Biography
Robert, originally from New Haven, Connecticut, is an actor based in Chicago. His professional career began at Joe Papp's New York Public Theatre, where he portrayed Kress in David Rabe's "The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel." He has since taken on more than one hundred roles, including Sidney Greenstreet in "Ten Chimneys" at Milwaukee Rep, Frank in "Detroit" at Steppenwolf, Big Daddy in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," Moe in "Riverview," and Dean Strauss in "Spinning Into Butter" at the Goodman Theatre. Bob is a longtime member of the Steppenwolf acting ensemble, having performed in around 40 roles over 30 years. Notable performances include Botvinnic in Lee Blessing's "A Walk in the Woods," Father Lux in "Our Lady of 121st Street," Pa Joad in "The Grapes of Wrath," and Charlie "Blackie" Blackwell in John Olive's "Killers," which he also directed at Mary Arrchie Theatre. His work extends to theaters such as Northlight, Drury Lane Water Tower, and Profiles Theatre in Chicago, as well as Dallas Theatre Center, the Players at the University of North Carolina, Saint Louis Rep, Great Lakes Shakespeare, the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Among his favorite roles is The Devil in Stravinsky's "The Soldier's Tale," performed with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. On Broadway, his credits include "The Grapes of Wrath," "The Song of Jacob Zulu," "Carousel," and "Death of a Salesman." He received the William and Eva Fox Fellowship Grant and has earned numerous Jeff Award nominations, winning for his portrayal of the Russian negotiator in Steppenwolf's "A Walk in the Woods." Robert has authored seven plays and numerous 10-minute radio plays and was a member of The Playwrights Center in Minneapolis for two years. He holds memberships in Actor's Equity, SAG-AFTRA, and The Dramatists Guild.
