Your Humble Servant In The Theatre, Darryl Maximilian Robinson, Shares Notes On An Artist's Total Responsibility To Document His Or Her Work!
"With a name like Darryl Maximilian Robinson, there's a pretty good chance you'll stand out on a theater playbill. And when the man who answers to that name conveys the poise, polish, preparedness - and talent - of a professional actor, there's every chance he'll also stand out on the stage, in theatergoers' memories and possibly, theatrical history." -- Sharon Little, Young actor Darryl Robinson: He's one in a Maximilian, THE FORT WAYNE NEWS-SENTINEL, Saturday August 29, 1981.
It never seems to be so important at the time of creation or the implementation of an artstic endeavor, but it really is the duty of every creative and performing artist to document, record and keep archival images and videos and recordings of one's work if for no other reason that keeping such documentation, such "receipts," if you will, makes it impossible for anyone to question your resume, your character or your personal or professional integrity regarding your craft.
Your humble servant in The Theatre, Darryl Maximilian Robinson, has a observation to make regarding his role of Captain Hook in The 1984 Enchanted Hills Playhouse of Syracuse, Indiana revival production of the musical "Peter Pan." Yes, it's been 39 years, but this image arouses memories of an unspoken comment. Though he would never have dared to say this to the skilled and talented Costume Designer of the show he worked with at that time: "I know I'm playing Captain Hook. But don't you think that this is a little bit over-the-top?" -- Darryl Maximilian Robinson, Founder of The Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago and The Excaliber Shakespeare Company Los Angeles Archival Project, Monday October 2, 2023.
And sometimes the greatest joy an artist can garner when they become older, and more mature, is to be able to look back upon their successes, and yes, failures, from that period of being a committed artist when they were young.
"This reviewer has usually related best to big and brawny men as Captain Hook, but lean and sinewy Darryl Maximilian Robinson, EHP’s man of all roles this year, leaves nothing to be desired in his portrayal, and like Mathis and Miss Aiello, relates well to an audience that ranges from tiny kids to their great-grandparents." -- Bill Spurgeon, Guest Reviewer, Peter Pan flies through the air with the greatest of ease, The Mail-Journal of Syracuse, Indiana, August 15, 1984.
My Fellow Stage Artists..Document Your Work.
The image featured here is that of your humble servant in The Theatre, Darryl Maximilian Robinson, as The King of Siam opposite the lovely talented actress and singer Elizabeth Lee Taylor as Mrs. in the 1984 Enchanted Hills Playhouse of Syracuse, Indiana summer stock revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and I".
"...And Darryl Maximilian Robinson handles the role of Nazi Ernst Ludwig with total success." -- Bill Spurgeon, Executive Editor of The Star Press, 'Enchanted Hills' 'Cabaret' Compelling,' The Muncie Star of Muncie, Indiana, July 3, 1984.
Unfortunately, I have lost so many photos and videos and written records of my work in The Performing Arts, and only after looking about for more than 30 years, ( in public libraries and online ) was able to rediscover quite a few of them. The Showcard "The King and I" image was made available thanks to a contribution by talented EHP Alum T. Gregg McClain, a fine young actor who I was very happy to work with at Enchanted Hills Playhouse during the summers of 1981 and 1984.
"The pace of the play improves dramatically in the second act with the arrival of Mordred, long-forgotten illegitimate son of Arthur. Darryl Maximilian Robinson injects verve and excitement into the role and dominates the stage during his moments." -- Larry Shores, Guest Reviewer, Editor of The Muncie Star, 'A Lot to Like in 'Camelot,' The Mail-Journal of Syracuse, Indiana, August 1, 1984.
Don't depend on just the latest digital technology to save, store and preserve your work. If you can, and have the physical storage space, fellow artists, keep original, hard copies of your work.
Your humble servant in The Theatre, Darryl Maximilian Robinson, shares some of his memories of daily "tech time" chores while serving as a Resident Actor during the 1981 and 1984 summer stock seasons at The Enchanted Hills Playhouse of Syracuse, Indiana.
"The Franks and the Van Daans are joined by another Jewish man, a beleaguered dentist named Dussel, and Darryl Maximilian Robinson, in this role, gave a performance overshadowed only slightly by the manner in which Miss Aiello carried the title part." - Bill Spurgeon, Guest Reviewer, 'The Diary of Anne Frank' closes 1984 playhouse season, The Mail-Journal of Syracuse, Indiana, August 22, 1984.
