The owners are the most disgusting, grotesque, un-self aware people I have ever encountered. It's got to be a special kind of delusion to behave the way they do and try to convince people to believe that they are good people and that the business they run is decent or that their LED screen shows are any kind of good even for dinner theatre. The process sucks and so do they. This is a horribly manipulative, gaslighting, deceptive, racist, self loving, patronizing, TOXIC work place. This experience was disgusting and the owners are too. There's a reason so many people hate this place. (edited)

Couldn’t give this place less stars. Please don’t subject yourself to this kind of evil. (edited)

These owners are the worst people I’ve ever encountered at a subpar nonequity dinner theater. Truly it’s an horrible operation in all aspects. Everything you see here about the racism, the mistreatment, harassment, manipulation, non-payment, gaslighting is absolutely true. The owner is as ugly inside as he is outside and she is just as bad. They have a terrible reputation in the industry and it’s clear why, they’re horrible people who try to convince people that they and the theatre is actually good. Do not subject yourselves to these narcissistic, ugly people. I echo the rest of the actors here… that this was the worst experience I’ve ever had.

I can identify with all these other reviews. Do not work there. It is the dinner theater from hell (edited)

This theater still haunts me to this day. Working there last year was full of racial discrimination, threats of termination upon disagreements with the management, and overworked me to the point where I did not recognize the person that left there. It was a long contract and you can save a lot of money, but it’s not worth losing your integrity and destroying who you are as an Artist at the core.

Read this as if it were Opposite Day. They are incredible to work for! The owners are so not gaslight, harass, or belittle anyone. Please please please work here if you have any shred of respect for yourself ❤️❤️❤️ So much love for actors and good people in the world (edited)

Pay attention to these reviews!! Whether you're an actor, musician, creative team or admin - these owners are not to be trusted. They frequently fire people because no one respects them. And WATCH OUT - they have plans to open a brand new theatre in Tampa proper. Learn their names and stay away. (edited)

This toxic company stole $1000 from my paycheck because I did not want to sign a contract for their next show. Stay away. Scum of the earth type individuals.

I agree with everything said here. I was employed here to do a few of my favorite shows and enjoyed the casts. That’s where the fun ended. I felt very unsupported and undermined by the producers at most times. Some of the things that they said about cast members during production meetings, particularly about women, were so disgusting I will not mention here. But trust, it was uncomfortable. One of them also asked me if I would accept less pay (despite the fact that I had already signed my contract) so that he could hire another instrument for the pit. During this stint, I also acted for the company under an Equity Guest Contract. I, nor the other two AEA members ever received our per diem, and to this day the theater owes us each about $3,000 that we will never see. They are very clever for changing their name after Covid, but I hope their misdeeds catch up with them eventually. DO NOT WORK HERE.

Toxic owners. True narcissists. Protect yourself from this place. Not worth it. They WILL take advantage of you and then attempt to blame you for anything wrong. Nauseating people. (edited)

Read these reviews. Listen to what your peers are saying. DO NOT WORK HERE

DO NOT WORK HERE!!! The owners are awful humans.

