Reinstatement of Tony Marino and continued employment of Renata Marino

Backing 100 %

You fired a Dream. You fired a family. You fired a man who drew talent out of thousands of youngsters. You fired tens of thousands of theater goers. You fired professional actors and musicians who worked for minimum to just be a part of a place called Stage Right. You fired the special needs and disabled kids who got up on a stage and shone like never before. You've forgotten the most important firing of all. ... YOURSEVES. You people donot deserve to sit on this board. You are ignorant of what you've put into motion. This ignorance will close a thriving part of this community. This ignorance will long be remembered by you as community members and especially by the ignorant people who initiated this. They should be shamefaced but not as shamefaced as this board. You knew the truth and talent of this man, Tony Marino, and yet you ignorantly stabbed him in the back! For what? Who did you please? Who benefits? I hope you folks are only on this board and no other. I'd hate to see what other successful non-profits you could destroy. Linda Moore

My daughter has attended Stage Right since 2019. She came from a harsh "dance Mom" environment to a loving, caring environment led by Tony and Renata Marino. She has developed a passion for not only dance, but acting and singing and the whole musical theater experience....and the experience wasn't just hers. Every day after class I had the privilege of being shown a new dance, hear a new song or learn of a new acting technique. That has all come to a very sad and unfortunate halt. So while I do acknowledge we have to address complaints raised by other students, how do we right the wrong for the students that have had nothing but a fun and positive experience? Haven't they ALL now been wronged?

4 years ago Featured

My daughter has gone from a wallflower to a sunflower under the care and guidance of Tony and Renata. This loss has left a huge void in her life, leaving us all wondering...how could a monumental decision such as this have been made with no consideration for how devastating this would be to the children?

I support the reinstatement & employment of Tony and Renata out of a hope that Stage Right’s current and future students will receive the same care, guidance, quality education, and drive to fulfill dreams that I received. To put it simply, and I mean this with no offense to the current Stage Right staff, Tony and Renata were the driving force behind what made Stage Right the most influential school I’ve ever attended. Through their care, I was able to find a “home away from home” where I could receive help on personal issues. Through their guidance, I was transformed from a lost, antisocial kid to a motivated college student aspiring to be a pilot. Through their quality education, I was shown what to look for in a good teacher and how to be a good teacher myself. Even though these are all great values, there is still one more lesson above all else which Tony and Renata have taught me. They taught me that following dreams is not just a trivial pursuit but instead an essential part of finding fulfillment in life. As we know, following their dreams is exactly what Tony and Renata did when they founded Stage Right. They both put their heart and soul into creating a quality school for nurturing students and transforming them into better people regardless of whether they were planning on continuing theatre after graduation. To remove Tony from the company and essentially force Renata to resign not only destroys the personal dreams that they’ve worked so hard for 23 years to achieve, but also violates Stage Right’s motto of “where dreams begin.” We all know Stage Right does not stand to crush dreams, and I urge members of the board to reconsider their decision while considering the countless testimonies of Tony and Renata being great teachers and positive role models to hundreds of students. No organization is without issues, and to deny these issues is of course a violation of a victim’s rights. But the solution to these issues does not come from accusing Tony, who seems

To the Stage Right board: I am so disappointed that the very heart of Stage Right has been ripped out. I completely understand you may have acted upon information that is not available to the rest of us. Nevertheless, I have to go by the facts that are available to me, and after reading ALL of the comments on the “survivors” page, I see nothing that rises to the level of the need for such a group; and certainly does not rise to the level of terminating such a dedicated and hard working member of the organization. My son is very depressed over the loss of such a great mentor in his life and I have angry emotions on his behalf. Especially towards the “survivor” parents who would enable their kids to destroy something that benefits so many, simply because they didn’t like the intense style of the director. “My kid was yelled at” was a constant theme on their Facebook page. So what ! Get over yourselves and do better as parents in preparing your kids for the hardships of life. Assuming there is nothing more we are talking about here than the claims made on that website, please reconsider this action and reinstate this incredible asset to the theater arts. Thank you.

Can’t believe the nut parents that did this. Shame on you!

Renata & Tony Marino have touched our hearts with their generosity of sharing their talents & their love with my granddaughter and all the other students. In previous years, I watched her classes while sitting in an adjoining room. Many times, I was brought to tears as Renata & Tony showed extreme kindness to all including those who were searching for acceptance. As a former teacher, I saw unparalleled love to each child while giving them confidence to perform. Our family has felt blessed to have these 2 amazing people with our grandchild & in our town.

4 years ago Featured

Tony Marino has been an incredibly positive influence on my children for 3 years now, and has impacted all of our lives tremendously after a very difficult time for our family. I believe this work is what he is made to be doing. He is knowledgeable in his craft, and has been nothing but professional, an excellent teacher, and role model for my children.

they did nothing wrong and my cousin/best friend goes there and has told me how amazing they are

We have been involved with SR for 12 years. I am parent of a student. I have volunteered. I have participated as cast members in numerous shows. I have never seen inappropriate behavior from any staff member including the Marino’s. Sure, Tony yelled occasionally, but the recipient definitely deserved it. I have donated thousands of dollars as well.

Stage Right was the catalyst to being accepted at Pace University in NYC. It started summer of 2006, and completely changed the course of my life. A lost confused soul, I found the first sense of my identity at Stage Right. The community that Tony and Renata have built is irreplaceable. There is no SR without the two. They created a space where students were free to be themselves. I was raised in a time where the theatre industry in NY was harsh. TRULY harsh and harmful. With the understanding that there needs to be changes made in the entire theatre industry, as well as some changes at Stage Right, this cancel culture is toxic. It does not leave room for forgiveness or GROWTH. Growth culture over cancel culture.

4 years ago Featured

I have been a part of Stage Right! for 14 years. I am not there every day, but I have seen so much of Tony and Renata's work that I can say- without any hesitation- you must keep the heart of the Company together.

BRING BACK RENATA AND TONY!!!!

Please reinstate Tony and continue with Miss Renata. Both are wonderful people and the kids need them.

Tony and Renata are the heart and soul of Stage Right. My family has been involved for about 4 years and have had a very positive experience. They create a welcoming environment for all children especially children with special needs that require additional assistance. My hope is that both Tony and Renata will be able to continue with Stage Right moving forward.

The Marino’s are genuinely great people, which is hard to find. They only ever wanted what was best for their students. They never deserved any of this.

These 2 have been the lifeblood of Stage Right for 20 years! The Rizk - Marino family members are appalled that Chris’ life work and vision have been taken from her family.

I’ve never had the chance to work with Tony but I have only heard great things about him.

Tony you are such a sweet man and to your wonderful family.