fall for it actors! There’s a reason so many people have come forward about this place. Don’t waste your time, and don’t put yourself through hell. It’s not worth it. (edited)

-OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2024- To make a long story short: DO NOT WORK HERE. This theatre promotes an unsafe work environment that is being run by toxic “leadership." If the list of injuries doesn’t scare you away, perhaps the artistic director's sexual misconduct around first graders will. Why does he still have this job where he regularly works with children (our show has 2 kids ages ten and eleven). ?!?! REVIEW: Wow. I am writing this as I’m in tech week in Holiday Inn here as a chorus girl and it has been a SHIT SHOW. I assumed things would be good because a few of my friends had a great experience working here this past year. BOY WAS I MISLEAD. The new owners (D and S) didn’t fix ANYTHING when it comes to the actual production. Food, venue, sets, costumes, lights, and housing are decent. The Artistic Director/Director/Choreographer and Production Manager should be fired. Not to name names, because of this website’s guidelines, but we’ll call the artistic director / director / choreographer CB. Yes, one man does all of that. CB is one of the most unprofessional, unpredictable, narcissistic people I have ever worked with in all my professional career. He does not actually direct, he just loosely tells people where to go. He choreographed the same 5 show choir dance moves to “bah dah” never giving us counts and barely giving us words. He also love to choreograph to the word “c h * n k” which is a slur the last time I checked….CB and his “production manager” also constantly change the tempo of songs, without telling us, even though they are tracks. He will berate and scream at the cast for not reading his mind during rehearsal when he is never clear of his intentions and NEVER takes authority. I am not joking, he literally stopped rehearsal to tell us how horrible we all are. We would ask him repeatedly to give us counts for dancing, because he kept getting mad at us for being confused, just for him to refuse and yell at us more. We have multiple choreographers in the ensemble and they were confused by his teachings. He would also say things like, “the audience is going to be like ‘those poor people have to do all that. Who made them do all that?’ and laugh or ‘I’m glad I don’t have to do this 8 times a week’ and just laugh more. It was really frustrating. No one respects him because he treats everyone with disrespect then he will whisper his complaints to whomever is nearby- incredibly unprofessional. He’ll try to buddy up with you and then talk ____ about you to anyone next to him. If you have something to say, CB, say it to my face. Some of us cast members discovered the article saying when CB was a teacher - he had been looking at p * r n during class when he was teaching first graders. He resigned and so conveniently was hired as artistic director at La Comedia Dinner Theatre right afterwards: fox19.com/story/6608796/teacher-resigns-after-laptop-is-confiscated/ I am a grown adult and he has spoken to me with such disrespect; I just about walked out of the theatre on multiple occasions. However, if you leave you apparently owe them $500. CASTING: This theatre has so much potential. These new owners desperately need to fire CB because he doesn’t have any artistic vision, he is incredibly disrespectful to the performers, zero organization, and he can’t even cast correctly. These performers are all very kind and talented but he cast a baritone for the high tenor role and someone who isn’t that comfortable with tap dancing as the Fred Astaire part (a professional tap dancer). He also cast multiple people in dance roles who didn’t even submit with dance reels. Like- what are you thinking??? People will pick up tap dance? It’s a taught skill. And then expect everyone to be in every single number all dancing the same choreography. They didn’t even do that on Broadway. Two people requested to be removed from the tap dancing alone, because they have zero training and might injure themselves, and he has been shady to those specific people ever since. And there are plenty of people who still can’t perform these dances because it’s show choir and not real musical theatre dance. STAGE MANAGER/REHEARSALS: You don’t work with your actual stage manager until tech week. Instead it’s this other woman (the production manager) who basically has no idea what’s going on. She’s a great prop master but there’s no communication between director and production manager. CB would even say bad things about the production manager and make fun of her. I thought they were a team??? We had the theatre’s owner’s daughter come in to choreograph the tap and she also wasn’t even being told changes that were happening. A total mess. They also never start rehearsal on time, the director has literally shown up late on multiple occasions, but the actors will get yelled at/fined if they’re late. We didn’t receive our scripts until the first rehearsal and were told the majority of us were understudying leads with no extra compensation for learning the role, just $50 extra if you go on. Sounded kinda okay until they informed us understudies receive no rehearsal and can be asked to perform their understudy track as little as 10 minutes before the show starts. WHAT. When I got my original offer, I requested to understudy either of these two characters then was assigned a character I wasn’t interested in. And I was told that it’s supposed to be my “honor” to go on for such a role. I’ve played many leads- I’m good thank you. PAY: Out of Town actors get paid between $400-$600 for anyone. We have ensemble members who are making more than leads so feel free to negotiate. Also, one guy asked for more money for their understudy track for the previous show Saturday Night Fever and was given the weekly pay bump. When an actor in the Holiday Inn cast tried to get a pay increase for understudying, they were denied and yelled at for discussing salary with others. I heard locals can make anywhere from $100-$300, maybe more? You also don’t get your first paycheck until opening night after almost 3 weeks rehearsal/tech. Clearly they do this because they mistreat people and people want to leave but this makes people stay, like me, because I have bills to pay. LOCATION/HOUSING: Location is near a bunch of businesses, which is really nice. It's actually a great area and you get free access to the