Suncoast Broadway Dinner Theatre may be fun at times because of the people you have met or the show itself, however, that is the only pro to working here.   1.     VALUE - You will be made to feel like you’re not enough. Whether it’s not doing exactly what the owner wants onstage the first time, or maybe because you didn’t serve the guests quick enough so you were late to the stage. (God forbid they hold the show so you can have 2 minutes to get into costume). Some actors are not even paid the amount others are, which is understandable depending on role size. At this theatre, the owners will find a way to pay some members with the SAME ROLE SIZE an upward of $100 LESS (weekly) than others with the same part. I know of other actors who were screwed by their contract and weren’t able to serve and make extra money, while some others weren’t even paid for their jobs offstage. 2.     HARASSMENT - If you are a woman, person of color, etc. You WILL get harassed in some way. Several women, within my time working there, were sexually harassed and while lots of times the owners will take charge and protect them, there have been an uncomfortable amount of circumstances where they have let it slide. I find it unsafe for any woman to deal with these kinds of circumstances in the workplace and to only be protected 5/10 times something is reported. Racist remarks + comments are NOT uncommon here. Whether it be guests or staff, you’re going to hear it. This theatre is located in a predominantly white area. Ethnic features will be recognized in a harsh light from both sides of the playing field. 3.     MANIPULATION – They will lie. Lie to your face or to your co-workers about you, or about situations involving you. If it helps them feel more in-charge or in control of you, they will take measures into their own hands. Every worker is in TEARS after a “meeting” with one of the owners or managers. Why is this? It’s because you will be made to feel like YOU are the problem. If you do something that they don’t like, you’ll be dragged into a meeting where they insult you and belittle you. They LOVE to beat you down and make you work for the money that goes straight into their pockets. You’ll feel like you are not enough. I promise it’s not true, it’s just the environment of this place. 4.     LOCATION – Like I mentioned previously, this theatre is in a predominantly white area. I know of cast members who were made fun of for the color of their skin or any type of mixed features. I’ve also heard of others who were targeted for it. It is simply not safe for women, POC, or those of the LGBTQ+ community. The location of this dinner theatre is the sh*ttiest part of Florida you will find. The outside of the theatre looks like a large shed with pieces of the fence missing and the big theatre sign looks like it belongs to the strip club across the street. Seriously google this place. You’d think with all the money they steal from performers they’d at least use it to fix the outside. I would say none of this particularly matters if you’re just looking for a job that guarantees audiences and is fun for you, but the area is seriously dangerous. Hudson, Florida is very scary, ESPECIALLY at night. Don’t be surprised if there’s a person in the parking lot trying to open car doors at 11pm because you’ll be working around that time. (True story) The owner will be up front with you at the orientation and tell you, do not walk ANYWHERE. Especially to the rehearsal warehouse (you know, the dusty one with no air conditioner where you’ll rehearse for 12+ hours in Florida heat). Location isn’t really a huge factor, but I feel it should be mentioned. 5.     RESIDENT COMPANY – If you are thinking about joining the resident company, DON’T. DO. IT. You will be underpaid, overworked, and USED. Granted, if you’re talented enough you might land a lead or supporting role every few shows but you will be working overtime while everyone else gets the day off. Seeing the mental health of those in the resident company while I was there, was heartbreaking. These younger kids coming fresh out of college and they are immediately put to hard work that has nothing to do with performance. I don’t have much to say on this since I was not resco at the time, but again, included it anyway. 6.     OVERALL – It’s not worth it. It took me MONTHS to recover from the trauma and hurt I experienced here. I thought everyone hated me, that I had ruined relationships, that I wasn’t good enough, and so many more feelings that just isn’t worth it for 10am-10pm calls everyday for $300-$400 a week. I still find myself crying in my apartment over the experiences I had. I feel worthless sometimes. I promise you that there are theatres that pay this amount and will actually appreciate the uniqueness of YOU!! I will never come back until there are new owners and new management. I am not safe here. Women are not safe here. LGBTQ+ members are not safe here. POCs are not safe here. YOU, in some way, will not be safe here. Protect your mental health, and if you just need a quick contract with this place… keep your head down, do your best, and quit if and when it’s not okay.

Do not work here. Believe the reviews and your colleagues in this industry.

Because they just posted on Playbill, any costumers looking at jobs should be aware that they are avoiding our attorney and have not paid us $2055 in damages to our rental set. The costumers before us had to call the police after they were blocked in. Other incidents happened with costumers and some resco said they hate costumers. A lot of people jumped ship en masse. I also don't appreciate that no one apologized to me after I was locked via padlock from the outside in the costume shop for over 30 minutes. Yes, it was an accident but to not acknowledge what happened? To not say sorry or ask if I was all right or could anything be done to make me feel comfortable? To be locked from the outside where I had no food? No water? I was terrified. (edited)

A Racist comment was made by the owner of Suncoast toward one of our leads who was a person of color, IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE CAST, by calling him “darker than dark” when describing the modifications that he would need for his microphone to look more natural.

