The worst. I do mean the worst theatre experience in America. After working at a plethora of places, this is the lowest of the low. The team is god awful and the pay shouldn't even be considered pay. DO NOT waste your time or talent. I promise you it isn't worth it to work here just to have another show on your resume.

I feel compelled to share my experience to help actors make an informed decision, especially in light of the valid concerns raised by others. While I do not share the full extent of dissatisfaction expressed in some reviews, I also cannot overlook the grievances that have been brought forward. Communication is one significant area where RTOP struggles. As an actor, I would have appreciated a welcome packet with key information, such as phone numbers to contact people for airport pick-ups, grocery runs, or general housing maintenance - and someone to respond and take action about these issues. Stage Management and Directing also presented challenges. The absence of a stage manager meant there was no one to track the many moving parts of the production, send daily scheduling emails, or keep us on track. A more detailed and consistent rehearsal schedule would also have alleviated confusion. Additionally, I found it frustrating that we were not informed about changes during the rehearsal or tech process, such as the addition of fog, strobe lights, outside guests attending, photo sessions, or filming. Without this support, the responsibility fell to the director, who could have come to rehearsals better prepared with a clearer understanding of the characters and scenes. The Head Costumer (who is the former Resident Director and founder of the theatre) often added to the confusion. While their work is integral, they seemed to wield more authority than expected, rudely giving notes as though they were the director. This blurred line of authority made it challenging for actors to know whose vision to prioritize. A more structured and collaborative approach—where roles are clearly defined, communication is prioritized, and everyone works within their expertise—would greatly improve the rehearsal and production process. Costuming was another area for improvement. It’s important for Costumers to respect personal boundaries by asking for consent before making physical adjustments. Unfortunately, I experienced situations where this was not the case. Additionally, it was disappointing to feel blamed for mistakes that weren’t mine. Costume care also needs attention—wearing unlaundered clothes in tight spaces for extended periods is uncomfortable, and items should not be worn weeks before opening. RTOP demonstrates a clear passion for bringing theatre to the community, and elements of their process reflect genuine care for the craft. Many of the individuals involved—both staff and locals—are talented, kind, and dedicated to their work. The housing accommodations provided met basic needs, though the walk from the theatre could be better. (I cannot speak to the accommodations at the director’s house, as I did not stay there.) Additionally, they have updated their policies and no longer prohibit alcohol in the actor housing. During my time with RTOP, I picked up three key tips that I believe will help future actors: - Consider asking for pictures of the housing to see if it meets your standards. - Consider getting a Walmart+ subscription for the month to take advantage of free grocery delivery—this is especially useful when transportation is limited. - Either maintain a polite distance from the Costumer or make an effort to get on his good side. That said, I recognize that I was privileged to have options, and navigating these dynamics may not be as feasible for everyone. While RTOP Theatre demonstrates promise and passion, there are clear areas for growth. Some challenges, such as limitations in housing, sets, transportation, and pay, stem from budget constraints. However, addressing issues like communication, organization, and fostering a more respectful environment could significantly enhance the experience for everyone involved. I hope these reflections help others make informed decisions and inspire RTOP to continue evolving in meaningful ways.

DO NOT WORK HERE they are the most unsafe, unprofessional, and blatantly disrespectful theater I have ever encountered. If you value your time, energy, bodily autonomy, and sanity, you should steer clear. (edited)

Every horror story you’ve heard is true. I really get thinking something like “I’m sure it’s not thaaaat bad and I need a contract” but I promise you it is not worth it. Idk who needs to hear this, but suffering through a show here is not gonna be the game-changing credit on your resume that opens all the doors, and the stipend pay you make will almost certainly be less than having a part time survival job while auditioning for other projects. Steer clear.

Saw the reviews for this place and wanted to mention that a few years ago they revoked my offer after I tried to negotiate for 150 more dollars. Not a week. Total. Avoid this place.

Very unprofessional and horrible with communication. Housing isn't the best and has some fall hazards. They say they are semi-professional, but it's basically a community theatre for how little they pay the handful of out-of-state actors. I even got paid better when I was doing tiny summerstocks in college. Only reason I agreed to work with them was because it was a show I really wanted to do. I'd rather go back to my survival job than do another contract here. I should've listened to all the bad things people say. Only nice people there were some of the staff and the community of performers, but I don't trust the leadership here.

