www.robeytheatrecompany.com

Paul Robeson (1898-1976) is the inspiration for the Robey Theatre Company (Robey). A man of mythic proportions, his achievements are the stuff of legends. Paul won a scholarship to New Jersey's Rutgers University, gaining Phi Beta Kappa honors in his junior year and lettering in track, basketball and baseball. Robeson was the first Black All-American football player, a leading international concert singer for 35 years, a musicologist, an accomplished stage and screen actor, the first Black lawyer to enter one of New York's most prestigious law firms, a linguist, scholar, orator and an uncompromising political activist. Paul Robeson's artistry and genius, together with his indomitable courage, established him as one of our greatest American Renaissance men.
Robey was founded in December 1994 by Danny Glover and Bennet Guillory to fill a void of opportunity for Black theatre artists. Artists of color, particularly Black playwrights, have long lacked a forum where their work can be developed in collaboration with their peers. Black audiences have had insufficient opportunity to hear these voices in an ongoing basis and their unique expression of the culture. Robey was founded to fulfill this need.

Mission:

Robey's mission is, through the creative process, to explore and develop relevant provocative, and innovative new plays written about the Black experience, as well as to reinterpret established works. Robey creates a nourishing environment of understanding and support in which multi-cultural theatre artists are compelled to take risks in the search for artistic fulfillment. It provides time, educational opportunities, and encouragement for such growth and contributes to high standards of excellence in the Black theatre in America.

Production Season:

At least twice a year, Robey will produce a fully-staged play. New works from the Playwright's Lab are considered first for production. Robey also reinterprets established works by multicultural artists writing about the Black experience. Robey maintains a commitment to high quality in the presentation of plays. In pursuit of this goal, Robey recruits highly accomplished artists and technicians to mount productions. When possible, Robey collaborates with other theatres to present works that meet the objectives of both companies.