YMCA. Everyone received their own room for housing. Housing is pretty dirty and musty. Laundry is free. Bathrooms are communal though and are VERY disgusting. I don’t think the showers were cleaned once. You get free meals during shows but you have to dress in formal attire to retrieve food. SETS: These sets are TOO extravagant for the small cast we have. I think the man who builds the sets also builds houses because these things are HUGE and HEAVY. Some are rigged to the fly system and get pushed on. The main house is on a hydraulic system that moves forward and back. We have a full piano on a platform and a set piece that has a full refrigerator on it. Our leading lady literally finishes singing her solo, exits, then has to reenter to strike her own set because we don’t have enough people. Yes, the set looks good but we are struggling to do any set changes because we all have to change costumes for EVERY scene and people have already gotten hurt from the set. We haven’t even ran the whole show as I write this even though we perform for two audiences TOMORROW. TECH: Tech was Tuesday-Thursday. 10am-10pm. One break from 3pm-5pm. However, they can keep you until midnight if they desire. One guy told me, for his show, they stayed until 3am the night before opening (which is a matinee and night show). I wasn't going to let that happen and thankfully the stage manager wasn't either. Vocal captain and dance captain weren’t assigned until tech week after someone vocalized that we had no one to turn to since CB doesn’t help anyone (we would ask him for help and he would literally shrug his shoulders and say he didn’t know…his own choreography…). ———— UPDATE FINAL DRESS: After a night of dropped cues, lines, people not being able to quick change do a costume change AND be ready to dance on stage, a set piece got crushed by the hydraulic giant set and we had to hold. Cast members got upset. We got yelled at by the stage manager which led to an actual discussion. This stage manager, who has only been stage managing for us for THREE DAYS, was the ONLY voice of reason from the creative team. Thanks to her, we are getting 2 more crew members (we currently only have 2 that are being over worked with the rest of us) and we are currently reworking transitions after we had collisions and some injuries (we have to stay at the theatre until midnight. We’ve been here since 10am). However, these new crew members will be trained at a later date so right now it’s the production manager and the owner/man who built the sets. At the end of being yelled at, people crying, more shouting, the owners gave us brownies and cupcakes. Lol. ___________ UPDATE OPENING DAY: We had a matinee (11:45am call time) and night show (6:45pm call time) scheduled. First show- this was the first time we ran the show without stops BUT still with injury. One of our dancers badly twisted their ankle while dancing. Our stage manager decided to add vamps to songs adding the exact same entrance music just looped and didn’t play or send us any of these changes. There was a paper posted on the bulletin board saying which songs, but the cast was never told that paper was on the board. It was so embarrassing. We entered to sing a song, then it started looping, everyone had to stop and just stare at the audience until we heard the music continue. TOTALLY TRAIN WRECK. The show was BAD. Second show- one of the lead actresses wasn’t feeling good before the show started. We thought she could push through but as the show started she was puking backstage and then collapsed/fainted after 20 minutes into the show and paramedics were called. We believe it was a mixture of food poisoning from the theatre’s buffet, dehydration, and lack of rest (since we were at the theatre until midnight the day before for tech rehearsal.) The person who was her understudy had actually requested to be dropped from the understudy track earlier, because there has been zero time to learn anything except your own track (and the owner of the theatre told this person they no longer had to understudy if they didn’t want to), but they went on with a script in hand for the rest of the weekend (4 more performances). We had to hold the show for 40 minutes for the paramedics and the owners grabbing waiters to help out backstage before we could pick up from where we left off. I think we were at the theatre for 4+ hours for that night’s performance. Further proof this theatre abuses its actors, doesn’t care about hazards, and couldn’t care less about actor health. The actress had actually asked to keep barf buckets backstage before the show started and was denied. HUH?! Breach of contract: The contract states you will receive your first check for rehearsals on opening day. Cast members waited 15-20 minutes after the show ended then left to go to bed before the stage manager was reminded by an ensemble member to give out checks so only the people who waited 20+ minutes after the show received their paychecks. The contract never states that it’s our responsibility to ask to receive our payment. The cast members who left before receiving any paycheck were literally “goodbyed” by the production manager and not told to stay for payment too. This is a breach of the contract. FINAL STATEMENT: If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read this. I ask that you do not support and/or work for La Comedia Dinner Theatre and that you encourage your friends to not work here either. Unless the owners clean house of this "creative team"- I don’t see a world where you could have a successful and safe production here. I hope the cast of Holiday Inn will power through. They all deserve SOOOO much better. Injuries and notes: -A guy cut his hand on an exposed nail on a moving set piece. -We have breaks that don’t work. -guy got his arm smashed in the barn door -I got hit by the piano -a woman had to wear buckets on her feet for a dance number and the buckets cut her legs A LOT -after our first performance a dancer has already twisted their ankle and said it feels like shooting pain whenever they had to dance but continues to dance probably because we don’t get paid if we miss a show. -a lead performer fainted during the second show on opening day. We had to stop the show while paramedics took them away. The understudy from the dance ensemble, who had zero time or rehearsals to learn the role, went on with a script for that performance and three more that weekend. -ensemble dancer broke his toe but has proceeded to dance in it because there are no covers.