This place was the worst contract I've done. Housing was honestly fine for what it was given a small cast but for the lack of - i don't know, everything? - that comes with doing a professional contract was apparent every day. The amount of sexism and just overall creepiness and aggression from the Artistic Director is shocking. I honestly think the Associate Director is trying to make it better but frankly it's a fruitless attempt and will take a whileee for really anything to change since once you get past the AD there are still issues with the theater itself, lack of stage space, lack of sets, lack of dressing room space, lack of creative team, lack of pay, lack of decent housing, the list goes on and on... Go and read all the other reviews and it's pretty clear that this place is awful.

My name is Michael Todd, I am an administrator at RTOP and can answer any questions or concerns anyone has about these reviews as well as opportunities at Regional Theatre of the Palouse. To give a more fair and accurate representation please check out this video tube link from the collective talent of WHITE CHRISTMAS sharing their testimonial experiences: https://youtu.be/wLCedp6k2YU?si=ikH59CA5FRdIAgiG&t=1239 I am grateful for the intent behind this site and community driven reviews. Wishing all those who share of their time, and energy in support of the arts the very best.

Working under contract for this company now. I wish I had been the bad reviews. It’s a very toxic place with aggressive personalities . Also very unsafe. Looking forward to contract ending!

Let me start by saying I have been singing professionally for over half my life. I recently had the pleasure to join this crew and quickly found my self treated like family. I was given a place to stay during the rehearsals since I live quite far away. The entire experience was homely. I would do another show with this professional and talented group.

whew. it is entirely a community theater experience. it's in a space that is essentially a black box. no dressing rooms, just closets with racks. no side stage through which to enter, just lobbies where patrons pop out to ask YOU where the RESTROOM is while you're preparing to ENTER for a scene. poor music direction and even poorer direction, poorest choreography. we were generally safe (outside of lifts in choreography and a "set pieces" without breaks), but not artistically fulfilled or encouraged to ask questions, make choices, develop the show or build any semblance of real storytelling. there was ZERO character development suggested or discussed. the creative team was woefully unprepared at every turn, and unfortunately were all doing way way too many jobs at the theatre to do anything even close to well. the MD, director and choreographer are entirely and painfully unprofessional, but they are not mean spirited, they just don't know any better. we were talked down to and bullied by the artistic director. do not go into a fitting with him alone or with the door closed. there was no set, no mics, no properly timed lighting, and you sing to tracks so you can't even get good reel footage. bummer. the show barely sold - we could not sell out the 80 seat house our entire run... the town of Pullman is very fun and very hilly. and they are STEEP. it's probably best to work here in warm weather, if you can, so you can enjoy long walks and the garden in the neighborhood. no company car. I repeat: NO COMPANY CAR. Planet Fitness is a 15 minute walk away near grocery stores, nail salons, Starbucks, Chipotle so make sure you pack your walkin shoes. the accommodations are filthy, yes, I promise they are dirty, and full of JUNK, but in a safe and quiet area. there was no heating/cooling in the home. you will be sharing a room or sleeping in the middle of a living room, or even worse you'll be sharing a home with the artistic director/their partner/the director/their partner, living awkwardly in their basement. I enjoyed the town, the folks in the town are kind, the rehearsal schedule was (extremely disorganized) light and offered us a lot of free time, and the folks in the cast, both locals and NY/LA actors alike. I did not enjoy the dirty, smelly costumes, or the lack of dressing rooms, or the attitude and behavior of the theatre's artistic director. happy with my work in the show and the wonderful friends I made in the cast, unhappy with all the rest.

