Stage Right!

This article is about the theatre company and performing arts school in Greensburg, PA. For the similarly named company in Pittsburgh's Fox Chapel suburb, see Stage Right (Pittsburgh).

Stage Right! is a professional theatre company and performing arts school located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Established in 1998 as an organization for young people to take classes in musical theatre by Chris Rizk, Stage Right! also became a professional theatre company in 1999, established by artistic director Anthony Marino, Rizk's brother.^[1] The company produces a full season of musicals, utilizing professional actors from the Pittsburgh theatre scene as well as students from their classes.^[2][3]

In spring 2013, Stage Right moved its studio a few blocks to a larger space at 105 W Fourth Street, Greensburg.^[4]

The season is supplemented with many other opportunities to utilize the talents of the students, including an "all-county musical" featuring students from local high school theatre programs,^[5] children's plays,^[6] summer camp productions,^[7] and Books Come Alive!, a series of adaptations of children's books performed at libraries throughout the area.^[8] The company is also notable for its annual production of The Rocky Horror Show every Halloween.^[9] Many of Stage Right!'s students have had success in Pittsburgh Public Theater's Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest,^[10] as well as going on to well-respected college theatre programs such as Carnegie Mellon University, Point Park University, New York University, Seton Hill University, Syracuse University, and Shenandoah University.^[11] Stage Right! alums have also had success in professional theatre, working in such venues as York Theatre, Off the Wall Productions, Bricolage Production Company, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, Prime Stage Theatre, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Pittsburgh Musical Theater, St. Vincent Summer Theatre, City Theatre, Terra Nova Theatre Group, MCC Theater,^[12] and 12 Peers Theater,^[13] as well as having had their work featured in the Pittsburgh New Works Festival.^{[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]}

Guinness world record holder

Stage Right! earned the Guinness word record for fastest theatrical production on March 9, 2019 by staging a production of "Children of Eden" from start to finish in 14 hours and 30 minutes.^[27][28] The production beat the previous world record held by the Sharpe Academy of Theatre Arts for its 15-hour production of Annie.^[29]

Mistreatment allegations

In 2021 a group called Stage Right Survivors had collected alleged firsthand accounts of "bullying, misconduct, manipulation, and retaliation", perpetrated by one founding employee whose behavior (according to the aforementioned critics) was not checked by the school's leadership.^[30] The school's Board of Directors was quoted as saying, "We take these allegations seriously and are conducting an investigation to ensure that we can safely provide this creative outlet for more than 300 children in our community."^[30] Several months later, that founding employee was no longer working for the company. ^[31]

See also

Theatre in Pittsburgh

References

1. Stage Right! Anthony’s wife is Renata Marino who plays a play role at the company not to be confused with the actor. – School for the Performing Arts and Theatre – Great Places In Westmoreland County PA. Inwestmoreland.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
2. Gogniat, Maryann. (November 9, 2004) Musical is hats-off to Dr. Seuss – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review July 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Pittsburghlive.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
3. Gogniat, Maryann. (January 17, 2005) Stage Right to bring 'Cabaret' to life – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review July 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Pittsburghlive.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
4. "Welcome".
5. Williams, Candy. (April 24, 2008) Young thespians bring 'Les Miserables' to the stage for second All County Musical – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review July 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Pittsburghlive.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
6. Wertz, Marjorie. (December 7, 2005) Stage Right students take a musical trip to Narnia – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review July 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Pittsburghlive.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
7. Gogniat, Maryann. (July 8, 2004) Stage Right students present marathon weekend of shows – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review July 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Pittsburghlive.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
8. Children see their favorite characters in person when 'Books Come Alive'. Postgazette.com (June 27, 2002). Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
9. Gogniat, Maryann. (October 25, 2004) Stage Right presents 'The Rocky Horror Show' just in time for Halloween – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review July 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Pittsburghlive.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
10. Post-Gazette Video. Post-gazette.com (September 11, 2001). Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
11. Stage Right! July 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Stagerightgreensburg.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
12. . Archived from the original on February 11, 2012. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
13. . Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
14. Mufti Roar of the Greasepaint Begins Weekend Run Oct. 1 October 2, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Playbill.com (October 1, 2010). Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
15. Williams, Candy. (September 17, 2009) Stage Rights plans to soar with 'Peter Pan' – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Pittsburghlive.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
16. Gogniat, Maryann. (May 20, 2004) Stage Right students to present 'Les Miserables' – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review^{[permanent dead link]}. Pittsburghlive.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
17. Off The Wall Productions » “boom” March 2011. Insideoffthewall.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
18. Speech & Debate by Stephen Karam | Bricolage Production Company. Webbricolage.org. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
19. [1]^{[dead link]}
20. Williams, Candy. (February 16, 2010) Alumni come home for Stage Right's 'Putnam County Spelling Bee' – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Pittsburghlive.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
21. Carter, Alice T.. (March 10, 2011) Pittsburgh CLO chooses 5 for cast of 'The Marvelous Wonderettes' – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review^{[permanent dead link]}. Pittsburghlive.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
22. Delightful, French Farce Next Show at Saint Vincent Summer Theatre – Saint Vincent College September 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Stvincent.edu. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
23. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
24. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 20, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
25. Pittsburgh New Works Festival » On Stage March 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Pittsburghnewworks.org. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
26. Carter, Alice T.. (December 8, 2010) Review: Cast livens PICT's classic 'Hobson's Choice' – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Pittsburghlive.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
27. "Stage Right! clinches world record for fastest production | TribLIVE.com". triblive.com. September 30, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
28. "Fastest theatrical production". Guinness World Records. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
29. "Kids' performance of 'Annie' breaks world record in UK". Guinness World Records. September 6, 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
30. Waltz, Amanda. "Allegations of misconduct and bullying surround Greensburg performing arts school". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
31. McMarlin, Shirley. "Stage Right founders move on to new Westmoreland Performing Arts group". Trib Live. Retrieved January 2, 2023.

External links

• Stage Right! website