#ISurvivedLaChlamydia https://www.reddit.com/r/TheatreShitTalk/s/hEyreysxmn First off I found out some spicy tea. https://web.archive.org/web/20190318094748/http://auditionupdate.com/index.php?s=4&v=377 I found the old backstage GIG & Tell Forum where La Comedia has an astounding 49 reviews averaging 2 stars. Shame on backstage for taking the forum down. I truly wish I had seen these reviews before I took the job here. Don’t take anyone’s word for it here. Take a look at reviews dating back over a decade and see for yourself that this theater has completely destroyed any reputation and credibility they may have had. They offered multiple people who identify as white roles as sharks in West Side. The housing is the only thing that is passable at this establishment. The production team is without a doubt the worst I have ever worked with. I would absolutely conclude this is the worst theater I have worked at. The director is a former first grade teacher who was forced to resign after he was caught watching adult videos in his first grade classroom. People with arrest records shouldn’t be working with children. He was allowed to work with children unsupervised and without a child wrangler or chaperone. He frequently would yell at the children and treat them extremely unprofessionally. (A simple google search will show you his arrest record and mugshot.) The PSM is the most unprofessional I have ever worked with. She was supposed to be on book for us during the tech and final stumble through process. Instead she was playing games on her phone the entire final week of rehearsal. She is the legitimate definition of incompetence. She also applied for jobs at every single other theater company in the region and couldn’t book another gig. There is no child wrangler or supervision for children while they are on premises. They are dropped off and left to their own devices while the actors are forced to step up and become babysitters for $200-350 a week. In the entire 2 and a half months I worked there they didn’t wash our costumes other than the undershirts. They don’t clean anything you wear and you are forced to go out every day and night in stinky unwashed clothing. They fined our lead actor for breaking character when he told an audience member who was having a phone call on speaker phone to be quiet after none of the servers did anything. Why? Because the theatre is too cheap to pay them to be on the clock during the show so the servers all leave the building for the duration of the performance and are no where to be found when the audience members they got absolutely plastered are misbehaving. It’s not the fault of the server but the fault of ownership. You can expect to be given unsigned notes 5 minutes before places. You should not expect any actual understudy/swing rehearsals. They basically just expect covers to have the role down without actually ever getting a chance to get a rehearsal in the track. Even if you are an out of town actor you will be expected to provide aspects of your own costumes such as shoes and other accessories. You will also be expected to have your own mic tape… This is the cheapest theater I have worked for. They asked a technical employee who is quitting at the new year to stay because they “can’t find anyone else.” They didn’t even offer this employee a raise. It’s really no wonder they can’t find people willing to work here. The buffet is served on the stage and they don’t clean it up before the show. You are likely to slip on butter that has fallen on the floor. Locals also get significantly less pay than NYC/Chicago actors which creates an extremely toxic environment/workplace where the locals are resentful of out of town actors for coming in and taking lead roles and making more money. Not a single industry standard is followed here. Call time is generally over an hour. It takes them 30 seconds to shut mics off after you leave the stage. You will never receive a break during the rehearsal or tech process. The theater was recently sold to new owners who refuse to do anything to change the toxic environment. They promoted the disgusting director and refuse to fire their incompetent music director. Sad that this place has been allowed to prey on actors for decades. Don’t work here, ever. (edited)

