Deborah's Stage Door

★Kathryn Morden

TLDR - be prepared to go to court. They cancelled the class my kids were enrolled in and then were super shady about reimbursing me - sent screen shots of Square transactions that were never made to my credit card, said they had mailed me a check, etc. Dragged it out for about a year - always with a different excuse about why they hadn’t paid yet. I finally sued them in small claims court and won. I would recommend this route for anyone else whom they try to screw out of their hard earned money - it was easier than I thought and satisfying when I realized from other reviews that this seems to be a trend. I’m guessing they thought I would just give up.

★Erik Prenton

Took our money and refused lessons. Two of our daughters were going to class there. One of our daughter was hurt during class. They refused to acknowledge this. We felt uncomfortable to send her back so we cancelled her lessons. The other daughter wanted to continue lessons but the owner called and told us not to send her as well. Payment is required one month upfront and we were willing to take a loss on the one daughter but not both. The owner refuses refunds.

★Jocelin

If I could give zero stars I would. I had serious reservations about enrolling my daughter here after seeing the storefront, but she was excited, so we went ahead. Unfortunately, that was the only positive part of the experience. The owner, Deborah, was extremely unprofessional and disorganized. She changed the play’s dates and times at the last minute without proper notice, and when I explained that we couldn’t accommodate the new schedule, I decided to withdraw my daughter. Even after several conversations with Deborah, she failed to communicate important changes — then later blamed my daughter for “not being there” to hear them. It was clear she was being deliberately difficult because my daughter had missed a rehearsal. Deborah also called me a “non-committed parent” simply because I prioritized prior plans over her last-minute additions. When I requested a refund (since she changed the schedule), I asked for half of what I paid — about $190 — but she only refunded $95, making up questionable fees and even charging for a “rented” costume I never received. This whole experience was incredibly disappointing and discouraging. I truly wish I had read the other reviews before enrolling my daughter. Deborah is rude, disorganized, and seems far more concerned with money than with her students. I would not recommend this business to anyone.

★Timothy Novak

What a joke of a business! My teenage daughter taught two weeklong classes two years ago and has yet to be paid by Deborah! Despite multiple emails and texts, no one has the courtesy even reply to my daughter. They owe her $500 for her services. Surely the many kids she taught paid their acting fees to Deborah. No reason why my daughter should not get paid! I will continue this quest for her rightful payment if only as a matter of principle!

★Morgan El-Zeinab

If you’re considering enrolling your child in a production at Deborah’s Stage Door, I strongly urge you to reconsider. What should have been a fun and enriching experience for my daughter quickly turned into months of chaos, poor leadership, and unprofessionalism—topped off with gaslighting from management. 1) Leadership & Direction – Or Lack Thereof The only real choreography the kids learned was during their first practice—coincidentally, the one rehearsal the teenage director wasn’t at. While I’m sure she is a talented actress, she was in no way equipped to manage a group of children aged 7-15. Instead of coaching and motivating, she repeatedly told them they were “awful” and sat on the floor for most rehearsals rather than leading. 2) Management’s Gaslighting & Deflection The teenage director’s mother, Erin, serves as the studio’s manager. When parents raised legitimate concerns about the constant disorganization and ineffective rehearsals, we were brushed off with, “Everything is fine, don’t worry.” Many of us emailed requesting our feedback be shared with Debbie (the owner), but to this day, we have no idea if she ever saw a single message—because she was nowhere to be found. Not once did she acknowledge concerns or attempt to make things right. 3) Bait-and-Switch Chaos One of the most infuriating aspects was the complete disregard for the schedules we agreed to upon paying. They suddenly announced a move to a “new location” without telling us where. The “couple weeks” transition took five months. Rehearsals bounced between locations with last-minute cancellations. The original November show? Canceled—no refunds. Instead, they postponed it to January… and then changed the date twice more. Parents were never consulted. We were simply expected to accommodate endless scheduling issues, no matter what. 4) Spamming, But No Communication Deborah’s Stage Door had no issue flooding our inboxes with marketing emails—sometimes four in two minutes. That is illegal. Their excuse? “That’s not how our system works.” 5) Poor Value for Money If you’re prepared to spend $12-$18 per ticket to watch a play in a flat room with no risers, where your child is barely visible—then this is the place for you. Other financial disasters included: They aggressively push ticket sales, requiring you to commit to exactly which night each guest will attend. No refunds. No matter how much they change, cancel, or rearrange things, your money is gone. 6) The Kids Deserved Better Despite all of this, the children pulled off a great performance—not because of the studio, but in spite of it. Their perseverance and resilience held this production together. 7) Questionable Future of This Business Given the unprofessional management, endless logistical disasters, and deteriorating facilities, I have to wonder if Deborah’s Stage Door is on the verge of collapse. Their handling of scheduling and communication is alarmingly poor. The mystery "new location" debacle suggests financial instability. Final Verdict: 1/5 – Save Your Money & Sanity