I went to 'The tre stage' to audition for a play called ""Reservoir Bitches'..a female version of Reservoir Dogs. The auditions were held by Chris Berube, the owner, and Sydne, the director. I got a call a week later that I got the part. Rehearsals were every weekday for a month until the play started and then it ran every thursday night for 8 weeks. We were told for every person that came to see us and paid the $20 dollar ticket price, we get $5 dollars of that.
Our director Sydne, would ask everyone at the door who they were there to see, and she would keep track. She told us to keep track too. Which of course I did. My number was 19. Which means $95.
After the show was all done, we all heard that Sydne left the theater. Two different stories though. She was fired and she quit. Which I didn't want to be a part of. Chris contacted me to help out with the newest cast of the show and fill in, but I wasn't able to.
I contacted him via Facebook message about setting up a time to come in and get my check. To which he replied 'come to the theater and we'll talk about it'..my first red flag. I asked him what was a good time to come and he never replied.
One of the other girls in the group went to pick up her check and he gave her the run around. Saying when Sydne left she stole all the money (which nobody believes.) He would have to pay out of his own pocket. The theater is going under..blah blah blah. But she sat outside the theater until he finally caved and cut her a check.
She let me know this, so I went to the theater to get my check, expecting the same. He was in rehearsals though, so I left and was told by the new director to come back tomorrow at 1. Which I did and he wasn't there. I then contacted him again by Facebook messaging him, and he gave me the same line. Sydne stole everything. He would give me half the money but i'd have to get the other half from her. After I wasn't budging he turned to the excuse of everyone keeps coming in asking for their money and he keeps giving it..even people that weren't in the show. And how people were taking advantage of him.
Yeah...it's all a scam that takes advantage of green actors.
Like many others, I had a bad experience. I had just moved to LA and was thrilled to have been cast in a show, not having any idea what I was getting into.
First of all, he doesn't even care about the quality of shows he puts up. It's just a front to get people to bring money in.
First red flag should have been when he said we only get paid if we don't drop out of the show. Never in my previous experience had any professional ever just dropped out of a production. As rehearsals went on, people began dropping. I wish I had been one of them. Opening night was a joke, we were all embarrassed about the show, it was a joke. Horrible. He kept saying it was our fault no one was coming to see it, but truthfully, I was too embarrassed to invite anyone. The real kicker, though, was the night of the second performance. For some reason, I'm forgetting why now, he started screaming at a cast member after the show, I believe because he had expressed some issues with the production that we were all having. Part of his tirade included "SORRY THAT I GET LAID AND YOU DON'T" which...seemed to have nothing to do with anything...and I'm not really sure why he thought it did. He also cursed and this whole episode was so disturbing that I quit. Afterwards, several of us went downstairs to the bar to kind of be like "WTF JUST HAPPENED" including the victim of his outburst (and yes, he also threatened to "ruin his career"). Chris proceeded to COME DOWN TO THE BAR TO CONTINUE BERATING THIS poor guy.
It's all a big scam, the material is shitty, and it's kept alive by naive newbies who think they are doing something great, but they're just good for their money.
He also lies. He says he was a Groundling (never was), went to Harvard, etc. It's all a big lie. I don't really understand, though, how he makes enough money to live off of, but ...who cares.
Chris Berube is the worst director in Los Angeles. Stay away from him! You have a better chance of God coming to your door with 9 strippers than going to audition for him. If you mess up your lines, instead of helping you he berates your whole self confidence. He terminated me last night by fabricating his stories and acting on impulse. I snapped at him after being terminated on my last night. If you state your claim, he would then raise his voice and use profanity against you and treat you like a child. Also even if you don't miss your cue, and your co-star missed his cue and he would immediate blame you regardless of the situation. He would deceive you into thinking you would have a theater then after your production he would just toss you aside like a pair of dirty socks! Do yourself a favor and remove him from your choices.
I totally agree. I recently had a similiar experience with Chris who "dismissed" me, most probably because I disagreed with him and set a boundary. I left, (feeling blessed), and later thought that perhaps his "theatre" is a convenient way for him to discharge his angry feelings whenever he is in a bad mood. To say he and his behavior is unprofessional would be a huge understatement. Please be aware of his charming side-there is a wholly different side too, therefore he is "two-faced."
