Darryl Maximilian Robinson Details His Actor's "Day Gigs"

Your Humble Servant In The Theatre, Darryl Maximilian Robinson of The Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago and The Excaliber Shakespeare Company Los Angeles Archival Project, would like to take a moment to address the essential issue of "DAY GIGS"!

In a perfect world, a truly talented and gifted performing artist or presenter would have no financial issues or worries of any kind because there would be a relentless and unending stream of show biz job offers and opportunities which would provide SO MUCH WORK FOR THE ARTIST that he or she would never, ever be concerned with obtaining gainful employment outside of their desired or chosen profession.

It is therefore important to note that most performers, particularly thespians, do not live in a perfect world.

In between acting and directing and writing and designing assignments, most thespians and many film and television industry participants, do have to take an occasional, and sometimes, frequent "Day Gig" in order to make ends meet until they amass so much fame and fortune that working a "Day Gig" is rendered no longer necessary.

There is no shame in this.

Indeed, many performing artists when they expand to become writers and content creators utilize humorous experiences from their "Day Gigs" as material to draw from for future arts and entertainment related endeavors.

Your humble servant in the Theatre takes pride in having worked as a Security Guard, a Tour Guide, a Movie Theatre Ticket Taker, a Live Theatre Usher and a Stage Doorman when paying acting roles were not available.

And many of those "Day Gigs" provided knowledge, experience and benefits in both his original hometown of Chicago and in LA.

IT IS ALWAYS WISE FOR A PERFORMING ARTIST TO TAKE PRIDE IN HIS OR HER NON-PERFORMANCE RELATED WORK...EVEN IF IT'S JUST A DAY GIG!

Darryl Maximilian Robinson has become noted as the very first black actor in American Theatre History to portray on stage a trio of classic dramatic roles including: Sir Thomas More in Robert Bolt's "A Man For All Seasons" ( in a 1984 revival presented by The University Players of The University of Missouri-St. Louis and directed by AEA Member John Grassilli at The Benton Hall Theater ); King Henry II in a 1992 multiracial cast revival of James Goldman's "The Lion In Winter ( directed by Mr. Robinson for his chamber theatre Excaliber Productions, Ltd in St. Louis and staged at The Wabash Triangle Cafe ); and Andrew Wyke ( opposite the talented actor Sean Nix as Milo Tindle ) in a 2000, 30th Anniversary, all-black cast revival of Anthony Shaffer's "Sleuth" presented under Mr. Robinson's direction by his chamber theatre The Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago at The Harrison Street Galleries Studio Theatre of Oak Park, Illinois. Most recently, Darryl Maximilian Robinson was named a winner of a 2022 Making The World Happening Award for his numerous online theatre-related offerings at Allevents.in.