YOUR HUMBLE SERVANT IN THE THEATRE, CHICAGO-BORN AND STAGE-TRAINED ACTOR AND PLAY DIRECTOR DARRYL MAXIMILIAN ROBINSON, IS PLEASED TO SHARE ARCHIVED THEATRE REVIEWS REGARDING HIS AUGUST 1984 APPEARANCE AS JEWISH DENTIST DR. JAN DUSSELL IN THE ENCHANTED HILLS PLAYHOUSE OF SYRACUSE OF SYRACUSE, INDIANA REVIVAL PRODUCTION OF THE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING DRAMA "THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK."
ENTERTAINMENT, Page 39 of The South Bend Tribune of South Bend, Indiana, Friday, August 24, 1984
'Diary of Anne Frank' poses challenge
By Linda McManus
SYRACUSE - "The Diary of Anne Frank" has brought tears and a lump in the throat to millions who have either read the book or seen the film or play. A story told so often can lose its impact, but the Enchanted Hills Playhouse production, continuing though Sunday, meets the challenge.
The entire cast does justice to the diary found in an attic where a young girl and her Jewish family and friends lived for two years from the Nazis In Amsterdam. Grace Aiello, 23, plays an endearing 13 year-old Anne Frank.
"I like playing the role of Anne because I like the message that Anne offers." 'In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.' "Anne kept that optimism, whereas all the adults had given It up," Aiello said on opening night.
Aiello said she is comfortable playing someone that young. She also played Wendy in "Peter Pan" staged last week at Enchanted Hills.
She portrays Anne's vivaciousness and spunk, which at times grated on the nerves of the adults who were bogged down in frustration and fear. Aiello manages to be irritating in her nonstop patter, yet retain a winsome charm.
Stephen Monroe portrays Anne's father with Just the proper amount of wisdom and diplomacy. If at times Mr. Frank appears too good to be true, it must be remembered that this ls Anne's diary and she adored her father.
Darryl Maximilian Robinson went from playing a Nazi officer in "Cabaret" earlier this summer to playing a Jewish dentist, Mr. Dussell, in this production. He said he prefers playing Dussell because "he offers a comic touch to a dramatic role."
GERALD ARMSTRONG II and Faith A. Linn portray very well the shakey relationship of Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan. They are unafraid to throw themselves into the roles of victims who dont always retain their integrity.
The attic, divided Into four sections, is the only set. Spotlights direct the audience from one drama to the next on stage. A voiceover of Anne reading from her diary accompanies the scene changes. Aiello's strong voice is effective in moving the story along as months in hiding continue.
The cast shows the outward, as well as the inward deterioration of the characters in hiding. They showed wounds and lose the luster of good health right before our eyes.
IN TWO YEARS, love blossoms, marriages falter, children grow up. Those are developments difficult to act out In such a contained setting.
"Everyone worried about not having enough energy for drama after putting on five musicals this summer," said Robinson. "But somehow the energy came."
Anne Frank died In March 1945 after contracting typhus In Bergen-Belsea. In her diary she talked of her hopes to become a writer. The diary her father gave her when they first went into hiding afforded her that title. Her journal continues to leave Its mark.
This final production of the summer for Enchanted Hills Playhouse is offered at 8 pm. today, 8 30 pm. Saturday and 7.30 pm. Sunday.
When this theatre artist began working as a professional stage performer in the early 1980s, he never thought he would ever have to do any kind of tech design, construction, building or stagehand assignments as his sole focus and study from when he started in his first public school play performance as Mr. Jones in the December 1973 Lawrence Upper Grade Center holiday school production of "A Black Christmas Carol" on the west side of Chicago was to become the very best actor he could possibly become.
Doing Tech Jobs was something completely out of this actor's range of training and experience.
That changed in June of 1981 when he began full rehearsals and dorm room living onsite at The Enchanted Hills Playhouse of Syracuse, Indiana. Actors, musicians, interns, volunteers all did a variety of technical duties each and every weekday morning, and after some performances to ensure the next incoming summer season show to the stage was ready on time, tech work after performances late into the night.
"This reviewer continues to be impressed with the versatile talent of Darryl Maximilian Robinson, who has had key roles in the other two Enchanted Hills successes this season and who did it again in The Fantasticks as El Gallo. The role is not an easy one, and as Mr Robinson stepped from being an omniscient narrator into his other assignment as a swashbuckling microcosm of life in the real world itself, it was obvious that he can do difficult things and do them well." -- Bill Spurgeon, Playhouse version of The Fantasticks successful, The Mail-Journal of Syracuse, Indiana, July 22, 1981.