In every way, it was one of the best experiences I have ever had doing a show! If I could give more than 5 stars I would! The professionalism of the director, producer and the entire creative team was top notch. We were given thorough character development with lots of direction but also much room for individual creative choices. I always felt supported and made to feel safe and comfortable at all times. A week into the run I would discuss with the director ways I was trying to improve my performance which was so greatly appreciated. The positive constructive vibe began on day one and never stopped! I have been performing for a long time with many theatrical experiences in various places and Regional Theatre of the Palouse is one I can't wait to come back to! The high standards were apparent in every detail. The magnificent set and costumes helped make my job as an actor a delight. And it's such a lovely comfortable space for the actors AND the audience. I've worked in theatre companies with equity (theatre union) actors and RTOP is equal in comparison, and in some ways even better! Rehearsal schedules were always very well organized with wonderful communication between the performers and the creative team. With the director always being so well prepared and professional, we were able to accomplish so much in the time we had before opening night! Also, the accommodations were better than many similar theatres. I always felt so well taken care of. I had reliable transportation to rehearsal, performances, shopping for groceries, etc. I have to say, I was made to feel so special and appreciated and I hope everyone at RTOP knows how much I appreciate them. Also, the town of Pullman is so lovely I enjoyed walking about on my time off. There are lots of places easily walkable from both housing and the theatre. And speaking of the community, there was such a warm supportive feeling coming from everyone I came in contact with. There are a great deal of people giving much of their time in an effort to make Theatre of the Palouse a success. This in and of itself, tells you so much about what an extraordinary place this is!!

It's community theatre with a little bit of pay. If interested in hiring you they will say the theatre is 99 seat house but it's 77... AND THEY STRUGGLE TO SELL OUT. Nothing is walking distance like they advertise, housing provided is garbage. Some actors will live in the basement of the ARTISTIC DIRECTOR'S HOUSE. The others will live in an old dingy house that is dirty and dusty. Women upstairs and men downstairs and they "strongly encourage" to not mingle co-ed in the house. Management will do their best to be involved in what you do outside of work time which is weird. They claim to do it out of interest for actor's safety. It's more like a violation of privacy. Power tripping is a constant theme with some of the staff. One of them believes in "Old School Methods" such as actors not having input and director having all the say. Again, NOTHING is walking distance. They will say local transport is provided but by that they mean "We have somebody driving you to and from rehearsal" in a rusty car that was time travelled from the past but that's it. Unless you have cast members who drove into Pullman, you will not have much access to transportation out of this small town. Do not let "Oh it's a college town so it's cute" fool you because they will use that. Production: There is no organization whatsoever. No safety precautions in place for anything. No one on this team is qualified to be running a theatre. It's almost like a passion project where several people decided they wanted to run a theatre but nobody is trained professionally to do so. I could go on and on about how poor this theatre is but the invasion of privacy outside of rehearsal time should be enough to put you off from working in this hole. The pay is also $700 to $1000 for 6-7 weeks of work. They will fly you in and pay for that which is the bare minimum if a company is hiring out of town artist. Whether you decide to work here, there is no shame. Just know that while people are striking for better working conditions, RTOP will continue to exploit unexperienced actors who will do anything for a "dream role". When actors realize how toxic the management is and push back, they love to play victim and say the actors are too much.