We actors must always have a decent enough respect for ourselves, no matter how much we want to act on stage,not return to the ways of manager abuse of the very distant past. Anyone, even a director, who will not let you say "No, that is not right for me" is not worthy of our time, energy and true love for our noble profession.
A place to give inexperienced actors a chance to act. Actors are 'employed' for free, unless THEY bring an audience who pays $30, $5 of which the actor gets to keep IF an audience member says her/his name at the door. The theater uses the actor for having a show & profit, while the actor uses the theater to gain experience.
The theater itself is a small playhouse, the shows are ok (due to some of the talent) but way overpriced for the quality of the show & venue. Again, unless someone you know is performing--I wouldn't waste your time and money.
Several actors who perform(ed) in this theater claim Berube blackmails actors by threatening to 'ruin' their reputation if they leave the show. He also promises to make his actors SAG eligible if they stick through the entire show (8 weeks or so). Understand how manipulative that is, especially for young, aspiring actors in LA.
Please please don't do this to yourself. He casts people based on if he thinks you're popular and if you can get a lot of friends to the show. Reports of sexual harassment. Treated me and all my cast like shit. No one ever got paid the $5 per person we brought. People went to the theater trying to get their check. He keeps coming up with excuses like "oh I just mailed it" etc.... If you want to be lied to and be treated like shit only then agree to do his show.
He will try to convince that he can help you get into SAG. Nope. He has no connection with equity or SAG. Everything that guy says is bullshit.
Please believe me.
I know it's exciting to get cast for a show...but know it won't be anything but hurt and disappointment and the director cussing at you.
I may be able to provide some (bad) insight to all of this!
I practically started with Chris when he first started the theaters and he was a much different story back then but it has sadly turned into what you are reading in all the other bad posts and some of the posts from another site.
When Chris first started the theater in LA, it was successful. So much so that he opened one in Orange County (OC) called "Second Stage." I was part of the Second Stage group and began with them only months after they opened up to 6 years when they closed. Back then, he had a partner with the stages. Because I can't remember his name, let's call him "Tony."
The OC theater was a family. We supported and helped out at this theater without any hesitation. All money we made went back into this theater. That included our work to sell tickets, workshops, donating food and drink to be sold at shows. Clean up, painting, and repairs was all done voluntarily and for free. We loved this theater and enjoyed being with each other. Our theater was so successful that whenever we had our weekly "Improvisation Class" taught by Chris, it would be packed. He used to sit on the theater stage and tell us funny stories of him being a "ghost writer" and other funny tales.
About once or twice a year, Chris would take both stages to somewhere fun for a weekend get-a-way. One year it was lake house, another a beach house in Newport, sometimes it was just a rented house to have a Thanksgiving Party, and the list just went on. It was fun, crazy, somewhat lavish, and always packed to the gills with actors. It was fun times.
2 years in to this, Chris used to tell us all the time we were his favorite stage and would often tell us that our theater was supporting the LA theater. He was about to open "Tre Stage." It was at this point where he started to get into fights with Tony. We only heard rumors about it but never really understood what was going on. He started to somewhat address that he was opening the stage and having some financial problems. For several months, rumors about his failing relationship with Tony was pretty high and he wasn't really addressing it much but we were not really asking until finally it all fell apart. For a few weeks, Chris did not show up to our theater. When he did, he was stressed out and told us a story of how he was a financial victim to Tony's walk out and now he did not know what to do. He started to blame all actors at the LA location and how they were not like us and were a bunch of flakes and he thought he was in financial ruins because he had to buy out Tony's half. We did have a few people who were close to Tony and found out the real story: Chris was basically taking the money for himself and personal needs.
Fast forward to 4 years later. So it's now long after Tony has left. We have a new manager Bradley. We are still seeing Chris every week and every week he is grumbling about how bad LA theater is. In the meantime, we endured actors from LA stalking him, confronting him, and demanding from him checks for payment. It was always the same things said from these actors "I brought x amount of people and you owe me x amount of money. I'm not leaving until I get a check." His response was always the same "Bradley was to keep track of these but he didn't. He stole from me. You should really get it from him. But, the nice guy that I am, I am going to pay you out of my pocket." Granted he walked into the parking lot to say and do all this but we all heard it because we were snooping and being nosey!