If your paycheck was missing tips or you were told to report under the table, this is a felony that can anonymously be reported to the IRS, who has an incredible advocacy group for those wronged. You will *not* be penalized and they will help you fill out your own paystubs as an audit is performed. There are rewards up to $3-mil if a whistleblower can provide an extensive amount of documentation leading to conviction. Before accepting a job, look up under public record the amount of lawsuits they are embroiled in, then run the other direction. If you've accepted a job, quit before it's too late.

Take it from someone who’s been working in this industry for SEVERAL years, this was by far my worst experience. I personally will not work here until they learn how to treat their actors with respect and kindness. I genuinely can’t believe the amount of disrespect and blatant disregard for actor safety I experienced while working here. I have never felt so diminished in my career until I did a single production here. The shows are clean, the audiences are guaranteed, and you’ll make decent money. ITS NOT WORTH YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. I promise you’ll book a show at a theatre that values you. This is not the place. I wish I could be more specific to my experience, but I don’t want the higher-ups coming at me. For the young ones coming out of college looking for a job, go somewhere else. ANYWHERE ELSE. I hope everyone who has worked here is doing okay & healing peacefully.

Working here is not worth it in the least. First off, housing, while decent, has mold, and other allergens that will get you sick. The lack of professionalism, the lack of a stage manager, and the fact that you are required to strike makes this theatre feel community theatre at best. The audiences are all old and while they appreciate the show, it honestly feels like youre performing for an old folks home. The producers are scammers. They give the appearance of professionalism but pay you less and have you serve as wait staff to "earn more" BUT while these may seem like more money, they dont tell you upfront or communicate in your contract you are required to be there 2 hours and 45 minutes BEFORE non-server call and you get maybe 5 minutes to get ready for the show because youre taking drinks and checks to people. THEN you have to come back during intermission to deliver dessert and check people out while in costume so it gives you no time to break and you get maybe 5 minutes before act two to get ready. THEN you have to stay AFTER each show to clean up the entire theatre where people just ate. on two show days youre working way over 15-16 hours a day and the money is not worth it. They are scammers, they arent professional, and they will gaslit the shit out of you and hold no one accountable. Dont. work. here. (edited)

Very odd and toxic environment. Very unsafe space. I’ve had countless people tell me their own horror stories of working here. I just never felt so disrespected as an actor. Never felt so shamed for just asking questions. There are much better places to work. I promise this place isn’t worth it. They should not be in business.

GASLIGHT GASLIGHT GASLIGHT. Wow. Highly recommend working somewhere else if you value your own mental health at all. Just look at all the reviews below if you need more information.

This theatre is not safe for anyone who is marginalized (Woman/POC/Fat//Etc). On top of the working conditions which does not give actors who perform five shows a week any sort of break, the people running this theatre made it clear that they care about profits. We were told that we were performing at a high school level and was going to be taken to a professional level after only having a singular week to put this show together with everyone before tech. We were constantly disrespected by the owner of Suncoast with direct character changes, non-constructive notes, or notes that ruined the integrity of the show. A Racist remark was made by the owner of Suncoast toward one of our dark-skinned leads, IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE CAST, by calling him “darker than dark” when describing the modifications that he would need for his microphone to look more natural. Keeping in mind, this modification ever happened for him to my knowledge. This on top of allowing a patron of the theatre to refer to one of the only Black Women in our cast as a slave to a white server who was training her. This place has protected at least TWO predators reported for sexual harassment to my knowledge. Regardless of any reports, comments, meetings, or awareness, the owners of this theater have had a perpetual refusal to keep women safe when they are in harms way of people who are known to sexually harass. They have even gone as far as to isolate a predator, and only allow him to work with men for his shifts because he “only targets women”. Though there are some things that we'e good about being here, BUT the bad definitely outweighs, and do not need to be mentioned, because the feeling of being unsafe in this place should not be worth any perk, housing, or pay that comes with it. I cannot, in my good faith and moral standing, ever work here again. Because of the things that me and my cast mates faced during our show, people got sick, people got hurt, people were made to feel unsafe, people had to deal with racism on a personal and professional level, people were overworked and underpaid, people were made to feel like they were a problem when they weren't, people were made to feel like the show wasn't good, because they didn't work hard enough, people were made to feel like they were exposable. NO ACTOR SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS FOR ONLY $400-800 A WEEK.

