Jeff Award Winner Darryl Maximilian Robinson Notes 50th Anniversary As An American Stage Performer at The Excaliber Shakespeare Company Los Angeles Archival Project

50 years ago this month, 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 of New York, The Indianapolis Shakespeare Festival and The King Richard's Faire and Bristol Renaissance Faire of Wisconsin, and St. Louis' historic Goldenrod Showboat docked at Laclede's Landing.

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."

On the occasion of his 50th Anniversary as An American Stage Performer, Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago and Excaliber Shakespeare Company Los Angeles Archival Project Founder Darryl Maximilian Robinson ( winner of both a 1997 Chicago Joseph Jefferson Citation Award for Outstanding Actor In A Principal Role In A Play and a 1997 Chicago Black Theatre Alliance / Ira Aldridge Award nomination for Best Leading Actor In A Play for his critically-praised performance as Sam Semela in the ESC's 1997 revival of Athol Fugard's powerful anti-apartheid drama "Master Harold And The Boys" presented at the Heartland Cafe Studio Theatre in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois ) talks of his most recent artistic endeavors and discusses a few of his most early Chicago Stage Roots during the April 18, 2022 edition of veteran entertainment journalist and reporter Ron Brewington's internet performing arts television show "The Actor's Choice" Episode 8.16.

After two intriguing interviews with Industry Guests TV Writer/ Producer Lloyd J. Schwartz and Stage and Screen Actress Laura Liguori, Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago Founder Darryl Maximilian Robinson talks of his early training and experiences during the third and closing segment of this informational program with Host Ron Brewington.

Happy Holidays And Enjoy.