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Robert Z Grant

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Robert Z Grant BIO

ROBERT Z GRANT is a New York-based actor, triple-threat improviser, and author.

At 17, Robert moved to New York to study Dance at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he was one of only two men accepted into the program that year. He has since worked with some amazing talents. He trained as an actor with Bill Esper at the William Esper Studio in New York, studied clowning and Commedia with Christopher Bayes at The Public Theater and at Juilliard, and honed his improv chops in the tradition of Second City.

Robert was a long-standing cast member of the award-winning improvised musical comedy BROADWAY'S NEXT HIT MUSICAL, and he toured the country and internationally performing with the show for over ten years. Other credits include: five years of the COLLECTIVE:10 play festival; Tomas in 42 SECONDS OF HAPPINESS and THE RAINBOW EXPERIMENT (both indie feature films); several short films; and all five seasons of INSIDE AMY SCHUMER (Comedy Central and Paramount+).

Robert is a founding member and former co-Artistic Director of The Collective NY, a not-for-profit theatre and film production company. Since the company’s founding in 2007, Robert has performed in, produced and directed numerous shows. He was nominated for a NY Innovative Theatre Award in 2011 for Outstanding Direction of a Play for “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me." He conceived and developed The Collective’s successful NO EMPTY SEATS initiative which provides up to half of the seats for every Collective performance for free and on a pay-what-you-can basis in support of the company’s mission of accessibility to quality theatre. In 2013, Robert had his first play, OUTSIDE THE BOX, published as part of the "Collective:10 Anthology, Vol. 1," a book which he also designed and edited.

Robert was inducted into Dowling High School's Performing Arts Hall of Fame in 2013, and has returned to offer coaching, talkbacks and workshops to current students.

Robert teaches improvisation at colleges and high schools across the country. In New York, he is a member of faculty at the William Esper Studio. He has performed and led workshops at the American Comedy Institute, the International Center for Photography, ComedySportz NY, the Children’s Acting Academy, and for such companies as CNN Money, IBM, Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, Merrill Lynch, Crayola, Heineken USA and others.

Robert’s book, "Improv and the Actor's Imagination – An Essential Guide to Get Yourself Into Trouble”, was released in 2021. Signed copies are available at the Drama Book Shop, and by request at improvforactors.org. The follow-up book, “Improv Builds Character”, which focuses on the ever-important “who” of our improvisation work is slated for release in 2023.

Robert Z Grant News


TWISTED World Premiere Begins Tonight at Theater for the New City


Theater for the New City's world premiere of Joel Greenhouse's TWISTED, a campy comedy with songs, directed by Joe John Battista, with original music by Peter W. Dizozza, begins performances tonight and runs through October 15, 2023. Learn more about the show and how to get tickets here!

TWISTED World Premiere Comes to Theater For The New City


Theater for the New City presents the world premiere of Joel Greenhouse's TWISTED, a dark comedy with songs, directed by Joe John Battista, with original music by Peter W. Dizozza, running September 28 - October 15, 2023. Previews begin on September 28 for a September 30 opening.

Theater for the New City Presents the World Premiere of COLD BLOODED


Theater for the New City presents the world premiere of Joel Greenhouse's COLD BLOODED, directed by Joe John Battista, running November 10 - 27, 2022. Previews begin November 10 for a November 12 opening.

World Premiere of Joel Greenhouse's COLD BLOODED to be Presented at Theater For The New City in November


Theater for the New City will present the world premiere of Joel Greenhouse's COLD BLOODED, directed by Joe John Battista, running November 10 - 27, 2022. Previews begin November 10 for a November 12 opening.

BROADWAY'S NEXT HIT MUSICAL Comes To Montalvo Arts Center In Saratoga


The only unscripted theatrical award show of its kind, Broadway's Next Hit Musical hits the stage with some of New York's finest master improvisers at Montalvo Arts Center. Gathering made-up hit song suggestions from the audience, these pros then create a spontaneous showcase of music, humor, and laughter. The audience votes for their favorite song, and watches as the cast turns it on-the-spot into a full blown musical-complete with memorable characters, witty dialogue, and plot twists galore. Hailed as all-improvised and all-funny, this evening is indeed a one-of-a-kind experience. Broadway's Next Hit Musical will be presented 8:00pm, Friday, May 3 at Montalvo Arts Center, 15400 Montalvo Rd., Saratoga. For tickets ($59 Reserved, $65 Premier) or more information, the public may visit www.montalvoarts.org or call 408-961-5858.

The Collective NY Announces The Appointment Of Sayra Player And Ross Degraw As Co-Artistic Directors


The Board of Directors of The Collective NY announces the appointment of Sayra Player and Ross DeGraw as the company's next Co-Artistic Directors, effective immediately.

