The Board of Trustees of the Fulton Opera House Foundation announced the appointment of Marc Robin as Artistic Director of Fulton Theatre at a morning press conference on Friday, January 23, 2009.
Fulton Board President Harvey Owen opened the press conference by thanking the search committee for their work in recommending Mr. Robin to the Board for the position. "I can truly say that this committee under Ellen Groff and Deidre Simmons' leadership worked very hard and researched Mr. Robin very carefully," said Owen. "The Board felt it had big shoes to fill. Not only did we have a challenge to find a highly qualified successor to a man who dedicated himself to building up the Fulton's image but also an obligation to do so. We owed it to Michael [Mitchell], to ourselves and to the community at large."
Since October of 2008, Mr. Robin has served as Interim Artistic Director, stepping in after long-time Artistic Director Michael D. Mitchell succumbed to his battle with cancer.
Owen went on to say "we set forth to find a candidate who would bring a strong creative artistic vision to the Fulton and would nurture talent, young and old; work effectively in tandem with the other half of our management team, the inexhaustible AaRon Young; run our theatre as if it was his family, filled with compassion and heart; stay true to our mission to deliver exceptional theatre; and raise the Fulton to an internationally recognized level. I am happy to say that what we got was so much more. Therefore I am proud to announce that the Board of Trustees of the Fulton Opera House Foundation in an enthusiastically and completely unanimous vote have chosen Marc Robin as its Artistic Director."
Over the past nine years, Mr. Robin has guest directed and choreographed numerous productions at the Fulton, all of which met with great critical and audience acclaim as well as box office success. Some of his memorable productions include: Crazy for You, Hot Mikado, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Irish... and How They Got That Way, Brigadoon, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Carousel, 42nd Street, and the world premiere of Treasure Island for which he also wrote the music and co-wrote the book and lyrics.
"It is a great honor and also a heavy burden to manage this theatre that has such historical significance and such community engagement and expectations as well," said Fulton Managing Director Aaron A. Young. "And I can say on behalf of all of the staff what a joy and a lift we have experienced with Marc's help as interim artistic director since October. He has truly made this a joyous place to be and reenergized everything that we are doing, and I am very personally and professionally grateful-and I know that the staff is as well. We are very honored to have him now as part of our permanent family."
Mr. Robin along with Mr. Young addressed the audience of over 80 supporters of the Fulton and local media with his vision of the Fulton. "Our vision is to make the Fulton Theatre an internationally recognized name in the arts while at the same time building its Lancaster support and community relationships. Part of being able to take a theatre global or regional is moving in one direction. But, inherently it moves you away from the place that it started. We feel very strongly to make sure that not only are we trying to advance ourselves in the world of the national and international market, but that we do everything we can to increase our relationships here at home by extending our community outreach programs, by making sure that we are nurturing local talent, and making sure that we are not only moving this way but this way. It's a pretty fine dance; but being a choreographer, I welcome the challenge to do it."
As a freelance director/choreographer Mr. Robin has staged over 200 productions at theatres across the country including: Marriott's Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois, Walnut Street Theatre, Theatre Under The Stars (Houston), Maine State Music Theatre, Carousel Theatre, Ravinia Festival, Utah Shakespearean Festival, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace, Northlight Theatre, Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, Drury Lane Evergreen Park, Beef N Boards, Theatre at the Center, Peninsula Players, Mass Rep, Phoenix Theatre (Arizona), Bucks County Playhouse, Little Theatre on the Square, Circa' 21, Fireside Theatre and Skylight Opera.
He served as the Artistic Director for the OVATIONS series at the Auditorium Theatre where he directed several productions including Strike up the Band (starring Bea Arthur) and Promises, Promises (starring George Hearn). He served as the Artistic Director/Director for the National tour of the Sing Along Wizard of Oz. He was Artistic Director for 13 years at Drury Lane Evergreen Park and a Guest Professor at Northwestern University.
