by Kandiss Edwards
June 16, 2025
Gary Edwin Robinson has been educating Boys and Ladies Membership college students the artwork of theatre for over a decade.
Gary Edwin Robinson made historical past as the primary New Yorker to win the 2025 Excellence in Theatre Education Tony Award.
On June 8, the 78th Tony Awards aired stay on Paramount+. Robinson, a Mattress-Stuy theatre instructor for the Boys and Ladies Membership, made historical past, incomes the award. The class is comparatively new, having solely been offered for its ninth 12 months. Robinson’s speech was transient but revealed a lot concerning the educator. Theatre has been his ardour since he was a younger performer.
“The primary time I carried out at Radio Metropolis Music Corridor, I used to be 15 years outdated. I used to be singing with the all-city highschool refrain once I returned to this nice stage. I used to be singing choral backup for Miss Diana Lewis on her Take Me Greater tour.”
A teary-eyed Robinson spoke about his ardour for educating. He additionally spoke of his pleasure when his college students start to know and join with the artwork kind. Moreover, he gave a shoutout to his former educator at Howard, who guided him into the artwork of training.
He recalled his professor’s phrases, “‘You might be being skilled to coach folks for careers within the theater. You bought that particular sure it-factor in theater training.’”
He continued, “I really like working with my college students to assist them discover their theater in themselves once they shout, ‘I acquired it,’ ‘I discovered it.’ That’s what brings me the enjoyment of educating theater they’re able to see the various completely different pathways to a profession in theater they’re open to all the probabilities i’m honored to return to this nice stage because the recipient of the 2025 Excellence in Theater Schooling award.”
As an educator and inventive, Robinson engages in all aspects of the stage. He’s a author, producer, actor, and director. Chatting with The New York Submit, Robinson mentioned the appliance of theatre expertise in actual life. Though not all Boys and Ladies Membership attendees have desires of gracing the stage, the talents they study may be helpful. He tells his potential athletes that the talent can be utilized to achieve endorsements.
“I inform [athletes], ‘You’re going to be chosen for a group and with sports activities figures, you need to do endorsements. That’s theater proper there; you’ve acquired to promote the product, and that’s the place the theater is available in, and that’s why you’re taking this class,” Robinson informed the submit.
Actively educating for over a decade, Robinson’s college students have gone on to behave in productions and write for tv.
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