I would strongly encourage any professional to NOT get involved with RTOP. If you live beyond a drivable radius, you will have a disappointing experience. Before I elaborate, however, in the interest of fairness, here are some positives: Although the management team seems to be clueless, I do believe that they want to produce the best theater they can. I don’t believe that they are malicious, and I doubt that they are aware of how deep the experience’s shortcomings are. But that does not forgive the depth of those shortcomings – starting with: THE ACCOMMODATIONS The production has two locations for visiting artist housing. Both are subpar at best. The first is a house in which they place the women upstairs and the men in the basement. In either event, there is one bathroom per floor. For our production, that meant three men shared one bathroom and three women shared the other. While I was not permitted to venture upstairs, the downstairs had only two bedrooms, so the producers created a sleeping space in the so-called living room by putting up a couple of screens. The person who was unfortunate enough to have to use that space had no privacy whatsoever. He also had no closet, and very limited storage space. (And of course, his housemates had to walk through his ‘bedroom’ in order to enter, exit, or move around the house.) The décor of the house would best be described as Mid-Century Mish Mosh. It’s not vintage and kitchy. It’s old and depressing. The mattresses are mushy, having been slept in by countless unsuspecting out-of-town performers. The linens are equally out of date and threadbare. The kitchen cabinets probably predate the Kennedy administration. There isn’t a single appliance that was built after 1977, and the walls are covered by wood paneling, circa, what? 1971? And that option is the better of the two. The second option is the basement of the producer’s house. Again, there are two bedrooms, which the production team has designated for 3 adult men. One room has a large mattress, and the other has two twin beds. It is very likely, you will have to share a bedroom for 6 weeks with a stranger. In the first home, the basement at least has its own entrance – from a patio with ancient, dust- and cobweb-covered furniture; so it has some light. However, in the second house, the basement is below ground; what little natural light there is, seeps in from tiny ground-level (upper wall) windows. The shared bathroom has a phone booth sized pre-fab shower – again, built and installed sometime in the 70’s – in which the mold in the corner is so ingrained that no amount of scrubbing will remove it entirely. The shower head is about 5 feet high, so the average adult person will have to bend over in order to wash their face and hair. Further, because the shower itself is so small, actually soaping up is a challenge, because there is nowhere to get away from the water. You are allowed to venture upstairs to the family room and kitchen, but you won’t want to. The dining room table is perpetually covered by metal TV-table place settings – again, from the 60’s? It also has ancient glassware at each place setting, and candle sticks from the Eisenhower era. Moreover, the upstairs is shared by the producer, his partner, and the director. So when the house is full, you’ve got 6 men sharing the dismal tight space. Although the producer says that he is happy to share his refrigerator and cabinet space, both were so full of his stuff that it is impossible to find room for even the smallest box of cereal. The production promises in-town transportation. But what that consists of is the producer’s partner shuttling performers from the various houses to the theater before and after rehearsal. If you want to get around town at any other time, good luck. It is not a large town, but Pullman is so hilly that even a mile-long walk becomes an endurance test. Without your own car, you are stuck in one of the houses, with extremely limited privacy and surrounded by every item ever sold at your great grandparent’s garage sale. (*Ironically, the region is pretty charming. Pullman is a college town that borders Moscow, Idaho, another college town. During the summer there are great places to hike. The parks and public spaces have music, craft fairs, and farmer’s markets. There is a multi-plex theater in town, a bowling alley, and ample restaurants and pubs. If you are a golfer, there are two nearby courses. The University of Idaho course is a nice public course, and is very affordable, while the Washington State course is an exceptional public course, but a bit more pricy. There are a number of cool destinations within a 60-mile radius that make for great day trips. Of course, if you don’t have your own car, you will see almost none of that. AND, I would guess that, with none of the above available, the winter is miserable.) REHEARSAL Rather than a fun and creative opportunity to explore the material, experiment with choices, and develop character, the rehearsal process was a slog and a downer. The producer set the tone on day one, when we were first introducing ourselves to one another. After about two of us introduced ourselves, each one receiving a small but supportive round of applause from fellow cast members, the producer – who was sitting in the back of the house, not in the circle – called out: “We don’t do that. We don’t applaud for one another. And we don’t do that during the curtain call. I know that a lot of shows allow their cast to applaud for one another during the curtain call, but we don’t. I’m old school…” He hectored us about his old-school expectations for another 5 minutes. Why he had to assert his authority, and discuss the protocol for the curtain call at that moment was absolutely baffling. It also sucked the energy completely out of the room. Everyone fell silent, and then continued the now awkward process of introducing themselves. Unfortunately the rest of the rehearsal process did not atone for the producer’s ham-fisted day-one announcement. At its best, the direction was all mechanical: ‘turn out on this line… walk to here on this line…be sure you fill in this window… be sure your blocking is set, we don’t want any surprises…’ The director even frequently gave line readings while he was presenting the blocking. Moreover, actors’ suggestions to make changes or experiment with alternative choices were generally met with an icy smile or blank stare. In fairness, sometimes those new choices were allowed, but typically only after much explanation or back and forth negotiation. That said, it’s somewhat