As long as the current owners are in charge here, I will never work on that stage again. I will try and make this clear, concise, and easy to read, but trust me, it's going to be a lot! DO NOT WORK HERE IF YOU ARE A PERSON OF COLOR. The amount of blatant racism from the management, the staff, and the patrons is sickening. The micro aggressions from our "leader," ranged from telling black cast members that their skin is "darker than dark" and difficult to match a mic on, to expressing the utmost relief of "thank god, a white person" while fitting said mics. When complaints were brought forth about his racist comments, he made a blanket "sorry" to the cast with, "clearly I didn't mean it that way. Sorry if any of you took it that way." Along with the show we were in having constant racist subject matter, we had no discussions of comfort levels being of color, having friends and family members of color, and portraying this racism. Even though there were plenty of people on staff, we had no type of intimacy or comfort coordinator to even CHECK with the POC in this cast to see if they were doing okay. When we reported any kind of mistreatment/racism to our managers from patrons, the behavior was never fixed. A black cast member was literally called a "slave" by patrons, and the owners had a 23 year old, white male actor "take care" of the issue by pretty much slapping them on the wrists with "that's a no-no." However, the owners were happy to jump down the throats of and ban the patrons who under-tipped our white female lead. As a person of color, you will not feel safe here. You will feel forgotten about, unimportant, misunderstood and underappreciated. The owner has no idea what life is like outside of being a wealthy white man in a red state, and his wife might not be blatantly racist, but she certainly will stand behind her man no matter how many people they mistreat and disrespect. THEY WILL BE INVOLVED WHETHER THE SHOW NEEDS IT OR NOT. One of the hardest parts of this experience was the owner's rehearsal he called after opening to "make it better." We hadn't had a day off in over 2 weeks, and he called a rehearsal on our very first weekend off after opening. We were exhausted mentally, physically, vocally, but we all attended. After showing up an HOUR late to this rehearsal, he started with "Your show is at high school level. I'm here to take it to a professional level." We, all professionals, looked around at each other like defeated children. He did not direct this show, yet he was here to make it what HE wanted by giving us re-blocks, line readings, and making disrespectful comments about the way our ACTUAL director directed this show. We felt like children. We felt small. And when these feelings were expressed, we were seen as such. Instead of having a conversation about his actors feeling this way, he instead got p!$$y and told his wife on us. THEY WILL GASLIGHT YOU. This management team will gaslight and stifle anyone who speaks up or has an issue with their theater and how it's run. We had two women in the company who were kind, thoughtful individuals, and they spoke out against the treatment there. Although they were respected and enjoyed by many of the cast members, the owner clearly had an issue with their speaking out. His wife told them both that they were problems. Had these not been strong women, she would have convinced them that everyone in the cast had problems with them. These two women ended up dropping out of the next show because they simply could not handle the gaslighting and the lying. I personally believe the wife will do anything to ensure her husband is stuck up for and respected, even though he doesn't deserve it, and they will continue to lose good-hearted performers just because he doesn't like that they are outspoken, intelligent beings. GASLIGHT GASLIGHT GASLIGHT. So many cast members are gaslit at this place, especially in their contracts. Make sure you read the contract WHOLLY. The amount of work that goes into being a cast member here is appalling. Because it's a dinner theatre, most of you HAVE to serve. Your contract will say you'll get a few shifts here and there, and then you'll be worked every single shift with no breaks. (By "no" breaks, I mean, you will get 10 mins to stuff your face and also fill out your upcoming receipts.) On two show days, expect to not even sit. They exploit their actors to work for tips. You have MAYBE 10 mins before the show to get into costume, and you're hoping during the entire show that your tables don't stiff you because you're ONLY WORKING FOR TIPS. There is no POS system, so checking out takes SO much time. It cuts into show time, and people have to scramble. And expect to stay after for at least 2 hours for cleanup and checkout after each show you work. If you have a hard time with fast-paced situations, it is something they do NOT warn you about. I even recall in my phone call offer hearing the words, "so chill," and "easy money." All lies. SPEAKING OF NEGLIGENCE. The owners are negligent. The amount of HARRASSMENT that the females of this theater receive is beyond disgusting. No matter how much harassment, abuse, and sexual misconduct is reported here, the owners and the HR guy will never do a thing about it. They received multiple "warnings" about certain cast members, and still hired them back for upcoming shows. They will gaslight women into thinking they are being over dramatic, or that they're making the company "look bad" if they report misconduct. This is so HARMFUL, especially to the young women they so willingly hire, knowing they're in the line of fire for harassment and more. THE NEGLIGENCE DOESN'T STOP THERE. They allowed us to work in very poor conditions. Our rehearsal space was a dusty, moldy, NON-air conditioned warehouse (IN FLORIDA) that also doubles as the building shop. The first week we were in there, two people ended up with a respiratory infection, and two had multiple asthma attacks throughout the week. The theater's air quality was not much better. The air conditioner apparatus was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Just a gigantic aluminum pipe spitting air out backstage at certain times of the day. People's asthma and allergies were terrible throughout the run there, even people who had worked there before. Rumor has it that when the theater was called Show Palace and under other owners, they offered equity contracts. The current owners apparently no longer offer equity contracts so they don't have to keep up with the air quality and health standards. It was even in our contracts to take covid tests before we got there, but it was never enforced. Even when people were initially sick with respiratory infections, no tests were administered or required. Going along with negligence, we were given costumes up through opening weekend. Before we opened, an actor slipped on a new costume piece and sprained her ankle. No one, not even our stage manager, reported it to an owner, to the costumer, and the show was not stopped, even though we were just in a run-through. Although many of us reported negligence, feelings of discomfort, and injuries, none of the matters were addressed. We were able to talk with one staff member who would report our issues, but going beyond that always fell on ears that simply wouldn't listen. Pros: The show quality is fine. But it's mostly thanks to the phenomenal performers that are able to work through these toxic theatrical traits that Suncoast has. Housing is mostly clean, fairly new. Pay is pretty good for regional theater, but it's typical for Florida pay. Free food from the buffet. Cons: Obviously the list above. As well as the stage manager didn't really stage manage...like at all. Everyone, other than the owners themselves, are over worked. If you are a woman, you will get harassed physically and verbally. You will not feel respected. If you are part of a marginalized group of people (POC, fat, female, LGBT+), You will feel replaceable. You probably deserve better and can find better at any Florida theater. If you are just starting out, young, and unknowing to the professional world, perhaps you will be a good fit for this company. Someone said in another post to just keep your head down...perhaps that bit of advice will help. But don't say I didn't warn you. (edited)