#ISurvivedLaComedia #ISurvivedLaChlamydia Stop with the lies. Stop with the nonsense. We all know that the positive reviews are certain individuals! Do you guys really think we are dumb enough to believe these cornball reviews that are so obvious? The people who have worked here over the decades know the truth. The people who have worked here recently know the new ownership isn’t making things better and is just digging into the trenches with a creative team and production staff that is incompetent at best, and on their phones playing games during rehearsals and shows at their worst. If you live in the city just don’t bother. If you live in the city ask around about this place the next time you are at an audition. If you are an out of town actor they will only give you 300 in travel reimbursement and won’t pick you up from the airport. This should tel you everything you need to know about them and how they value the talent they’ve outsourced. If you want to live behind a McDonald’s in a sketchy unlit parking lot with zero cameras or security off a major highway for 2 months take a job here. If this doesn’t sound like something you’d want to do believe me, you aren’t alone. As they say in West Side Story “you’re an American tragedy!” (edited)

Anyone else think it’s a little suspicious that within a 6 hour window a flood of pro La Comedia comments came flooding in today? The vast majority of comments on this thread are days and weeks apart and yet out of nowhere there is a flood of Pro La Comedia content? I’m sorry, but I’m calling bs. I think some people with skibidi Ohio rizz had a little too much time on their hands in the office today. https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Lacomedia-Dinner-Theatre/reviews Btw folks if you don’t believe us here on GigIntel, take a look at their terrible reviews on indeed. “At my time at La Comedia I was overworked and management did not whatsoever tell me a schedule so I never knew what days to come in and how long to stay. Nobody ever told me what was going on. I was asked to do outrageous tasks and underpaid for the stuff I was doing. It is an awful place to work at and management is terrible.” ~ Costume Asst. 2022 It’s not just the actors that have a major issue with this place. It’s the production staff as well that isn’t part of the decades long cult of La Chlamydia. Some stats for those who aren’t familiar with this “job”. It’s $300 for 7 shows a week with 3 two show days. For rehearsals it’s $150 per week. For rehearsals it’s about $3.30/hour. For performances it’s about $9/hour give or take depending on how long the buffet runs over. They force you to be there for call time an hour before and so you end up having 8 hour shifts because of delays. Ohio minimum wage is $10.45/ hour. Working here is essentially an act of charity. You are subsidizing this “professional” business. This isn’t a job. It’s a scam. Don’t leave NYC or Chicago or LA or wherever you are from to subsidize a wannabe professional theatre with a gross director and completely incompetent production/creative team. (edited)

