Whoa! Local theatre Producer and radio personality Michael Wanzie let lose some harsh words towards Mad Cow Theatre in his weekly email newsletter The Wanzie-Gram this week. Below is the full message, unedited, sent in his newsletter:
Despite my earnest efforts to put my issues with Mad Cow Theatre behind me, and to promote and attend shows that occur there (which I had been doing during this past year), I have unfortunately been informed by multiple friends and acquaintances who, for one reason or another have chosen to work there, that Mad Cow's well documented history of low pay, late pay, not paying at all, as well as the charges of misappropriation of funds, not only continues, but has worsened. Yet it is this theatre - the theatre that has used and abused talent as though they were indentured servants - to which the city has offered a sweetheart rent deal that will allow one woman to continue her militant, unreasonable, and megalomaniacal reign over an institution that clearly needs to be turned over to a person or a team of people who will place the value and needs of the talent involved above the servicing of their own ego(s).
The fact that the theatre with the most gripes against it, the worst payment history, run by a woman who has so little regard and so little respect for the talented people who bring the shows to life there, is in fact the theatre that will be most subsidized by The City of Orlando is, in a word, Outrageous.
MITZY NEEDS TO GO!
PERIOD.
END OF STORY.
I tried. I really tried. But I can't support an organization that has at its helm a woman who treats others so poorly, and who is consistently condescending and obnoxious.
I have lost all patience with my creative friends who whine and bitch and complain to me about how they have been treated at Mad Cow, but then go back for more. I have no understanding of this at all.
I have lost all patience with those of you in the theatrical community who write to me with your complaints about Mad Cow, but insist that I not publish your correspondence in conjunction with your name. Just what is it that you are all so afraid of? I don't know, but I do know I'm absolutely sick of it!
LET IT BE KNOWN: Do NOT bother to write me or the WANZeGRAM anymore concerning Mad Cow unless you are willing to allow me to post your correspondence with your name credited as the writer.
We here at the WANZeGRAM have a long established policy of not posting anonymous comments. What good does it do for you to write me with your complaints if I can't put your names behind those complaints? You get me all stirred up on your behaves, but you lack the courage to say what you know to be true out loud.
Well...I can no longer support your work or go to see you in the shows in which you may appear, or may have directed at Mad Cow as I had once thought I could.
I will quite simply no longer ENABLE your self-disrespecting choices.
The only sane reason for anyone to be involved at Mad Cow would be with an aim to get Mitzy, out and install a board that will see to it that talent is treated fairly, and paid properly and in a timely manner.
I am quickly losing respect for any and all people involved there whose mission is NOT to rid the institution of the cancer that is Mitzy!
In fact I am calling for a boycott of Mad Cow Theatre.
No self-respecting actor should work there as long as Mitzy continues to be at the helm, and no one who cares about the well being of creative individuals should buy a ticket to attend a show there as long as that woman remains in charge.
I'm done!
And I am done even reading or listening to your tirades about Mitzy and Mad Cow if you don't have the spine to own your words in this public forum.
You want things to change at Mad Cow? It's really simple:
Don't work there!
Don't buy a ticket to see a show there!
If the most talented among you refuse to appear there, or go there, it won't take long for change to occur if you would JUST SAY NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm WANZIE And That's All I Wrote!
Despite my earnest efforts to put my issues with Mad Cow Theatre behind me, and to promote and attend shows that occur there (which I had been doing during this past year), I have unfortunately been informed by multiple friends and acquaintances who, for one reason or another have chosen to work there, that Mad Cow's well documented history of low pay, late pay, not paying at all, as well as the charges of misappropriation of funds, not only continues, but has worsened. Yet it is this theatre - the theatre that has used and abused talent as though they were indentured servants - to which the city has offered a sweetheart rent deal that will allow one woman to continue her militant, unreasonable, and megalomaniacal reign over an institution that clearly needs to be turned over to a person or a team of people who will place the value and needs of the talent involved above the servicing of their own ego(s).
The fact that the theatre with the most gripes against it, the worst payment history, run by a woman who has so little regard and so little respect for the talented people who bring the shows to life there, is in fact the theatre that will be most subsidized by The City of Orlando is, in a word, Outrageous.
MITZY NEEDS TO GO!
PERIOD.
END OF STORY.
I tried. I really tried. But I can't support an organization that has at its helm a woman who treats others so poorly, and who is consistently condescending and obnoxious.
I have lost all patience with my creative friends who whine and bitch and complain to me about how they have been treated at Mad Cow, but then go back for more. I have no understanding of this at all.
I have lost all patience with those of you in the theatrical community who write to me with your complaints about Mad Cow, but insist that I not publish your correspondence in conjunction with your name. Just what is it that you are all so afraid of? I don't know, but I do know I'm absolutely sick of it!
LET IT BE KNOWN: Do NOT bother to write me or the WANZeGRAM anymore concerning Mad Cow unless you are willing to allow me to post your correspondence with your name credited as the writer.
We here at the WANZeGRAM have a long established policy of not posting anonymous comments. What good does it do for you to write me with your complaints if I can't put your names behind those complaints? You get me all stirred up on your behaves, but you lack the courage to say what you know to be true out loud.
Well...I can no longer support your work or go to see you in the shows in which you may appear, or may have directed at Mad Cow as I had once thought I could.
I will quite simply no longer ENABLE your self-disrespecting choices.
The only sane reason for anyone to be involved at Mad Cow would be with an aim to get Mitzy, out and install a board that will see to it that talent is treated fairly, and paid properly and in a timely manner.
I am quickly losing respect for any and all people involved there whose mission is NOT to rid the institution of the cancer that is Mitzy!
In fact I am calling for a boycott of Mad Cow Theatre.
No self-respecting actor should work there as long as Mitzy continues to be at the helm, and no one who cares about the well being of creative individuals should buy a ticket to attend a show there as long as that woman remains in charge.
I'm done!
And I am done even reading or listening to your tirades about Mitzy and Mad Cow if you don't have the spine to own your words in this public forum.
You want things to change at Mad Cow? It's really simple:
Don't work there!
Don't buy a ticket to see a show there!
If the most talented among you refuse to appear there, or go there, it won't take long for change to occur if you would JUST SAY NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm WANZIE And That's All I Wrote!