BWW Review: BROADWAY'S NEXT H!T MUSICAL at Starlight Indoor Theatre KC


Starlight Indoor Theatre KC closes their winter season with the hilarious 'Broadway's Next H!T Musical' a musical-comedy improvisation created on stage from audience suggested material. Showing Feb 27- March 4, 2018, #PhonyAwards on Facebook and Instagram at BroadwaysNextHitmusical

The Collective NY Gets Raw for Its Fifth Collective 10 Play Festival


Coming off of four previous sold-out festivals, The Collective NY returns for a 5th year of the wildly popular Collective:10 Play Festival, with 11 world premiere ten-minute plays in two programs. All of the plays presented, plus two additional selections, will be published in a fifth volume of the best-selling The Collective:10 Anthology.

The Collective NY to Premiere December C:10 with Three New Plays


On the heels of the fourth annual sold-out production of the Collective:10 short play festival, The Collective NY is back for one more week in December and proud to present three new plays plus two encores from past Collective:10 productions.

The Collective NY to Take on Gay Conversion Therapy in THE RETREAT Benefit Reading


The Collective NY under their Collective: Next Stage (C:NXT) banner presents a staged reading of THE RETREAT, a new play written by Brandon T. Snider, on Sunday, December 3rd. Richard Masur (TRANSPARENT) is set to direct.

The Collective NY to Take on Gay Conversion Therapy in THE RETREAT Benefit Reading


The Collective NY under their Collective: Next Stage (C:NXT) banner presents a staged reading of THE RETREAT, a new play written by Brandon T. Snider, on Sunday, December 3rd. Richard Masur (TRANSPARENT) is set to direct.

BWW Reviews: BROADWAY'S NEXT H!T MUSICAL Showcases an Unconventional Concept With Strong Performances at GSU's PAC


Do you ever go to a night of theatre positive that you'll leave there feeling something? Going into 'Broadway's Next H!t Musical' at the Performing Arts Center at Georgia Southern, I was pretty sure the show would either be really funny or ridiculously lame.

The Collective NY Kicks Off 2nd Annual COLLECTIVE:10 Festival Today


The Collective NY presents the 2nd annual COLLECTIVE:10, two curated programs of new 10-minute plays. Performances begin today, October 8 at Teatro Circulo. Last year's inaugural Collective:10 performed to sold-out audiences and featured the talents of Ellen Burstyn and Elizabeth Kemp. This season's plays, selected from over 1000 blind submissions, will also be published as an anthology.

The Collective NY to Kick Off 2nd Annual COLLECTIVE:10 Festival, 10/8


The Collective NY presents the 2nd annual COLLECTIVE:10, two curated programs of new 10-minute plays. Performances begin October 8 at Teatro Circulo. Last year's inaugural Collective:10 performed to sold-out audiences and featured the talents of Ellen Burstyn and Elizabeth Kemp. This season's plays, selected from over 1000 blind submissions, will also be published as an anthology.

THE COLLECTIVE: 10 PLAY FESTIVAL with Burstyn, Thomas, Sullivan and More Kicks Off Today


The Collective NY presents THE COLLECTIVE:10 PLAY FESTIVAL, two programs of 10-minute plays directed, produced, and performed by members of the permanent ensemble and Collective colleagues including artists from The Actors Studio, Chris Sullivan (Broadway's Lombardi and Nice Work If You Can Get It) and writer Greg DePaul (Bride Wars, Saving Silverman). Performances begin today, October 9 at The McGinn/Cazale Theater. The plays, selected from over 300 blind submissions, will also be published as an anthology.

THE COLLECTIVE: 10 PLAY FESTIVAL with Burstyn, Thomas, Sullivan and More to Kick Off Oct 9


The Collective NY presents THE COLLECTIVE:10 PLAY FESTIVAL, two programs of 10-minute plays directed, produced, and performed by members of the permanent ensemble and Collective colleagues including artists from The Actors Studio, Chris Sullivan (Broadway's Lombardi and Nice Work If You Can Get It) and writer Greg DePaul (Bride Wars, Saving Silverman). Performances begin October 9 at The McGinn/Cazale Theater. The plays, selected from over 300 blind submissions, will also be published as an anthology.

The Barns at Wolf Trap Announces Upcoming Performances


The Barns at Wolf Trap will feature the following performances in April.

Broadway’s Next H!T Musical Returns to The Triad


The MAC award-winning, BROADWAY'S NEXT H!T MUSICAL is set to return to The Triad to help celebrate the upcoming theatrical awards season by continuing to bring the glitz and glam to the Upper West Side with New York's only unscripted theatrical awards show, "The Phony's". The show will run from May 11 through June 8, on Friday nights only, at 7 PM.

2011 NY Innovative Theatre Awards Honor Robert Patrick et al.' Winners Announced!


On Monday September 19, 2011, the IT Awards (New York Innovative Theatre Awards), the organization dedicated to celebrating Off-Off-Broadway, and host comedian Harrison Greenbaum, announced the 2011 recipients at the Seventh Annual IT Awards Ceremony at Cooper Union. This year's nominees represent 169 individual artists, 55 productions and 45 theatre companies. In 2011, the IT Awards had the most individual nominees than in any previous season with 169 nominees.

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