It's NOT the best but it's also not as bad as things are being made out to be. I think there's alot of feels up in these reviews but that's kind of what these sites have become is just to air grievances. I thought it was fine for the 8 weeks you're there point blank. I took it for the role - no regrets.

I have had several good experiences at this theatre now. I have found that when you show up and act professionally, know your stuff and are kind, you are treated as such. It's a great place to work and all the production staff is helpful, hands on, and invested in their jobs and their talent. Director and PSM have kept in contact with me and even ask about my family. They are so kind and I would definitely work there again. The director was hilarious and got very close with one particular cast I was in. We all felt very loved and supported by him, he even brought us gifts over the course of rehearsal and runs. But every time I've worked with him, I have had pleasant experiences and learned a lot from his directing. The PSM is super kind and works so hard! She was a joy to work with and brought laughter especially in moments when tech rehearsal would start to get stressful. I've also watched her do things outside of her job description on a whim because the job needed to be done. She was a jack of all trades. The costumer was so helpful to clean things and alter things whenever I asked. She always had things done quickly. The MDs I have worked with have all taught me so many nuggets of wisdom that I carry with me to all other jobs now. They've also been wonderful connections for new opportunities around the country. The contracts are long but they are so worth it. The regulars that come in to see the shows are so sweet and the memories and friendships made there have been lifelong for me. Overall, I would work there again. Next season looks great.

#ISurvivedLaComedia They are blacklisted by multiple top BFA programs. CCM, BW and Wright State all have this theater (scam) on their DNW. This is the worst Theatre contract I have ever had. $300/week for performances, $150/week for rehearsals. Tbh I can’t believe I was dumb enough to take such a low ball. If you have an agent they will bypass contacting them and contact you directly which is a no-no. The director I found out is apparently a predator. The PSM doesn’t know how to do her job. The Ownership is inept and naive. Don’t put yourself through this worse than community theater experience. At least community theatre is fun. This was the most miserable 2 months of my life. (edited)