About the 5th year, Chris got married. He got married to a women he absolutely did not get a long with. Despite all of us saying "She's not the right person for you, he still married her." Mind you this was after she had a full fledged fight in front of all of us at a Thanksgiving party and it went on ALL night. He married her about two weeks later. As a result, he gave her full reign of Tre Stage and they were only married for a month or two. It was after the divorce/annulment that he started mumbling that she was taking him for half and wanted Tre Stage, which was not true. She stayed for a little less than a year running that stage and just moved on to do whatever. Next we know, he started to make some comments that our stage was moving. He was making claims that she was taking half; however, she annulled the divorced and did not take any money or assets nor was trying to.
Then, he started to come up with different stories all the time about the financial situation for the OC theater and the potential to move. It didn't make sense to me. Since I worked with a legal team at the time in my day job, I was able to do some research. After months of him saying we might be moving, he one day came in and said "We need to move this weekend because the fire marshal is closing us down." In my research, here is what really happened: He did not have a business license for a theater and he had not paid rent and utilities for months. Granted this was a theater that was very much loved and we were bringing in enough to cover the rent, utilities, and left over for LA stages but it was sadly being taken and not used for us.
At this point, Bradley quits. Bradley quits and sends out an email to all of us confirming what I found out about the license and no rent and that Chris was taking the money for personal use because apparently Chris wasn't getting any "ghost writing" which he doubted Chris ever had. He also claimed that Chris used him as a patsy for all those actors who didn't get paid when in reality he wasn't getting paid much or often either.
So, we all pitched in to pack up the OC theater and store it in a werehouse. It gets moved after a few months and we re-build at this very weird mattress warehouse in Fountain Valley. We all pitched in, and specifically two guys volunteered to built the new stage only to be yelled by Chris. And I mean at a rage pitch! These were long time volunteers for the theater and they were being chastised for their work. I got a call and had to run down to calm one of them. He was so upset about Chris' behavior. To make matters worse, that theater location lasted just under 6 months until we got kicked out. I forget why we got kicked out but it was either we didn't have a license or the mattress people didn't have the right to sub-lease. Either way, it was a creepy place and no one was willing to help him break down the stage and pack up and ALL OF US left by this point.
Next I heard, he moved Second Stage to Long Beach. I believe you see some bad reviews/scams on RippoffReport about this location. I don't think I know the person who posted it. They don't sound familiar to me, but I can tell you that what is being said is true. Here is what I know: I was asked to create some workshops at the Theater and help bring it back to life again. So I was met there by the new manager. He gave me a tour of the place. It has a room specifically for comic books and a working desk with a computer. Behind and inside the comic books room was a small apartment like room with a bed, small fridge, and some other personal items. I did not understand if someone was living there or if this was Chris' things. There was another room we did not have the key for and was told not to go in because it was for personal storage for Chris. The actor's dressing room was behind the stage and was the smallest closet room imaginable. Literally only two people could fit in it at one time. The stage was normal size and the seats were all pews. I was told that Chris was not involved with the theater but asked the manager to contact some of us to see if we would help get this started. Reluctantly, I agreed and so did a few others but we did not get far with it. Basically, we found out that a guy was living in behind that comic book room. He smoked cigarettes and smelled up the place and fluctuated his mood swings. Some days were good; others were bad. He said he worked and Chris let him stay there to be an grounds-keeper but he was always there no matter what time of day we came. He would always be around lingering and watching us or sitting in on what we were doing. Again, some days he would be nice about it and other days he would act like a tenant we were bothering him. He was a young guy but the girls were always very creeped out by him. We started off the first month we trying to fix lighting, sound, and do a clean up of the place.
