Darryl Maximilian Robinson Notes St. Louis Stage Experiences On 'The Actor's Choice'

Last month marked a special achievement for experienced theatre artist Darryl Maximilian Robinson, Founder, Artistic Director and Producer of the multiracial chamber theatre Excaliber Productions, Ltd. in St. Louis, Missouri and the multiracial chamber theater known as The Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago, Illinois.

 

50 years ago, on December 21, 1973, a skinny, apprehensive, stage-frightened, 13-year-old, African-American kid walked upon a makeshift stage in the gym at a now nonexistent middle school, the West Side of Chicago's Robert H. Lawrence Upper Grade Center, to play the role of Mr. Jones in that Chicago Public Schools facility's holiday play for students and staff entitled "A Black Christmas Carol." By the end of the second school day performance of that work ( after receiving ample laughs and applause ), the kid knew, above all else, he wanted to be an actor, a professional actor in The Theatre, and he would do all that would be required of him as a Student of The Performing Arts to achieve that goal.

 

During his high school years, ( as a Student Performer at Albert G. Lane Technical High School and Whitney M. Young Magnet High School for The Performing Arts, and as A Guest Student Actor Performer at Josephinum High School for Girls ) he would go on to perform many roles and receive educational training at many facilities. He would happily work with numerous professional arts educators, who were also working professionals in The Windy City's entertainment industry, including four years ( 1975-1979 ) giving public performances and receiving quality musical theatre training with The Chicagoland High School Theatrical Troupe.

 

And by 1980, he was a working, paid for his craft, stage performer. His 1980s stage credits would include roles with The National Shakespeare Company Tour of New York, The Indianapolis Shakespeare Festival, The King Richard's Faire and Bristol Renaissance Faire of Kenosha, Wisconsin, The University Players of The University of Missouri-St. Louis ( where in 1984 under the skilled direction of veteran Gateway City  actor John Grassilli he became the first African-American actor ever to play the leading role of Sir Thomas More in a revival of Robert Bolt's play "A Man For All Seasons" at The Benton Hall Theater ), The Theatre Project Company of St. Louis ( where in 1984 under the direction of Deborah Lynn Wickes he earned rave reviews - including one from noted Critic-At-Large, the late Joe Pollack of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch - for his performance as The Cowardly Lion in "The Wizard of Oz" ) and St. Louis' historic Goldenrod Showboat docked at Laclede's Landing ( where in 1987 under the fine guidance of then Owner/Producer/Director/Adaptor and well-known St. Louis tv news personality John Auble, he starred for 10 weeks as the villainous Professor Moriarty in a vaudeville musical rendition of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" ).

 

Ten years after his first appearance on the stage, he was honored to play The City of Chicago's Historic Founder. For a time, in 1983 ( just two years after winning the 1981 Fort Wayne News-Sentinel Reviewer's Recognition Award for Outstanding Thespian of the Season for a gallery of his stage roles, particularly for the part of Fagin in a revival of Lionel Bart's classic musical "Oliver!" at Enchanted Hills Playhouse of Syracuse, Indiana ), for the highly-regarded Urban Gateways arts and educational organization, Chicago-born and stage-trained actor and play director Darryl Maximilian Robinson, toured to numerous public and private schools throughout the greater Chicagoland area playing the Caribbean Island-born, African-American, French and English speaking Frontiersman and Founder of The City of Chicago, Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable ( 1745-1818 ), in local playwright Alice Rubio's highly-effective, one-act historical drama "Chicago: A Tale of One City."

 

In 1990, Darryl Maximilian Robinson returned to The Gateway City and brought his multiracial chamber theater, Excaliber Productions Ltd. to St. Louis for a five-year residency, presenting well-received multicultural cast productions of such works as a staging of "A Child's Christmas In Wales And More Tales" by Dylan Thomas, "Waiting For Godot" by Samuel Beckett, "The Lion In Winter" by James Goldman, "Long Day's Journey Into Night" by Eugene O'Neill, "Master Harold And The Boys" by Athol Fugard, "The Zoo Story" by Edward Albee, a musical version of Noel Coward's "Private Lives," a mounting of "The Raven And Six Other Points of Interest" by Edgar Allan Poe, and his original one-man show of Shakespeare and time-travel comedy "A Bit of the Bard," presented at such venues as The Utopian Loft Theatre and Gallery, The Midtown Arts Center, The Historic Second Presbyterian Church of The Central West End, The Focal Point of Webster Groves, The Red Sea Restaurant of University City, Cummel's Cafe Studio Theatre of Downtown St. Louis and the much-missed Wabash Triangle Cafe.

 

In 1992, Darryl Maximilian Robinson received a Certificate of Honourary Membership Award from The Harpooners of the Sea Unicorn ( The Sherlock Holmes Society of St. Charles, Missouri ) for his staging and performance in the title role of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes: The Final Problem!" in an adaptation by KDHX radio personality Chuck Lavazzi which was staged at The Midtown Arts Center and which subsequently toured to numerous venues, including public schools in The Greater St. Louis area.

 

On the occasion of his 50th Anniversary as An American Stage Performer, Darryl Maximilian Robinson ( winner of both a 1997 Chicago Joseph Jefferson Citation Award for Outstanding Actor In A Principal Role In A Play for his critically-praised performance as Sam Semela in The Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago staging of Athol Fugard's "Master Harold And The Boys" at The Heartland Cafe Studio Theatre of Rogers Park and a 2019 Broadwayworld Chicago Award nomination for Best Performer In A Musical or Revue for his portrayal of the dual roles of The Chairman Mr. William Cartwright and Mayor Thomas Sapsea in the 2018 Saint Sebastian Players of Chicago revival of Rupert Holmes' Tony Award-winning Best Musical Whodunit "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" at The Windy City's more than a century old St. Bonaventure Church of West Lakeview ) discusses a few of his most early Chicago And St Louis Stage Roots and several of his Los Angeles Stage Roles ( where he has now performed for more than a decade  ) during the September 19, 2016 edition of veteran entertainment journalist and reporter Ron Brewington's internet performing arts television show "The Actor's Choice" Episode 2.37. This program is available for viewing at YouTube.

 

After an intriguing interview with Guest Actor John Ruskin, Founder of The Ruskin School of Acting in Santa Monica, California, Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago Founder Darryl Maximilian Robinson talks of his training and experiences during the second half-hour of this informational program with Host Ron Brewington.

 

 

Most recently, Darryl Maximilian Robinson was named a winner of a 2022 Making The World Happening Award from Allevents.in for his numerous online theatre-related offerings during the early years of The Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Happy New Year And Enjoy.