This past year, I received a call from this company offering me a lead role in a production. It was a quick conversation where she gave me some information, and I told her I would let her know in the next couple days as I had some things to think about and figure out with my schedule. Two days later, she emailed me asking if I had decided yet and said she needed an answer by the next day. I replied asking some questions. She did not reply. The next day, I still had not heard back, so I emailed her again asking if she received my questions. She emailed me an hour later with answers to these questions. Very quickly after, I told her that this would work for me. (My thought process was I wanted to see a contract to be able to review all of that before making a final decision about signing LOL) She then sent the contract, actor rules doc, housing contract, costume measurement form, etc. I had told her already that I had a death in my family and was busy with arrangements, traveling to another state, etc. She had seemed empathetic at one point but that did not last… I planned to take the weekend to review everything, and though I had heard some not great things from other actors, I had also heard from some friends who had good experiences at La Comedia. Also, a friend of mine was offered Ensemble and we thought it would at least be fun to do it together even if it was a hot mess LOL! (She ultimately turned it down after what happened to me) On Monday morning, she called me while I was on a plane for my grandpa’s funeral, so obviously I didn’t even know she called. When I landed to get to my connecting flight, I saw a text from her and replied as soon as I saw it. Our text convo was… messy and unprofessional to say the least. To summarize, she offered someone else my track when I had already given her a verbal acceptance, then told me I could still have the role if I signed by a certain time, then told me she sent the wrong text/time to me that was meant for someone else, then she was not understanding of me not having service or being at my laptop, gave me less than 1/2 hr notice to sign, etc etc. I will happily send anyone our text conversation with time stamps, in which you can see her not being understanding at all, and retracting my offer. I believe that my mention of having an attorney review my contract spooked her, because another actor I know did the same thing and had their offer retracted as well. My other friend offered ensemble has an agent, so the agent should have been contacted when making the offer, but instead La Comedia contacted my friend directly, probably to try to avoid having the agent view the contract. I also want to mention some concerning things in the contract. (And call me crazy for even considering accepting, but my lease was about to end and I had no plan, so to have a job and free housing for a few months seemed like my only option at the time…) Some of the contract issues: -Only $350/performance week to play the lead (I believe the audition notice listed principal tracks at 350 and ensemble at 300). There were about 7 shows per week for 6 weeks -There were 2 weeks of rehearsals, and only $350 total for the entire rehearsal period -There was a section that listed what is an excusable absence in terms of deaths in your family, and listed which SPECIFIC FAMILY MEMBERS were acceptable to miss a rehearsal/performance for…how dare they decide who is important enough in your life to miss a frikin show for?! -As it is a dinner theater, actors get a buffet meal prior to performances. However it said they do not have access to the salad bar or dessert. Why can’t an actor have a damn salad? Many of us have dietary restrictions, and who wants a plate of fried chicken and mashed potatoes before singing and kicking their face? -There is a fining system for basically everything, which I actually do understand, and basically you can get fired for anything. So like, fine. But then there is a part that says an actor cannot terminate their contract early or they have to pay $500. Are you kidding? If I am being treated poorly or something happens, I am going to leave, and I am not going to PAY the company. -It gave me summer camp vibes…You have to provide your own bedding for their twin beds, and even things like your own hand soap for the bathrooms in the housing, etc. I have also been told MANY stories from other actors that have involved racism, dangerous floors and sets, and mistreatment. I think it was ultimately a blessing in disguise to have my offer rescinded after all the horror stories I’ve heard / read.

#ISurvivedLaComedia Just don’t!

Every day I went into work I thought it couldn’t get worse. It did. The prior posters have said a lot of truths. The “creative team” (if you can call it that) also never goes away. There is a complete micromanaging atmosphere. There is nothing worse than having the director breathing down your neck weeks after you’ve opened for $300 a week before taxes! This theatre is still riding out the reputation they had 30 years ago before they became non equity and essentially community theatre. How can you justify charging $70/Person if your mics are worse than a high school’s? They truly do not care about the quality of their productions. The costumes for our show were really pathetic. I get that it’s supposed to be easy but that doesn’t mean it has to be raggedy. This is a scam for both the actors and the audience. Imagine paying 70 dollars for bad hospital food and a mediocre show… These theaters need to get with the program. $300/week wasn’t cutting it before the pandemic and it sure ain’t cutting it now. I understand that there are new owners and they are “trying” to “make things better.” Clinging on to the past production team is why this place will never be better! I also think the new owners should change the name from La Comedia to the Community Theatre of Springboro. Anything else is false advertising. Bringing in the occasional NY/Chicago actor is putting lipstick on a pig. Speaking of pigs the place is so dirty. The flies are out of control because the kitchen is disgusting and they leave fish out BACKSTAGE! to thaw. The costumes are never washed. If you can avoid it I would. $300/week ain’t it. (edited)