After about 2 month, we came in one day to see someone come out of the "Chris' personal storage space." Oh yeah, there was a girl living in there and when she came out a big puff cloud of weed followed her. We don't know for how long she lived there or who she was but she suddenly appeared one day cranky that we were making so much noise at 6pm! One of us thought we heard a guy in there too. Either way, we were all just done with the mess and Chris. It was too shady for us to stay and the "tenants" were not nice. None of us left with a big "fallout" with Chris, we just quietly went away and just cut our losses.
The Long Beach "Second Stage" closed about a year ago (2015) and our experiences at that location was approximately a year prior. So we have no idea how that placed stayed open as there were little to no shows there for the few years it was there.
In addition to all of this, Chris continued finding the WORST women to date. My favorite was this very sweet and confused Russian girl who did a dramatic unintelligible soliloquy where she looked off into the distance and cried during a comedic improvisation workshop. I think he dated her for over a year or two.
Anyways, if you made it this far in my rambling story just know that he has not changed in over 7 years. He has been telling the same story of his "money crisis" for years and has perfected it. Just run. He may come across fun, nice, and easy going but it all will end bad. So just walk away and find a more reputable theater to perform at. I know I did!
Chris Berube has continually berated myself and other cast members. After he harassed one young lady last week, we all left. He lies about going to Harvard and being a ghost writer. If you’re a new actor in town, don’t be sucked in by this bastard.
Chris Berube wrote a play called Angel Academy. It’s a poorly written story in which Chris casted himself as God. It’s been almost a week now that myself as well as five friends of mine walked after Chris berated one of our cast members for having concerns over the fact that half our cast didn’t show up. After he berated this one young lady, I tried to reach out to him in encouragement that we were just concerned about the show. He blew me off, but then the rest of the night he kept trying to be nice to me. Almost like he wanted me on his side. This poor excuse for a man is a liar and a cheat. He is incredibly disrespectful towards women and his theatre is an insult to the art of live performance. If you’re a newbie actor like me, stay the heck away from this guy.
Loser place. Chris is a greedy liar and needs to get new plays and parking. No Chris your not a ghostwriter for movies you have no imdb. No connection to Sag and no heart abusing your actors like you do.
Chris Berube Reviews
I went to 'The tre stage' to audition for a play called ""Reservoir Bitches'..a female version of Reservoir Dogs. The auditions were held by Chris Berube, the owner, and Sydne, the director. I got a call a week later that I got the part. Rehearsals were every weekday for a month until the play started and then it ran every thursday night for 8 weeks. We were told for every person that came to see us and paid the $20 dollar ticket price, we get $5 dollars of that.
Our director Sydne, would ask everyone at the door who they were there to see, and she would keep track. She told us to keep track too. Which of course I did. My number was 19. Which means $95.
After the show was all done, we all heard that Sydne left the theater. Two different stories though. She was fired and she quit. Which I didn't want to be a part of. Chris contacted me to help out with the newest cast of the show and fill in, but I wasn't able to.
I contacted him via Facebook message about setting up a time to come in and get my check. To which he replied 'come to the theater and we'll talk about it'..my first red flag. I asked him what was a good time to come and he never replied.
One of the other girls in the group went to pick up her check and he gave her the run around. Saying when Sydne left she stole all the money (which nobody believes.) He would have to pay out of his own pocket. The theater is going under..blah blah blah. But she sat outside the theater until he finally caved and cut her a check.
She let me know this, so I went to the theater to get my check, expecting the same. He was in rehearsals though, so I left and was told by the new director to come back tomorrow at 1. Which I did and he wasn't there. I then contacted him again by Facebook messaging him, and he gave me the same line. Sydne stole everything. He would give me half the money but i'd have to get the other half from her. After I wasn't budging he turned to the excuse of everyone keeps coming in asking for their money and he keeps giving it..even people that weren't in the show. And how people were taking advantage of him.
Yeah...it's all a scam that takes advantage of green actors.
Like many others, I had a bad experience. I had just moved to LA and was thrilled to have been cast in a show, not having any idea what I was getting into.
First of all, he doesn't even care about the quality of shows he puts up. It's just a front to get people to bring money in.
