Theater’s 90-year-old namesake still acting
■ Horace Robinson built
the University’s theater
department into a
top-notch program
By Rory Carroll
Oregon Daily Emerald
For many students, Robinson
Theatre is just the name of anoth
er campus building. What they
may not realize is that Horace
Robinson, the man who built the
University’s theater program, still
lives in Eugene and continues to
be active in the theater.
Joseph Gilg, development di
rector of University Theatre, said
that today’s program is a reflec
tion of Horace’s values.
“He’s the man for our pro
gram,” Gilg said, who has known
Robinson since 1973. “The pro
gram was built by him.”
Robinson first arrived here in
1933, accepting the considerable
challenge of being one of the
founding teachers at the universi
ty and later taking on the task of
designing the theater.
Born in Apache, Okla., Robin
son’s interest in theater began in
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junior high. Robinson graduated
from the University of Iowa and
later went on to receive a gradu
ate degree.
When he arrived, the theater
department consisted of only one
other faculty member. Robinson
began as the technical director
and scene designer. He said that
the theater program has changed
considerably since then.
“It has increased, of course,
considerably in size,” Robinson
said. “We had a very active pro
gram at the time. We did six
shows a year. It was, I guess, easi
er, because there wasn’t any TV
competition and very little of the
theater in Eugene. So the Univer
sity Theater was the main dramat
ic outlet of the town at the time.”
The theater began with a lot of
public interest.
“We had very good audiences.
I would say, much more town
participation than student,’ he
said.
Robinson said that, over time,
the theater has become a pre
dominately student-oriented
place.
Before the theater took Robin
son’s name, the theater was
named the University Theater.
There was a move to change the
theater’s name when Robinson
retired In 1975.
Robinson said that the Univer
sity’s theater was once the major
theater in the Northwest and ex
cellent by 1949 standards, but
that it has not progressed to meet
20th-century standards.
“At the time, it was the best in
the country,” Robinson said.
“Things have progressed,
changed considerably both in
terms of plays and material and
methods and technology and so
forth and unfortunately the pres
ent theater hasn’t kept up with
those. It is, shall we say, rapidly
becoming an outmoded theater.”
The same can not be said for
Robinson the man. Married for
76 years and having celebrated
his 90th birthday last October,
Robinson is still active in the the
ater community. He still finds
time to do a little directing, act
ing and writing.
“But the opportunities for that
are decreasing,” Robinson said
with a laugh.
He added'that he never misses
a campus performance.
His “pet project” is a ten-year
old Readers Theater Group.
Robinson said that they perform
four or five shows a week, and
that helps him stay active. They
have performed over 900 per
formances and will reach 1,000
sometime in July, according to
Robinson.
“It’s a welcome outlet for me
because it still keeps me going,”
he said.
■Thursday, May 18
7 p.m. — Cynthia Beal with the Bleu
Tie Affaire (torch ballads), Chez
Ray’s, 30 W. 10th. Free.
7 p.m.—Campus Orchestra, Room
198 Music School. Free.
8 p.m.—The Red Elvises and The
Brainwashers (surf swing), WOW
Hall, 291 W. Eighth Ave. $7.
8 p.m.—Tony Rae Group (jazz),
Foxfire Restaurant and Bar, 4740
Main St., Springfield. Free.
8 p.m. — “Ground Zero: Reinventing
Dance in theYear2000” Spring stu
dent dance concert, Dougherty
Dance Theater, Gerlinger Annex.
Tickets $3 for students, $6 general
admission. Also runsat 8 p.m. Friday.
8 p.m.—Middle Eastern Dance
6uilde, Cafe Paradiso, 115 W. Broad
way. $3.
9 p.m.—The Lazy Eights (funk),
Sam Bond’s Garage, 407 Blair Blvd.
$3-5 cover.
9 p.m.—Grooveyard (funk and
rock), Good Times Cafe and Bar, 375
E 7th Ave. $4.
9:30 p.m. — jazz Jam Session, Jo
Federigo’s Restaurant and Jazz Club,
259 E. Fifth Ave. Free.'
9:30 p. m. — Georgette Dash i el I, The
Buzz Coffeehouse. Free. Ends at
11:30 p.m.
9:30 p.m. — Fritz & The Poor Boys
(rock), Blackforest Tavern, 2657
Willamette. Free.
10 p.m. — 80s Night (dance), John
Henry’s, 136 E. 11th Ave. No cover
charge for women, men $2.