They always say that you should know what you’re getting into when you do summer/winter stock. All of these theatres are essentially the same, but here’s why I think La Comedia may be one of the most toxic ones out there: They literally trick you. For the winter show, they did Miracle on 34th Street. The whole cast signed on thinking that they would be performing the Meredith Willson version. But come to find out, it was just some random version licensed to a regional theatre in the early 2000’s. Cheap cheap CHEAP. Cutting corners. The tracks that use are completely atrocious and laughable. They sound like early 2000’s finale tracks. And people are paying 70 DOLLARS for this!! The production team is amongst the most toxic I have ever worked with. Openly talking bad about cast members with the local actors and creating a divide. The director is a weirdo, and has no qualifications to be directing theatre. His choreography is embarrassing, he literally uses the same 6 moves in all of the shows. Oh, and did I mention? He directs EVERY show. No new blood or vision. The production manager is a dimwit, and also a vindictive and conniving human being. Do some research about how she handled the casting of Maria in West Side Story. The music director gets a whole paragraph dedicated to her. She is probably one of the most vile human beings I’ve ever met. She openly and gleefully causes discourse and unease with out of towners to claim her “dominance.” She music directs as well as stars in the shows, which is a HUGE conflict of interest. Considering she just feeds information back to the production team of things said backstage. She’s a narc, and also just a sad, pathetic person. Openly spiteful and vengeful. And also just not qualified to music direct whatsoever. She just plunks out notes and calls it a day. The infinite amount of safety hazards this theatre has is ungodly. Between the cement stage, the fact that the buffet is served ON the stage. That people dance on. The fact that there is no child wrangler when children are in the shows. Not enough can be said about how terrible this place is. I get that a job is a job. But for the love of God, do NOT work here. It’s not worth it. (edited)

ACTOR BEWARE La Comedia needs to stop tricking people into to going out there. It’s a $300/Week contract for ensemble and $350 for leads. However it’s only a stipend of $300 for 2+ weeks of rehearsals. Tbh criminal. If you ask for more money before you sign a contract you are going to get ghosted which tbh might be the best case scenario. You will also only be reimbursed $300 for transit expenses so expect to lose money on that front as well. I hope you understand that you are essentially being hired to be a ringer in a production that is community theatre level on all fronts. Terrible sets, costumes and production levels. Director/Choreographer: Traffic cop on every sense of the word. His direction lacks passion and artistic value. The single worst director I’ve ever had. Asst Choreographer: The Owner’s daughter who also moonlights as the occasional leading role. (And you are telling me this isn’t community theater?) PSM: The worst person here. Absolutely zero help. I really don’t understand how someone can be as lazy as she is and still have a job after all these years. I guess it just goes to show how desperate this place really is considering the entire creative team is either family or carried over from the old owners. MD: Nice person. Bad at her job. All in all this is the single worst contract I’ve ever had in my life. It was a huge mistake coming out to Ohio. You lose money just to do a show with terrible recorded music on a CONCRETE stage. The mics basically don’t even work and are so hit or miss. My advice is the reverse of NIKE; “Just don’t do it”. (edited)

Have the echo the negative reviews here. Other than the housing which is fine this is an awful gig. The housing is good but not great. Dorm style which is fine just not great. The pay is bad. And I mean bad. For the rehearsal period they don’t give you full pay. You are given one weeks pay for the two weeks of rehearsal. On top of that it’s only $300 a week. They are really bringing out people from NYC from $150 a week for rehearsals. I’m sorry but if you can’t pay at least minimum wage you aren’t a professional theatre. My advice… stick to hiring people from OHIO! If you are from Atlanta, NYC, Chicago or LA do not take this contract. It’s not artistically fulfilling or financially feasible.