Would not trust the owners and would not work for them again. The work culture is toxic and the environment can become unsafe due to their negligence and at times their direct actions. Even when reported unsafe working conditions, injured performers, and uncomfortable casts go unaddressed. The shows themselves can be good but that's more of a testament to actors uncanny ability to make the magic happen in spite of the completely ridiculous circumstances they are put in. Personally if you are just starting out and want to suffer one contract for the experience, just make sure to take care of yourself, keep your head down, and remember that your well being is more important than the opinion of anyone you will work for here (and more important than anyone's opinion in general, love yourselves y'all)

The Terrios are...different. They run the theatre, yet when I was there, I only saw them a few times. They're the type to throw money at a problem to make it go away. They overwork their interns a lot, making them wait tables, perform, do office work, do show laundry and sometimes cast their shows for them because they can't be bothered to do it themselves. The couple that basically ran everything when I was there quit so I don't know if it's different now. Pros: The housing is pretty good, and the pay is pretty good for leads. Audiences are pretty good size with all the bus tours that come through. Cons: We never had a stage manager, and just had one of the interns or the overworked production manager do everything. They didn't hire a qualified sound technician for a show with five live musicians and singers so the show's sound was a major problem during tech and remained a consistent problem throughout the run of the show. While I had an amicable relationship with Charity and Kurt, after I left they went completely radio silent to me and several of my colleagues, never answering emails about further casting. Also, it turns out they paid us under the table, with no tax documentation and just expected us not to report it to the IRS. (edited)