Rob files for:
Rob saw his first professional theatre production, Juliet Prowse in Sweet Charity, at the Greek Theatre in 1967 and has been addicted to live theatre ever since. He had some early experience on stage and behind the scenes in high school and in Southern California community theatres. He spent 2004 producing for Classic American Theatre in Paso Robles.
He began reviewing for the monthly Showcase magazine in 1973, covering the professional theatres in Los Angeles. He eventually became editor in 1976. He also served as editor/co-publisher of It’s Showtime in 1996-98. He has also been a reviewer/interviewer for Dimension, Data-Boy Magazine, The Civic Star, Frontiers, Frontiers After Dark, Drama-Logue, Backstage West, L.A. Reader, Santa Barbara Independent and a few others. In 1988 he began writing the column West Coast Stages in the national publication Backstage. He then began reviewing theatre from San Diego to Sacramento and all points in between. In recent years he has written for the websites Showmag.com, Theatremania.com, StageHappenings.com and is currently reviewing for HainesHisWay.com.
He is the founder of The Robby Awards which began as a listing in Showcase magazine in January, 1975, and has since grown into an annual awards show. The 36th Robby Awards were presented in February 2023. He returned to the LADCC in 2017. He first joined in 1989 and served as Treasurer, Secretary, Vice-President, President and produced their annual awards show for five consecutive years honoring such legends as Betty Garrett, John Raitt, Carol Channing, Jack Lemmon and Polly Warfield.