difficult to say whether or not the process and the director could have been better. That’s because, in addition to directing the show, the director was also in it; he was also crew; he helped with lights and sound, AND on show days, he worked the will-call booth. Moreover, he was clearly constantly looking over his shoulder (like all of us), concerned about the judgment of the producer. On a related note, it was often difficult to determine exactly WHO was directing. The ‘chain of command’ was absolutely unclear. It seemed as though the producer had the last word, and certainly everyone was most concerned about his judgments. Also frustrating was that both the choreographer and the music director were in the show. Often their notes went along the lines of, ‘oh, I don’t know. I was concentrating on my performance…’ Not only that, but on more than one occasion, the music director gave notes to the cast mate that she was singing with during the rehearsal; and both the choreographer and the music director were encouraged to give acting notes to the cast. When not utterly confusing, the rehearsals were anxiety provoking. Almost immediately after the blocking was set, we went into run-throughs. Again, no exploration of the material, just performance. The producer would watch most of the run-throughs from the back of the (tiny) house, making it clear that he was more interested in our ‘getting it right,’ than in our exploring the material. Each run-through felt like an extended audition, like we were constantly being judged, rather than supported. After only the first run-through, we were told by the director that we were expected to rehearse like we would perform. (This proved particularly ironic, in that he, in his capacity as cast member, was not off book.) At one point in the next run-through, however, the producer stopped the show to scold an 11-year-old girl (a local who had volunteered to be part of the ‘teen ensemble’) because she forgot a prop. She handled the criticism great in the moment, but of course the minute she got off stage, she began to weep. After our first dress/tech, either the director or producer (again, blurred lines) said, “okay, lock in your characters, no more changes,” the exact opposite of what one expects to hear in theater. Most qualified directors would say something like, ‘continue to explore your characters and discover new things…’ But not here. Most of the cast agreed that this was the first time in our careers – professional or otherwise – that we consistently dreaded coming to rehearsal. It was something to endure, rather than something to enjoy. The only solace at the end of each rehearsal was the increasingly necessary cast-only decompression sessions at the local pub. And then there’s THE THEATER itself. You will read, ‘Regional Theatre of the Palouse,’ and imagine a nice sized house with ample wings, a large proscenium stage, comfortable dressing rooms, professional seating, a strong subscriber base, and good marketing. You will be wrong. The theater has none of the above. It is described to you by the production team as a 99-seat house. But in fact, there are fewer than 80. It is essentially a black box, but with raked seating. Most ‘sets’ are designated by illustrated drops. The depth of the wing space is about 6 feet, and because the audience is so close to the stage – the first row is technically ON the stage – if you are waiting in those wings to make an entrance, there is nowhere to wait where you will not be seen by at least a fraction of the audience. Often a set piece is stored in the wings, making your exposure to the audience even more likely, and making your entrance or exit an obstacle course. Enter strong? Good luck, when you are ducking under and bending through some high-school level rendering of a house. Along those lines, because the wing space is so limited, the theater also uses their front lobby (stage right) and concession/bathroom area (stage left) for show entrances and exits. The front lobby is essentially a store front with a big window looking out on the main street. During the summer, the sun doesn’t set until about an hour after curtain (and not at all during matinees). So actors awaiting their entrance are fully exposed to passers-by, who often gawk at the performers in their full costumes. And of course, both areas are open to the public before the show begins and during intermission. At those times, the performers must squeeze into the miniscule backstage area. If you like to find some private spot to focus before curtain, you won’t. There are two dressing rooms, one for male identifying, the other for female. They each measure about 5’x9’, about the size of a small walk-in closet, which is essentially what they are. There are no benches, and the one mirror is stashed behind a clothes rack. If you were doing a 4 character show, that would probably suffice. But we did an 18 character show. There was absolutely no way all of the people could fit into the dressing rooms at once. On the occasions when all or most of the men had to be in the room, the temperature and ‘stink quotient’ went up noticeably. Many actors tried to claim some space outside the dressing room for themselves, but generally that space was taken up by props or set furniture. In a separate part of the backstage area, there is one make up counter, but that too fits about 3 people at a time. At its core, RTOP is a community theatre that hires professional performers. That said, somehow, they do attract top-notch talent. (Most likely because the performers haven’t been warned about the experience.) The people in the cast were from all over the country, were uniformly talented – at least two of the folks in the cast are Broadway-ready now. All the ‘visiting artists’ (as well as many of the local talent) were very dedicated to their craft, and were very supportive of one another. It may have been due to a ‘misery-loves-company’ situation, but the cast bonding was the one saving grace of the entire experience. However, although a core group of us probably did make life-long friends with one another, there isn’t a person among the visiting cast who said that they would work at RTOP again. And we all agreed that had we known in advance what we were getting ourselves into, we would never have taken the project. Human behavior being what it is, you will probably not heed the above and take the gig. But, unless you are extraordinarily lucky enough to capture lightening in a bottle, and get cast along side a very special group of people, you will likely regret it.

