In college, Robert studied music, voice, musical theatre, acting, and directing earning a BA in Drama, a BFA in Musical Theatre, and an MFA in Acting from the Professional Actor Training Program at the University of Tennessee, graduating as a member of the Actors' Equity Association. He performed in many plays and musicals and won awards including an Irene Ryan Nomination for Performance in Graduate School.

 

Over a 10+ year span as a collegiate and professional actor, Robert performed in 8 of the 48 contiguous states and in nearly 50 plays, musicals, and/or musical revues, including his one-man show based on the life and music of Stephen Foster called DEAR FRIENDS AND GENTLE HEARTS by written by C. Robert Jones, where he told the life story Stephen Foster while playing the guitar and singing over 20 Stephen Foster songs.

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Highlights from his acting career included Puck from A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, Frankie from FOREVER PLAID, The Emcee from CABARET, and Lord Farquaad in SHREK THE MUSICAL, to name a few.