First red flag should have been when he said we only get paid if we don't drop out of the show. Never in my previous experience had any professional ever just dropped out of a production. As rehearsals went on, people began dropping. I wish I had been one of them. Opening night was a joke, we were all embarrassed about the show, it was a joke. Horrible. He kept saying it was our fault no one was coming to see it, but truthfully, I was too embarrassed to invite anyone. The real kicker, though, was the night of the second performance. For some reason, I'm forgetting why now, he started screaming at a cast member after the show, I believe because he had expressed some issues with the production that we were all having. Part of his tirade included "SORRY THAT I GET LAID AND YOU DON'T" which...seemed to have nothing to do with anything...and I'm not really sure why he thought it did. He also cursed and this whole episode was so disturbing that I quit. Afterwards, several of us went downstairs to the bar to kind of be like "WTF JUST HAPPENED" including the victim of his outburst (and yes, he also threatened to "ruin his career"). Chris proceeded to COME DOWN TO THE BAR TO CONTINUE BERATING THIS poor guy.
It's all a big scam, the material is shitty, and it's kept alive by naive newbies who think they are doing something great, but they're just good for their money.
He also lies. He says he was a Groundling (never was), went to Harvard, etc. It's all a big lie. I don't really understand, though, how he makes enough money to live off of, but ...who cares.
Disloyal Director
Chris Berube is the worst director in Los Angeles. Stay away from him! You have a better chance of God coming to your door with 9 strippers than going to audition for him. If you mess up your lines, instead of helping you he berates your whole self confidence. He terminated me last night by fabricating his stories and acting on impulse. I snapped at him after being terminated on my last night. If you state your claim, he would then raise his voice and use profanity against you and treat you like a child. Also even if you don't miss your cue, and your co-star missed his cue and he would immediate blame you regardless of the situation. He would deceive you into thinking you would have a theater then after your production he would just toss you aside like a pair of dirty socks! Do yourself a favor and remove him from your choices.
I Agree!!
I totally agree. I recently had a similiar experience with Chris who "dismissed" me, most probably because I disagreed with him and set a boundary. I left, (feeling blessed), and later thought that perhaps his "theatre" is a convenient way for him to discharge his angry feelings whenever he is in a bad mood. To say he and his behavior is unprofessional would be a huge understatement. Please be aware of his charming side-there is a wholly different side too, therefore he is "two-faced."
We actors must always have a decent enough respect for ourselves, no matter how much we want to act on stage,not return to the ways of manager abuse of the very distant past. Anyone, even a director, who will not let you say "No, that is not right for me" is not worthy of our time, energy and true love for our noble profession.
BAD
A place to give inexperienced actors a chance to act. Actors are 'employed' for free, unless THEY bring an audience who pays $30, $5 of which the actor gets to keep IF an audience member says her/his name at the door. The theater uses the actor for having a show & profit, while the actor uses the theater to gain experience.
The theater itself is a small playhouse, the shows are ok (due to some of the talent) but way overpriced for the quality of the show & venue. Again, unless someone you know is performing--I wouldn't waste your time and money.
Several actors who perform(ed) in this theater claim Berube blackmails actors by threatening to 'ruin' their reputation if they leave the show. He also promises to make his actors SAG eligible if they stick through the entire show (8 weeks or so). Understand how manipulative that is, especially for young, aspiring actors in LA.
Stay away PLEASE
Please please don't do this to yourself. He casts people based on if he thinks you're popular and if you can get a lot of friends to the show. Reports of sexual harassment. Treated me and all my cast like shit. No one ever got paid the $5 per person we brought. People went to the theater trying to get their check. He keeps coming up with excuses like "oh I just mailed it" etc.... If you want to be lied to and be treated like shit only then agree to do his show.
He will try to convince that he can help you get into SAG. Nope. He has no connection with equity or SAG. Everything that guy says is bullshit.
Please believe me.
I know it's exciting to get cast for a show...but know it won't be anything but hurt and disappointment and the director cussing at you.
I may be able to provide some (bad) insight to all of this!
I practically started with Chris when he first started the theaters and he was a much different story back then but it has sadly turned into what you are reading in all the other bad posts and some of the posts from another site.