A horrible experience. The director was manipulative and controlling. It is the worst regional theater I have worked at. It should not be in business with the way they treat their actors. I was there for sunset boulevard and the housing was awful. I became sick due to the living conditions of the house, and was then mistreated because I was sick. They also control what you do outside of rehearsal. Run from this theater. This place is awful.

TW: s-xual harassment, verbal abuse, threats of physical violence Do NOT work for RTOP Theatre (Regional Theatre of the Palouse). No one should go through what our South Pacific cast just went through this spring. In my 12+ years of professional theatre, this was the worst theatre gig of my life. This is a long post, so if you read nothing further, the thesis is: No one deserves to go through the emotional and verbal abuse, s-xual harassment, threats of physical violence, isolation of having no transportation and being stuck at home, and the psychological turmoil we experienced on this contract. This list of grievances - compiled by the professional actors brought in for South Pacific - is divided into categories: Rehearsal, Communication, Physical Safety, Unprofessionalism, and Housing. ----REHEARSAL -The first day of rehearsal went an hour over the scheduled time without acknowledgement or apology because of the director’s lack of preparation, which disrespected and violated our time. -We did not have a choreographer which caused CHAOS when multiple production team members tried to create movement on the spot. This was a huge waste of time. -The director repeatedly arrived at rehearsal unprepared and without the basic understanding of who is in each scene and when. This meant we had to re-block scenes and waste time because the director didn't know which characters entered or exited in specific places. -Stage management did not maintain the integrity of the show by tracking all its moving parts. -Stage management did not consistently communicate via daily scheduling emails which meant we did not know what to prioritize during our off-time and would show up to rehearsal to find out the schedule had changed without notice. We were also not given advance notice for outside visitors like a photographer or reporter, but were expected to be in full makeup and wigs for these events. ----COMMUNICATION -When the lead actress stepped inside the “Wash That Man” shower for the first time during a rehearsal, the walls of the shower wobbled and shook as if it was about to collapse on her. That night during notes, the director berated the lead actress in front of the entire cast for “not checking her props before the run of the show,” which made her cry. The entire cast was so uncomfortable because it is the production team's responsibility to create a safe set. The director's outburst was inappropriate and misguided. -The director said, "I hate it when people don't come to rehearsal when they have a little cold,” about an actor who was seriously ill. His words got back to our sick peer who was literally bed-ridden with bronchitis, which made them feel incredibly belittled and angry. The director also made no effort to get them to a doctor for help. If having a full cast at all times is a high priority for the director, it is their responsibility to hire understudies or swings to keep rehearsals seamless when actors get sick. -The director repeatedly lectured the members attending rehearsal about how angry he was when people weren't there, including people with excused absences. Several actors had excused absences built into their rehearsal schedules, and these absences were established before the rehearsal process started. The director’s angry speeches about people missing rehearsal made no sense when the only people absent were those with pre-approved absences. If scheduling is truly such a high priority for the director, they have the power to not cast people who don’t have full availability for rehearsals. Lecturing the cast members who were there was a waste of our time and accomplished nothing. -The director raised his voice at the actors in rehearsal for "talking over me" and threatened, "Do not test me today, I mean it, someone is going to get hurt." The stage manager did not consistently announce the start and end of our breaks, so when the director accused us of “talking over him,” it caused confusion because we did not know rehearsal was back in session. The director was so agitated and speaking so harshly that the cast felt he was legitimately threatening violence. -The director reprimanded the female actors during notes at rehearsal for their "poopy” scene change energy. He criticized us and used condescending language in response to our improvisations during a section of the play when the ensemble did not have dialogue. There was no active direction or constructive criticism to help us further the storytelling. The use of the word “poopy” was rude, confusing, and unprofessional. -The director disregarded the actors’ request to change a backing music track: "I don't think you people are LISTENING to me, I don't want to cut the measures!" The actors felt shut down and shut out of the collaborative creative process. Shutting down the line of communication made the actors feel demeaned, and as a result, the show suffered. ----PHYSICAL SAFETY -The director insisted the cast wear their full costumes for an entire week before opening the show, but did not launder anything, to our knowledge, until after the first week of