■Friday, May 19
8 p.m. — “Point Blank’’ (film), 180
PIC. $2-3.
8:30 p.m, — Madison & McCoy
(acoustic), Cafe Paradiso. $2-5,
9 p.m.—Lazoo (acid funk), Good
TimesCafeandBar,$5.
9 p.m.—Groove Juice Special; Wild
Duck Music Hall, 169 W. 6th. $7 at
the door.
9 p.m. — Easy Target, The Varicoast
ers, lando Calrissian (punk, ska).
9:30 p.m. — Stone Cold Jazz. Chez
Hell Cats (rock and roll), Foxfire
Restaurant. Two-drink minimum.
9:30 p.m.—Three Bricks Shy (psy
chedelic rock), Blackforest Tavern.
Free.
9:30 p.m.—Alan Charing & Ben
Gilde (acoustic), Sam Bond’s Garage.
$3-5 cover.
9:30 p.m. — Freedom Funk Ensem
ble, jo Federigo’s. $2 cover.
10 p.m.—Who Flung Pooh?, DMR,
System 13 (alternative rock), John
Henry’s. $3 cover.
10 pm.—Kerosene Dream (rock),
Taylor’s Bar and Grill, 894 E 13th. $4.
■Saturday, May 20
7:30 p.m.—Young Women’s The
ater Collective with Guys (drama,
comedy), WOW Hall. $5-15. Also
Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
9 pm.—Joni Rodgers and Rich
Marks (stand-up), Kowloon's, 2222
Centennial Blvd, $6
9 p.m.—Workman Project (groove
rock), Good Times Cafe and Bar. $5.
9:30 p.m, — Juba Ijo Federigo’s
Restaurantand Jazz Club, $2 cover.
9:30 p.m.—Aiko Shimada and J.R,
(acoustic), Sam Bond’s Garage. $3-5
cover.
9:30 p.m.—Marianne Pearl, Chez
Ray’s. Free.
9:30 p.m. — Johnny Angel and the
Hell Cats (rockand roll), Foxfire
Restaurantand Bar. Two-drink mini
mum.
9:30 p.m. —Jubal (jazz rock}, Black
forest Tavern. Free.
10 p. m.—Spread Eagle, Pass Out
Kings, Shapeshifter, Dim Fabian
(punk rock), John Henry’s. $4 cover.
10 p.m,—Norma Fraser (Reggae),
Taylor’s Bar and Grill. $5.
■Sunday, May 21
i pm—University Gospel Ensem
ble, Beall Hall $3-5.
9 pm. —Open Mic, Blackforest Tav
& Casey Neill, Sam Bond’s Garage.
, $3*5 cover,
9 p.m, — Mark Alan (acoustic guitar
and vo! ; :
- ■ 1' .
Nines, The Pawns (punk rock), John
Henry’s. $3 cover.
■ Monday, May 22
6:30 p.m. — Open Mic sign up (show
begins at 9 p.m.), Jo Federigo’s
Restaurant and Jazz Club. Free.
8 p.m.—Open Mic, Chez Ray’s.
Free.
8 p.m.—Open Mic, Foxfire Restau
rant and Bar. Free.
8:30 p.m. — Open Mic Night, Cafe
Paradiso. Free.
9 p.m.—Open poetry night, The
Buzz Coffeehouse. Free. Ends at
11:30 p.m.
9 p.m. —Ty Connor, Sam Bond’s
Garage. $2.
10 p.m. —Mixology 101 (house,
jungle, trip-hop), John Henry’s. No
cover charge for women, men $2.
■Tuesday, May 23
8 p.m. — Emerald Valley Music Ses
sions (rockand roll), Foxfire Restau
rant and Bar. Free.
8 p.m.—UO Campus Band, Beall
Hall. Free.
8:30 p.m. — Barbara Dzuro Jazz Pi
ano, jo Federigo’s. Free.
8:30 p.m.—Fred Van Vactor
(acoustic), Caf£ Paradiso. Free.
9:30 p.m.—In the Dead of the
Night, Chez Ray's. Free.
9 p.m. —The Original R Funkadel
ic/ Parliament (funk), WOW Hall.
$18-20.
10 p.m.—Justice League of Ameri
ca Night at the House (house), John
Henry’s. No cover charge for
women, men $2.
■Wednesday, May 24
7 p.m> —John Barley, Chez Ray’s.
Free.
8 p.m.—University Symphony,
Beall Hall. $5-6.
8 p.m.—"La jetSe” (film with live
.