Set painting and construction, costume sewing and assemblage, stage light hanging and focusing, props collecting, theatre and lobby and toliet and dorm rooms maintenance, trash removal and dressing rooms preparation occurred every show day of a summer stock season. And these things were needed daily to keep the theatre's operation and schedule professional and on track.
And this actor proved to be truly inept with every tech assignment he was given until...skilled EHP Artistic Director Dr. Jeffrey P. Koep took this actor into Producing Director Jill M. Stover's Box Office and said to her: "Robinson is useless at tech, he's a total disaster. Do something with him."
And the lovely and patient Ms. Stover taught and trained this EHP Company Member to write, edit and prepare Program Biographies for all of the actors, musicians, staff and crew as well as to prepare and to name credit publicity photos and to write and submit press releases after she proofread, edited, corrected and approved them to go out to all the local and area newspapers.
In essence, under Producer Jill Stover's excellent guidance, for at least two to two-and-a-half hours each show day, helping to promote and market The Enchanted Hills Playhouse of Syracuse, Indiana to the outside, greater theatre going community became this actor's "tech time."
When this actor was rehired by Artistic Director Dr. Jeffrey P. Koep and Producing Director Jill M. Stover as a Resident Company Member for the 1984 summer season, he was also contracted as a Member of the Artistic Staff to serve as Assistant Director of Children's Theatre ( and to direct and stage the young audiences musical "Androcles And The Lion" ) and to be assigned hours in the Box Office as Director of Mainstage Promotion.
Here, included in this article, are a few of this EHP ALUM's 1980s Scrapbook Memories of his " tech time."
"Robinson, obviously aware past performers have played the role with angular movements, took a more flowing approach to the King, making the role his own. He rants and raves as a spoiled-child ruler, revealing the King's insecurities. His songs, when interpreted, are a delight to hear as they are full of energy and emotion." -- William Bartolini, Guest Reviewer, 'EHP's 'The King and I shows strong ensemble,' The Mail-Journal of Syracuse, Indiana, July 18, 1984.
And this lifelong stage actor and play director is delighted to share them.
P.S.: Your humble servant in The Theatre, Darryl Maximilian Robinson, begs your indulgence and patience for his recent 1980s flashbacks to the tender days when he was a young professional summer stock theatre performer in 1981 and 1984.
However, to conclude his remembrance of his time working at The Enchanted Hills Playhouse of Syracuse, Indiana, here is a 1987 local newspaper article regarding his last appearances on behalf of the EHP.
For a two-week period in the late Spring of 1987, EHP Producing Director Jill M. Stover contracted your humble servant in The Theatre, Darryl Maximilian Robinson, as well as a talented young fellow actor, Paul Gregory Nelson of Flint, Michigan, who had also previously performed at EHP, to tour to a variety of high schools in the greater Syracuse area to present a series of informative Theatre Workshops and to perform dramatic acting monologues, discuss local and area job opportunities for young high school performers interested in pursuing a career in The Theatre, and to share notes on career development and portfolio preparation.
This two-week, limited 1987 EHP Educational High School Tour Engagement would be the very last time this Chicago-born and stage-trained actor and play director would have the true pleasure of working for the knowledgeable, professional and kind Producer Jill Stover. And it was a good tour and presentation. Mr. Nelson proved to be skilled and talented and all of the students we talked with and worked with were enthusiastic in response.
I also remember this particular 1987 event because at one of the high schools we toured to I was briefly reunited with The Schmahl Brothers, who both appeared as Orphan Boys and Members of Fagin's Gang of Thieves opposite this actor's award-winning Fagin in EHP's 1981 revival of Lionel Bart's classic musical "Oliver!." And was great fun to see those fellow cast members again.
For this EHP Alum, the 1980s were truly wonderful times.
'Nuff said.
A Chicago-born and stage-trained actor and play director, celebrating nearly 50 years of stage performances, and Founder, Artistic Director and Producer of both The Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago and The Excaliber Shakespeare Company Los Angeles Archival Project, Darryl Maximilian Robinson was most recently named a winner of a 2022 Making The World Happening Award for his numerous online theatre-related offerings at Allevents.in during the early years of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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