shows. It posed a genuine health risk to be required to wear tight-fitted clothes around private parts for thirteen consecutive runs of the show without laundering. Doing such a physical show in such tight quarters made costumes start smelling badly within the first week, causing discomfort for the actors on and off stage. Some actors took their undergarments home to wash during their off-time because they felt so uncomfortable putting on dirty clothes. It is the production team’s responsibility to provide a clean and sanitary work place. -The actors had to repeatedly request dance lift calls before rehearsals. Lift calls felt like an afterthought for stage management during the rehearsal process, and because lift calls were not built into the rehearsal schedule, we felt like our safety was not a priority. -At one rehearsal before the run of the show, the director commanded the actors to do the dance lift call somewhere other than the stage so the show could start sooner, saying, "Don't do it on the stage. Don't do it here. Do it in the lobby or the green room." The director put his own agenda to start the show sooner above the actors’ safety. Suggesting the backstage area as an alternative was inappropriate and unsafe because it did not replicate the location of the high-risk activity from the show. This alternative put the actors at risk for injury, and stage management did not advocate for the actors’ safety. -During a rehearsal, the director whispered in a male actor's ear, "Those shorts look great on you, but you need to butch it up." This is s-xual harassment. -During costume fittings on day one, the director told male cast members that their "body hair is s-xy" and he "can tell why you like to wear form-fitting clothing." This is s-xual harassment and an abuse of power. It immediately disintegrates trust between the director and the cast when the actors fear their bodies are being looked at inappropriately by someone in leadership. -RTOP does not have an HR department, so there was no protocol for reporting abuse. This creates a culture without accountability where harm goes unreported and gets swept under the rug. It is our opinion that the director’s consistently inappropriate behavior would not be permitted to continue if an HR department were holding the company to a proper standard of professionalism and safety for all employees. ----UNPROFESSIONALISM -The director frequently hyper-fixated on giving general, unspecific notes to the entire group, for example, “Every single actor broke the fourth wall tonight,” or, “Every actor delivered lines upstage.” The director was visibly agitated when giving the same notes multiple nights in a row, but when asked for a specific example of how or when to apply the note, neither stage management nor the director could provide one, saying, “I can’t think of an example,” or, “Here and there.” The director could have guided and directed specific people, instead of lecturing the entire group, wasting our time with unspecific feedback. The cast cannot mind-read what moments the director is talking about; it is stage management and the director's job to move the show forward. It was unthoughtful and unhelpful for the production team to not write these specific moments down. -When our peer was ill with bronchitis, stage management volunteered to bring them a Covid test, but stage management suddenly ceased contact with them and never brought them a test. The sick person needed a Covid test, but they were physically stranded at home, ill, without a test, and without a car to go get a test themself. They were vulnerable in a moment of need when they were trying to be proactive and protect themself and the rest of the company. -The understudy for Nellie never had a rehearsal in the space with the full cast, and then received 19 hours notice that she was on for the following night’s full dress rehearsal. Without a proper intimacy rehearsal, doing stage kisses with the male lead felt very vulnerable and scary. Without any rehearsal to practice scenes and songs on the set with the casting changes for the lead female and the ensemble tracks, the rehearsal felt chaotic for much of the cast. -Outside of rehearsal hours, the director accused an actor of trying to sabotage the show by putting lipstick on the leading actress’s dress. A local actor heard this information and informed the accused actor what they heard. The director then denied this allegation to both actors’ faces, yelling, "I did not say that! I did not say that!" He grabbed the accused actor into an un-consenting hug, raised his hand as if to strike the local actor, screamed “I hate this cast!” and stormed out of the building. This accusation made the actor feel attacked, confused, enraged, and extremely unsafe. They had a panic attack because of the director’s actions, and felt dread every single time they had to go back to the theatre for the rest of the process. The director never apologized for slandering the character and reputation of this actor, nor for lying to their face. The yelling and threat of physical violence from the director deeply shook the cast, losing even further trust in him as our leader, and made the theatre feel even more unsafe. -Stage management emailed the cast the same night that the director screamed “I hate this cast” in front of many members of the cast. The email instructed us to “keep our negativity to ourselves.” There was no mention of the director’s outbursts or threat of violence that very same day. This was infuriating to