When Chris first started the theater in LA, it was successful. So much so that he opened one in Orange County (OC) called "Second Stage." I was part of the Second Stage group and began with them only months after they opened up to 6 years when they closed. Back then, he had a partner with the stages. Because I can't remember his name, let's call him "Tony."
The OC theater was a family. We supported and helped out at this theater without any hesitation. All money we made went back into this theater. That included our work to sell tickets, workshops, donating food and drink to be sold at shows. Clean up, painting, and repairs was all done voluntarily and for free. We loved this theater and enjoyed being with each other. Our theater was so successful that whenever we had our weekly "Improvisation Class" taught by Chris, it would be packed. He used to sit on the theater stage and tell us funny stories of him being a "ghost writer" and other funny tales.
About once or twice a year, Chris would take both stages to somewhere fun for a weekend get-a-way. One year it was lake house, another a beach house in Newport, sometimes it was just a rented house to have a Thanksgiving Party, and the list just went on. It was fun, crazy, somewhat lavish, and always packed to the gills with actors. It was fun times.
2 years in to this, Chris used to tell us all the time we were his favorite stage and would often tell us that our theater was supporting the LA theater. He was about to open "Tre Stage." It was at this point where he started to get into fights with Tony. We only heard rumors about it but never really understood what was going on. He started to somewhat address that he was opening the stage and having some financial problems. For several months, rumors about his failing relationship with Tony was pretty high and he wasn't really addressing it much but we were not really asking until finally it all fell apart. For a few weeks, Chris did not show up to our theater. When he did, he was stressed out and told us a story of how he was a financial victim to Tony's walk out and now he did not know what to do. He started to blame all actors at the LA location and how they were not like us and were a bunch of flakes and he thought he was in financial ruins because he had to buy out Tony's half. We did have a few people who were close to Tony and found out the real story: Chris was basically taking the money for himself and personal needs.
Fast forward to 4 years later. So it's now long after Tony has left. We have a new manager Bradley. We are still seeing Chris every week and every week he is grumbling about how bad LA theater is. In the meantime, we endured actors from LA stalking him, confronting him, and demanding from him checks for payment. It was always the same things said from these actors "I brought x amount of people and you owe me x amount of money. I'm not leaving until I get a check." His response was always the same "Bradley was to keep track of these but he didn't. He stole from me. You should really get it from him. But, the nice guy that I am, I am going to pay you out of my pocket." Granted he walked into the parking lot to say and do all this but we all heard it because we were snooping and being nosey!
About the 5th year, Chris got married. He got married to a women he absolutely did not get a long with. Despite all of us saying "She's not the right person for you, he still married her." Mind you this was after she had a full fledged fight in front of all of us at a Thanksgiving party and it went on ALL night. He married her about two weeks later. As a result, he gave her full reign of Tre Stage and they were only married for a month or two. It was after the divorce/annulment that he started mumbling that she was taking him for half and wanted Tre Stage, which was not true. She stayed for a little less than a year running that stage and just moved on to do whatever. Next we know, he started to make some comments that our stage was moving. He was making claims that she was taking half; however, she annulled the divorced and did not take any money or assets nor was trying to.
Then, he started to come up with different stories all the time about the financial situation for the OC theater and the potential to move. It didn't make sense to me. Since I worked with a legal team at the time in my day job, I was able to do some research. After months of him saying we might be moving, he one day came in and said "We need to move this weekend because the fire marshal is closing us down." In my research, here is what really happened: He did not have a business license for a theater and he had not paid rent and utilities for months. Granted this was a theater that was very much loved and we were bringing in enough to cover the rent, utilities, and left over for LA stages but it was sadly being taken and not used for us.
At this point, Bradley quits. Bradley quits and sends out an email to all of us confirming what I found out about the license and no rent and that Chris was taking the money for personal use because apparently Chris wasn't getting any "ghost writing" which he doubted Chris ever had. He also claimed that Chris used him as a patsy for all those actors who didn't get paid when in reality he wasn't getting paid much or often either.
