Comedian Robert Post to Celebrate 40th Anniversary at CAPA, 3/7-8

Actor, mime, puppeteer, juggler, ventriloquist, stand-up comedian, and improvising whirling dervish Robert Post is a one-man variety show now celebrating 40 years in a career that has taken him around the globe. From meticulously crafted routines to freestyle improvisations, Post is a brilliant physical comedian whose lightning-quick character changes and physical dexterity leaves audiences howling with laughter. Throughout these two special performances, Post will debut never-before-seen video clips from his upcoming documentary due out in late 2014. The film is a record of Post's career experiences while touring the world for the past 30 years.

CAPA presents Robert Post: Post Comedy Theatre at the Lincoln Theatre (769 E. Long St.) on Friday and Saturday, March 7 and 8, at 8 pm. Tickets are $25 and $30 at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Individuals aged 13-25 may purchase $5 PNC Arts Alive All Access tickets while available. For more information, visit www.GoFor5.com.

This performance is made possible through the generous support of The Kridler Family Fund of The Columbus Foundation and 2013-14 CAPA season sponsor American Airlines.

Two major influences sparked Post's child­hood desire to go into show business-the sight of his Italian grandmother, Assunta DiMenna, spontaneously dancing and singing at any family occasion (including funerals), and the classic vaudeville jug­gling and specialty acts featured on the "Ed Sullivan Show."

When Post was at a loss for a major as a freshman at The Ohio State University, he signed up for classes in absurdist literature because he liked the sound of "absurd." After a year of devouring works by Beckett, Pinter, Ionesco, Genet, and others, Post was enchanted and thought that all great literature was written this way. This was the second beginning of his warped sense of humor.

The first developed throughout 12 years of Catholic school (during which he read nothing). In spite of the fact that he holds the record for the most discipline marks in St. Augustian Elementary School's history for "difficulties" with attention, conduct, tardiness, and obedience, he has turned out to be a dedicated student of life.

Post's career as a performing artist would never have happened if he had been successful at his first love, golf. But being half Italian, he struggled with his temper as a player. He did enjoy success as a caddy and carried the bags of some of the greatest players of all time including Byron Nelson, Tom Weiskoff, Lanny Watkins, Judy Rankin, and Chi Chi Rodriguez.

In 1978, in an obsessive quest to find a teacher who could help him blend his love of character work with the magical techniques of the movement arts, Post traveled to the woods of Maine to take a workshop with the visionary theatre artist, Tony Montanaro. This began the founda­tion of Post's unique creative style and his longtime artistic collaboration with Tony.

While he usually performs in theaters, over the years, Post has performed in almost every conceivable setting includ­ing concert halls, street corners, dinner theaters, prisons, factories, TV com­mercials, homeless shelters, festivals, and with symphony orchestras. His creative process has always been influenced by the wide variety of places and people he experiences.

He has created more than 30 works for which he has received numerous awards and fel­lowships from such organizations as the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council for the Arts, and the Ohio Arts Council. PBS produced a documentary of his stage performance that was shown internationally, winning the Central Education Network Award for Best Performance Program. Post is also an alumnus of the Affiliate Artists program and has toured his one-man performance to 46 US states, Canada, Mexico, Russia, the Mediterranean, Japan, and Turkey.

Post Comedy Theatre was presented by Broadway's New Victory Theater to rave reviews and sold-out houses. In addition to his touring, Post has helped direct various productions including Cinderella, Coppelia, and The Nutcracker for BalletMet Columbus as well as Theater Productions of Noises Off and Urinetown. He also serves as a visiting artist in theatre at The Ohio State University.