Robey Theatre Company is a Los Angeles-based

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

theatre company Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

History

Robey Theatre Company was founded in 1994 by

Danny Glover Danny Lebern Glover (; born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, film director, and political activist. He is widely known for his lead role as Roger Murtaugh in the '' Lethal Weapon'' film series. He also had leading roles in his films inclu ...

and

Ben Guillory Ben Guillory (born Bennet Guillory on November 7, 1949 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is an American actor, theatre producer and director. Biography Raised in San Francisco, California, Guillory co-founded the Robey Theatre Company in honor of ...

. It takes its name from the pioneering

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

actor and activist,

Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, stage and film actor, professional football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for his ...

. Robey's mission is to explore and develop relevant, provocative, and innovative new plays written about the

Black American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

experience, as well as to reinterpret established works. The rich culture and history of Black people is a potent, beautiful, sometimes tragic but always inspiring and illuminating reality. Robey offers an environment to support the telling of these stories. In 2006 Robey Theatre Company joined a

multicultural The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for " ethnic pluralism", with the two terms often used interchang ...

consortium called the "Cultural Roundtable" at THE ''NEW'' LATC, created to bring multicultural theatre to audiences in the Los Angeles Theatre Center venues in downtown Los Angeles. Other performance groups belonging to the Cultural Roundtable include the

Latino Theater Company The Latino Theater Company (LTC) is a theatre producing organization based in Los Angeles, California. History Latino Theater Company was founded in 1985 by its Artistic Director, Jose Luis Valenzuela. Founding members included Lupe Ontivero ...

, Playwrights' Arena,

Culture Clash Cultural conflict is a type of conflict that occurs when different cultural values and beliefs clash. Broad and narrow definitions exist for the concept, both of which have been used to explain violence (including war) and crime, on either a mic ...

Cedar Grove OnStage Cedar Grove OnStage is an Asian Pacific American theatre arts organization established in 2006, based in Los Angeles, co-founded by playwright Tim Toyama and actor/director Chris Tashima who serves as Artistic Director. It is a division of the en ...

American Indian Dance Theatre American Indian Dance Theatre is a professional performing arts company presenting the dances and songs of Native Americans in the United States and the First Nations of Canada. History The group was founded in 1987 with Hanay Geiogamah as director ...

and the

UCLA School of Theater Film and Television The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (UCLA TFT), is one of the 12 schools within the University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, lan ...

. Robey Theatre Company developed Bronzeville, with playwrights

Tim Toyama Tim Toyama (born April 28, 1952 in Chicago, Illinois) is a playwright and producer. He is ''Sansei'' (third-generation Japanese American) living in Los Angeles, California. He is co-founder of the Asian American media company Cedar Grove Productio ...

and

Aaron Woolfolk Aaron Woolfolk (born in Oakland, California) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and playwright. He shot his first feature film ''The Harimaya Bridge'' in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan and San Francisco. The film had a nationwide ...

, presenting its world premiere in April 2009, in association with THE ''NEW'' LATC. In 2019, the Robey Theatre Company was featured in Juney Smith's documentary ''The Robeson Effect'' which headlined at the San Francisco Black Film Festival and the

Pan African Film Festival Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is a non-profit corporation in Los Angeles, California, that states its goal is to promote "cultural understanding among peoples of African descent" through exhibiting art and film. It hosts a film festival and an a ...

.{{Cite web, last=Rampell, first=Ed, date=2019-03-04, title=Wrap-up of the 27th annual Pan African Film Festival, url=https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/wrap-up-of-the-27th-annual-pan-african-film-festival/, access-date=2020-08-20, website=People's World, language=en-US

Programs

* Playwrights' Lab - Develops new works by and about the Black Experience, relying on an experienced

dramaturge A dramaturge or dramaturg is a literary adviser or editor in a theatre, opera, or film company who researches, selects, adapts, edits, and interprets scripts, libretti, texts, and printed programmes (or helps others with these tasks), consults auth ...