Rough experience here. Horrible "production team" (one director who has zero actual, relevant, recent experience working for theater companies and one "production stage manager" who has been there for maybe 15 years!? She has no idea what a PSM is actually supposed to do). Will not return here or work for this company until that duo is gone. The new owners are so nice but they are VERY wrong to entrust the theater operations with these two. Chris and Kris are out of touch and have been doing things the same way for so long.... They're just pawns of the old owners who had no clue how a theater company should be run. Fun fact: the PSM made herself an understudy for a lead in a show. And she ended up having to go on. It was an absolute embarrassment to watch. Totally unprofessional. Felt bad for the cast and the audience who paid good money to see someone who wasn't even an amateur actor and certainly isn't really even a PSM. She doesn't know what that job actually means. PSM also made offers on the phone and in person before our shows and during intermission! Stepped just far enough away from the cast to lord her newfound power in front of the cast. So disrespectful to the cast. Totally unprofessional, rude, unnecessary, the list goes on. New owners come in and trust her to run things... Laughable. She was literally telling people they'd "never work here again". I'd love to put her in an intern position at a real theater so she could learn a thing or two. No child wrangler. One child was caught bent double in the green room clutching his head while another child beat him over the head. PSM could not be bothered. Had the girl write a 2 sentence letter. Didn't take her out of the show. One of the children really needed some help during the VERY LONG Christmas show run. The music director turned vocal Captain never scheduled a single brush up rehearsal. There's a "good enough" mentality here. They don't value or appreciate any of their actors. They paid one local actor $100/week for TEN SHOWS A WEEK. Not sure how any of their "contracts" are legal but I will be reporting them to BBB and Ohio authorities. Actors here are treated like a necessary evil. A huge inconvenience. But the average actor gets paid less for one show than HALF OF A THEATER TICKET. Cleanliness: This place is filthy. The floor is literally wooden boards on concrete. Do NOT do a show here, but DEFINITELY don't do dance heavy show here. The choreo will be paltry at best (dir. Is a former show choir director) and you will get hurt. They never mopped the floor. Food stains all over the floor. No mopping during thanksgiving or Christmas break. Same nasty food stains and food all over the floor that was spot cleaned IF we said something about it right before the curtain opened. Your feet stick to the floor. Let's just say, when I left, the PSM left me waiting until almost midnight to check out of my room and handed me some cash. No thank you at ALL. No appreciation. No apology for the rough experiences. I literally just walked out. Good riddance la comedia. Ger rid of the director and PSM, change your name, and you *might* build a better reputation. Things that were said by director while I was here: "La Comedia is the golden corral on Broadway" "You all are the reject chorus line." PSM: "There is no costume designer. I'm pulling this s**** out of my a**" When asked if we were having a put in rehearsal when they lost two lead characters due to a family death: "No." When told they should do something about the kids hitting each other backstage: "No. She's still in the show." And d let's just say there was a HUGE pause when asked if she would be telling the new owners the truth about that situation. Despicable people. Never felt so disrespected. No urgency here. No artistry. Lastly... HIRE AN ARTISTIC DIRECTOR.

Let’s set the scene. Imagine if you will a theater owned by a cast member/choreographer's parents. The director is a total creep. The production manager plays games on her phone instead of doing her job. The “tech crew” is two people and you have to move your own sets. This isn’t even mentioning the less than minimum wage pay. Imagine having people do west side story on a concrete un-sprung stage. You are entering a world of scam, the Golden Corral of community theatre. You are entering La Comedia Dinner Theatre. PS one of the younger locals told me they are on the Wright State Do Not Work List because of all the shenanigans that go down here. (edited)

UPDATE AUGUST 19th, 2024 Truly outstanding the lengths people will go to cover up their bad behavior in the workplace. It’s clearly just a handful of devoted members of the cult of La Chlamydia posting here to try to salvage the garbage reputation they have in the real world. The way people in these comments are getting so defensive about this employer is just sad. Does the boot at least taste good folks? I don’t really know what else I can say that hasn’t already been said by the encyclopedias that the prior posters submitted. The technical aspects of the shows are really bad. You have to move your own sets. The tech crew is two people who are really bad at their jobs. The Production Manager is really unorganized. The owner’s daughter is being cast in roles she isn’t right for and choreographing which she also isn’t qualified to do. We love Nepotism. The director is off putting. Constantly making strange comments about people’s types… hard to explain if you weren’t in the room just very weird. 10/10 would not recommend. (edited)