the cast and felt like the ultimate example of hypocrisy and gaslighting: silencing actors from speaking their feelings even in the privacy of their dressing room, while the director says and does harmful, erratic things. The cast felt outraged at the mistreatment of this innocent actor. -The director told a local actor they were no longer allowed to perform in the show after they missed a few rehearsals due to severe family sickness at home. This made the cast felt angry and upset for that actor who had put in weeks of work as a member of our cast family. It felt unkind to kick him out of the show when the director was aware of the actor’s personal situation at home. It felt especially hypocritical to expel this actor for family sickness when the director himself missed several rehearsals from personal sickness. ----HOUSING -The out-of-town talent was locked away from each other in the same house, divided by floors, and were emailed a “house rules” Google document which forbade socializing in the house, including socializing with other cast members. The company waited to share these rules until after the out-of-town actors had paid for their flights and signed their contracts, which felt deliberate and underhanded. We feel that the company’s lack of transparency took advantage of the actors, and that we did not know what we signed up for until it was too late. -When the out-of-town actors were told that we were not allowed to socialize with our castmates in the home, it made us feel trapped, and for some of us, caused extreme depression. The locked door from the main floor to the basement meant that the women had to walk outside and down stairs in the snow to simply do laundry, which felt unsafe and frustrating. Our castmates were the only people we knew in the town; unwinding and relaxing together was the only way we survived such a volatile rehearsal process. Additionally, building personal relationships off stage increased our connection and relationships on stage. These house rules felt baseless and without merit. -The out-of-town talent did not have access to a company car. We had to walk miles through rain, snow, and cold conditions to get around, which impacted our health. In a hilly and unwalkable town like Pullman, it was unreasonable and unfair to leave professionals without a way to get around town besides relying on a designated volunteer driver, who was sometimes unreliable. -The designated driver did not have a cell phone, so we had to be in standby-mode by our cell phones, waiting for the designated driver to contact them to set their pick-up times; this inconsistency caused stress and frustration. On a few occasions, the designated driver did not call or forgot to pick up artists, which impacted the mental health and preparation of the performers to be present at the theatre for the full pre-show warm-ups. -When presented with contracts, the out-of-town actors were told the theatre was “a four block walk” from cast housing, but in actuality, the downtown area to the housing area was three huge hills apart (a 5 minute car ride, but at least a 20 minute walk to get up the hills). We were provided rides to and from housing for work purposes only and there was no set schedule in place to support our time management. -The out-of-town talent was not allowed to have alcohol in their homes, which felt controlling and unreasonable. As long as the integrity of the show is maintained, we feel it is no one’s business how we spend our off-time. This rule is ludicrous to impose on of-age adults. -Several out-of-town actors were housed in the basement of the director’s home, which created a huge work/life privacy issue. It is industry standard to provide separate cast housing, which can include a host family, but these actors felt uncomfortable living in such close quarters to the director, and felt like they had no safe, private place to fully unwind. -The out-of-town talent was told no guests were allowed to visit the home. The director and associate director were aware that cast members were socializing with each other in the home, and they even knew about one actor’s overnight guest, but they said nothing to any of the actors. This rule was never enforced for the first month of the contract, until the associate director cornered one cast member after a show in front of their out-of-town family and partner to criticize them for breaking the house rules, and forced their partner to stay somewhere else that night. His petty actions caused the actor to cry, have a panic attack, throw up, lose sleep, and forfeited any remaining shred of joy of doing the show. -Four out-of-town actors had a meeting with the associate director the day after he cornered the actor about the house rules and playing favoritism. The consequence of his actions, as well as the director’s irrational behavior for weeks, were that the actors were fed up and ready to leave the contract early. Our concerns were written down, and we were told to give the associate director 24 hours to share these concerns with the director and meet back up with him. We never heard a word after that meeting, which made us feel unseen, disrespected, and like things would never change. We contacted previous out of town actors brought in for RTOP shows, and learned that we are not the first to experience the unprofessionalism and patterns of disrespect of this theatre. I believe this theatre should cease producing theatre until all the aforementioned harmful behaviors and practices are eradicated. (edited)