, introducing new works through readings. * Scene Workshop * Educational Outreach /

Jonas Salk Jonas Edward Salk (; born Jonas Salk; October 28, 1914June 23, 1995) was an American virologist and medical researcher who developed one of the first successful polio vaccines. He was born in New York City and attended the City College of New ...

Continuation School - Drama workshop for middle and high school aged "at-risk" youth.

Productions

Robey Theatre Company has collaborated with

East West Players East West Players is an Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1965. As the nation's first professional Asian American theatre organization, East West Players continues to produce works and educational programs that give ...

, Greenway Arts Alliance,

Center Theatre Group Center Theatre Group is a non-profit arts organization located in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the largest theatre companies in the nation, programming subscription seasons year-round at the Mark Taper Forum, the Ahmanson Theatre and t ...

at the

Kirk Douglas Theatre The Kirk Douglas Theatre is a 317-seat theater located in Culver City, California. Since 2004, it has been operated by the Center Theatre Group. History Built in 1946, as a Streamline Moderne movie palace with a seating capacity of 1,160 (on a ...

, Against Type Theatre Company and THE NEW LATC * ''Souls on Fire'' by

Patrick Sheane Duncan Patrick Sheane Duncan (born 1947) is an American writer, film producer and director. A graduate of Grand Valley State University in Allendale Charter Township, Michigan, Duncan's career has been influenced by his Vietnam War experiences, which ...

(1996) * ''Bee-Luther-Hatchee'' by Thomas Gibbons (1999) * ''Yohen'' by

Philip Kan Gotanda Philip Kan Gotanda (born December 17, 1951) is an American playwright and filmmaker and a third generation Japanese American. Much of his work deals with Asian American issues and experiences. Biography Over the last three decades Gotanda ha ...

(1999) * ''For the Love of Freedom, Part I: Tousaint (The Soul) Rise and Revolution'' by Levy Lee Simon (2001) * ''The Last Season'' by Christopher Moore (2001) * ''For the Love of Freedom, Part II: Dessalines (The Heart) Blood and Liberation'' by Levy Lee Simon (2002) * ''For the Love of Freedom, Part III: Christophe (The Spirit) Passion and Glory'' by Levy Lee Simon (2004) * ''Permanent Collection'' by

Tomas Gibbons Tomas may refer to: People * Tomás (given name), a Spanish, Portuguese, and Gaelic given name * Tomas (given name), a Swedish, Dutch, and Lithuanian given name * Tomáš, a Czech and Slovak given name * Tomas (surname), a French and Croatian s ...

(2005) * ''Bronzeville'' by

and

(2009)

Awards

* 2001

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

, Costume Design, ''For the Love of Freedom, Part I: Toussaint (The Soul) Rise and Revolution'' * 2002

Ovation Award The Ovation Awards are a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, established in 1989. They are given out by the non-profit arts service organization LA Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. Winne ...

nomination, Ensemble Cast, ''The Last Season'' * 2002

nomination, Lighting Design, ''The Last Season'' * 2003

nomination, World Premiere Play, ''For the Love of Freedom, Part II: Dessalines (The Heart) Blood and Liberation'' *2006

LA Weekly Theater Award LA Weekly Theater Award was an annual critics' award system established in 1979, organized by the ''LA Weekly'' for outstanding achievements in small theatre productions in Southern California. Nominees were typically announced in January for E ...

nomination, Production Design, ''Permanent Collection'' *2006

LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose pare ...

Theater Award, Lighting Design (Ian Garrett), ''Permanent Collection'' *2006 LA Weekly Theater Award nomination, Set Design, ''Permanent Collection'' *2006 LA Weekly Theater Award nomination, Sound Design, ''Permanent Collection''

References

External links

Robey Theatre Company Official SiteRobey Theatre Company
on MySpace
THE ''NEW'' LATC Official Site
*
The Robeson Effect
' is a documentary feature film by Juney Smith that explores

and

's friendship and the evolution of the Robey Theatre Company. Black theatre Theatre companies in Los Angeles