Biography of Rob Urbinati

Rob was a Theatre Consultant for Home Box Office in New York City from 1985-1989. He received an M.A. from the University of Nebraska and a Ph.D. from the University of Oregon, and directed over forty plays at theatres across the country before returning to New York in 1995. Since that time, Rob directed a workshop production of Hazelwood Jr. High, his first play, for the Directors Company. The play was then directed by Scott Elliott for the New Group, starring Chloe Sevigny. A scene from the play is published in Smith & Kraus's "Best Stage Scenes 2000." Rob curated Lunatics & Lovers: A Strindberg Salon for the Culture Project, and his adaptation of Miss Julie in Hollywood, which was part of that event, transferred to the 78th Street Theatre Lab. His adaptation of Mary McCarthy's short story, Cruel & Barbarous Treatment, which premiered at the Culture Project, transferred to Israel Horowitz' Gloucester Stage Company in Massachusetts (Ten Best Productions of the Year, The Boston Phoenix.) Rob directed Staceyann Chin's Border/Clash for the Culture Project, James Armstrong's Foggy Bottom at the Abingdon, Pirandello's The Man With the Flower in His Mouth for Classic Stage Company, Angel Street at the Pearl Theatre, Maria Irene Fornes' Springtime at HERE, the premiere of Eric Bogosian's Griller for Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Kirk Bromley's Syndrome at the Greenwich St. Theatre, and Bromley and Jessica Grace Wing's Lost for the 2003 New York Fringe Festival (Best Musical). Since receiving a Fellowship from the Drama League in 1995, Rob has enjoyed a continuing relationship with that organization. He has served on the Selection Committees for the Fall Directors Program, the Summer Directors Program, the New Plays Program, and the Drama League Nominating Committee. For the Drama League, he directed Inge's The Boy in the Basement at Westbeth, Max Sparber's Cruelties as part of their New Works Program, Tom Grady's Global Village for their New American Plays Initiative and Sparber's The Older Gentleman as part of the Vital Drama League Alumnifest. Rob directed Kirk Smith's Deluge at Concordia College, Wasserman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at the University of Oregon, Hellman's The Children's Hour for Bloomsburg University, Anderson's Bad Seed at Doane College, Guare's Landscape of the Body and Shakepspeare's The Winter's Tale at the University of Nebraska, and Jeff Whitty's Suicide Weather at New York University. At the Blue Barn Theatre in Omaha, he directed Toxic Avenger: The Musical! for which he wrote book and lyrics, and Sparber's Cruelties & Chelsea: From A to B and Back Again. Rob is Director of New Play Development at Queens Theatre in the Park, where he curates the Immigrant Voices Project, a new play program which develops plays by writers who represent the diverse demographic of New York City. IVP has presented over thirty readings, workshops and full productions including Andy Bragen's Greater Messapia and Qui Nguyen's Trial By Water. At QTP, he has directed many plays including Marry Me A Little with Brent Barrett and Sally Mayes, Angel Street, Over the River and Through the Woods, I Love My Wife, Master Class and Max Sparber's Minstrel Show or The Lynching of William Brown, which he then directed at the Connelly Theatre in Manhattan, the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburg, the Blue Barn Theatre in Nebraska and Theatreworks in Colorado. Also at Theatreworks, Rob directed Kiss Me, Kate with Robert Westenberg and Kim Crosby, and his adaptation of Cole Porter's Nymph Errant (Best Musical, Denver Post). His play, Karaoke Night at the Suicide Shack, premiered at QTP directed by Dan Fields and Alex Aron. The People Speak, his adaptation of Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove's "Voices of a People's History of the United States" premiered at the Culture Project in September 2006 as part of the Impact Festival. His new musical, Shangri La, based on the sixties girl group, opened at QTP in November. Recently, he directed Suzan-Lori Parks' 365 Days/365 Plays at QTP and the Public Theatre. His new play, West Moon Street, based on a novella by Oscar Wilde, was presented as part of The Acting Company's Salon Series, with Dana Ivey and by the Prospect Theatre Company in New York directed by Davis McCallum. Rob also recently directed Jan Buttram's The President and Her Mistress at the Abingdon Theatre and Minstrel Show or the Lynching of William Brown at New Jersey Repertory Company. Three productions that Rob has directed, Lost, Syndrome, and Border/Clash, and one that he wrote, Hazelwood Jr. High, were selected to be videotaped for the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Rob is a member of the Dramatists Guild, and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers He is represented by Bruce Ostler at Bret Adams Ltd.