So, we all pitched in to pack up the OC theater and store it in a werehouse. It gets moved after a few months and we re-build at this very weird mattress warehouse in Fountain Valley. We all pitched in, and specifically two guys volunteered to built the new stage only to be yelled by Chris. And I mean at a rage pitch! These were long time volunteers for the theater and they were being chastised for their work. I got a call and had to run down to calm one of them. He was so upset about Chris' behavior. To make matters worse, that theater location lasted just under 6 months until we got kicked out. I forget why we got kicked out but it was either we didn't have a license or the mattress people didn't have the right to sub-lease. Either way, it was a creepy place and no one was willing to help him break down the stage and pack up and ALL OF US left by this point.
Next I heard, he moved Second Stage to Long Beach. I believe you see some bad reviews/scams on RippoffReport about this location. I don't think I know the person who posted it. They don't sound familiar to me, but I can tell you that what is being said is true. Here is what I know: I was asked to create some workshops at the Theater and help bring it back to life again. So I was met there by the new manager. He gave me a tour of the place. It has a room specifically for comic books and a working desk with a computer. Behind and inside the comic books room was a small apartment like room with a bed, small fridge, and some other personal items. I did not understand if someone was living there or if this was Chris' things. There was another room we did not have the key for and was told not to go in because it was for personal storage for Chris. The actor's dressing room was behind the stage and was the smallest closet room imaginable. Literally only two people could fit in it at one time. The stage was normal size and the seats were all pews. I was told that Chris was not involved with the theater but asked the manager to contact some of us to see if we would help get this started. Reluctantly, I agreed and so did a few others but we did not get far with it. Basically, we found out that a guy was living in behind that comic book room. He smoked cigarettes and smelled up the place and fluctuated his mood swings. Some days were good; others were bad. He said he worked and Chris let him stay there to be an grounds-keeper but he was always there no matter what time of day we came. He would always be around lingering and watching us or sitting in on what we were doing. Again, some days he would be nice about it and other days he would act like a tenant we were bothering him. He was a young guy but the girls were always very creeped out by him. We started off the first month we trying to fix lighting, sound, and do a clean up of the place.
After about 2 month, we came in one day to see someone come out of the "Chris' personal storage space." Oh yeah, there was a girl living in there and when she came out a big puff cloud of weed followed her. We don't know for how long she lived there or who she was but she suddenly appeared one day cranky that we were making so much noise at 6pm! One of us thought we heard a guy in there too. Either way, we were all just done with the mess and Chris. It was too shady for us to stay and the "tenants" were not nice. None of us left with a big "fallout" with Chris, we just quietly went away and just cut our losses.
The Long Beach "Second Stage" closed about a year ago (2015) and our experiences at that location was approximately a year prior. So we have no idea how that placed stayed open as there were little to no shows there for the few years it was there.
In addition to all of this, Chris continued finding the WORST women to date. My favorite was this very sweet and confused Russian girl who did a dramatic unintelligible soliloquy where she looked off into the distance and cried during a comedic improvisation workshop. I think he dated her for over a year or two.
Anyways, if you made it this far in my rambling story just know that he has not changed in over 7 years. He has been telling the same story of his "money crisis" for years and has perfected it. Just run. He may come across fun, nice, and easy going but it all will end bad. So just walk away and find a more reputable theater to perform at. I know I did!
Bad Berube
Chris Berube has continually berated myself and other cast members. After he harassed one young lady last week, we all left. He lies about going to Harvard and being a ghost writer. If you’re a new actor in town, don’t be sucked in by this bastard.
Fallen Angels
Chris Berube wrote a play called Angel Academy. It’s a poorly written story in which Chris casted himself as God. It’s been almost a week now that myself as well as five friends of mine walked after Chris berated one of our cast members for having concerns over the fact that half our cast didn’t show up. After he berated this one young lady, I tried to reach out to him in encouragement that we were just concerned about the show. He blew me off, but then the rest of the night he kept trying to be nice to me. Almost like he wanted me on his side. This poor excuse for a man is a liar and a cheat. He is incredibly disrespectful towards women and his theatre is an insult to the art of live performance. If you’re a newbie actor like me, stay the heck away from this guy.
Scam.
Loser place. Chris is a greedy liar and needs to get new plays and parking. No Chris your not a ghostwriter for movies you have no imdb. No connection to Sag and no heart abusing your actors like you do.