This was my first regional contract ever and I'm so happy with how it went. We also just had a phenomenal director and assistant director for our production. The management staff were super supportive and everyone was very nice. The housing was great actually, in house laundry, access to a company car and included gym membership. The theater is VERY nice and there are some cool stuff to do in the metropolitan area. FYI, I am a woman of color (latinx) and felt safe and heard within the management and creative staff AND the outside area when I would have days off. It might have also helped that the creative team was POC. I had a great experience :) This was also after the whole In The Heights drama, so I'm pretty sure they cleaned up their act.

Extremely racist theatre in Virginia is all you need to know about this place. I was apart of the said production and it literally drained me and made me have to take a break from theatre after this contract. This theatre will diminish you and make you feel unimportant because to them you’re just another stupid actor who doesn’t know better than them

Racist theatre that was willing to cancel a show because the Latinx actors were upset that brown face was being conducted! They only put the show back on after AEA had to get involved. https://www.onstageblog.com/editorials/2022/3/22/latest-casting-controversy-with-in-the-heights-reveals-work-needed-by-regional-theatres https://cardinalnews.org/2022/03/25/casting-of-white-actress-in-latina-role-roils-mill-mountain-theatre/

Every negative review about this place is true. They won’t cover your agent fee, they have done brownface casting and they don’t care at all. Typical southern theatre.

No agent fee compensation and a problematic history worthy of cancellation. For 6 and some change a week this is a no. They are really lucky AEA didn’t put them on the DNW. (edited)

$400/Week to deal with brown face. When we complained about it they attempted to cancel the entire production all together rather than casting appropriately. AEA should strip them of their union status. This theatre shouldn’t be allowed to trick people down from NYC for zero dollars and a racist experience. (edited)

I loved working here! people were so sweet. Only downside is the housing is a bit like a college dorm. Everyone gets their own room but bathrooms are stalls and showers. But you get a free membership to a club that has nice showers/indoor and outdoor pools/dance studios/basketball courts/squash course/jacuzzis and steam rooms. the downtown is cute and has a good Italian place. Awesome hikes in the area as well.

Beware that if you have an agent they won’t cover the plus 10% on your agent fee. I was offered a lead role for what was already a low paying gig of about $400 a week. The extra 10% would have only cost them $40 a week. I wasted two days with them between auditioning and a callback with a dance call. I don’t get why out of town theatres fly to NYC to audition NYC actors knowing most have agents and not cover the 10% when we are already working pauper wages in these kind of contracts.

“It’s gonna be a no from me dawg”~Randy Jackson

Echo the other negative reviews. Everything you read about it onstageblog is 100% accurate. (edited)

White washing isn’t water under the bridge.

I love and respected the creative team so much and admin took good care of the actors. The production quality was very high for an SPT contract and the audiences were super engaged with the show. The housing is called the Atelier which was an old hotel converted into actor housing. The single occupancy rooms are of varying sizes and there’s a communal kitchen (2 stoves/ovens, many fridges, 2 sinks) with dorm style bathrooms. Because it’s a historic building, the Atelier is pretty worn in. Appliances are up to date, but you can tell things have been used heavily by the number of actors who come and go each contract. They have someone come to take out the trash and mop the floors a few times a week, so general cleanliness is up to the actors. Roanoke was cuter than I expected! There’s surprisingly a good amount of stuff to do in the area and the food is really good. I’d definitely recommend Mill Mountain Theatre as a place to work.

Was an apprentice here and it was a great experience. The housing is great, the staff is nice, and the town is fun to be in!

https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/03/28/mill-mountain-theatre-brings-back-in-the-heights-show-after-casting-controversy/ I’m just gonna leave this here