ROBIN & ME:
My Little Spark of Madness
April 15-May 14, 2023
Written & Performed by Dave Droxler
Dave’s got a lot on his mind. And the only person who can help him unpack it all is his imaginary friend and real life idol: Robin Williams. Robin and Me: My Little Spark Of Madness is an autobiographical play that follows Dave Droxler as he becomes multiple characters and whimsically relives hilarious and difficult life moments, including the times when his father dropped the ball and Robin stepped in to get him through it. But how long will it take before Dave learns how to do it without Robin’s help?
DIrected by CHad Austin
410 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
Click here for Google map directions.
Playing at theatre 4 in theatre row
Special Events
Abingdon Theatre Company is proud to announce their schedule of special events to accompany their run of Robin and Me, which includes talkbacks and American Sign Language interpreted performances.
April 26 at 7PM – Talkback with Robin Williams’ Longtime Stand in, Adam Bryant with Playwright/Actor Dave Droxler
April 27 at 7PM – Talkback with Director, Chad Austin with Playwright/Actor, Dave Droxler
April 30 at 3PM – Talkback with Mary Lou Falcone and Pamela Rosenblum from the Lewy Body Dementia Resource Center
May 4 at 7PM – ASL Interpreted Performance
May 10 at 7PM – ASL Interpreted Performance
All talkbacks will be given following the performance of the denoted date to all ticket holders.
Additional info on special events below.
About the Team
Dave Droxler (Playwright/Actor) premiered his one-man show, Robin and Me: My Little Spark Of Madness, at Abingdon Theatre’s One Night Only Series at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Dave’s play, Walken On Sunshine, premiered at FringeNYC, winning the “TheaterMania Audience Favorite Award” and “Outstanding Excellence in Acting” for Dave’s performance. His most recent play, BEYOND, received a staged reading with New Feathers Productions in Bucks County, PA. Select New York Theater acting credits include Candide, directed by Hal Prince and choreographed by Pat Birch (NYC Opera), the Drama Desk nominated production The Man Who Laughs (Stolen Chair Theater), Sweetee, directed by Pat Birch (Signature Theatre), NYTimes Critics’ pick Honky (Urban Stages) and his first one-man show he wrote and performed, Character (Prospect Theatre Dark Night Series). Dave voices Kiko and dozens of other characters on Nick Jr’s Emmy nominated show “Santiago Of The Seas,” as well as Ranger Nat on Sesame’s Emmy nominated show “Mecha Builders” on HBO Max. Other voices of his are heard on Nick Jr’s “Sunny Day,” PBS’s “Alma’s Way,” Apple TV’s “Get Rolling With Otis,” “Noggin” and the upcoming Sesame show “Bea’s Block” on HBO Max. Other TV/Film credits include “How to Get Away With Murder” and “Limitless”.
Chad Austin (Director) is the Artistic Director of Abingdon Theatre Company in New York City. Chad joined ATC in 2016 as the Associate Director and during that time helped to develop works such as the World Premiere of The Mother of Invention by Academy Award Winner, James Lecesne, Chess Match No. 5, directed by Anne Bogart and Eve Ensler’s Fruit Trilogy. In 2018, Chad took over as Artistic Director of Abingdon and now continues to develop and produce brave, new American work by emerging and established artists. In his time as Artistic Director, Chad created Abingdon’s One Night Only series which gave a stage to Wade Dooley’s, The Prompter, starring Academy Award winner Estelle Parsons. In this series, Chad also shepherded a production of Steel Magnolias, featuring Tony Award Nominees, Brenda Braxon, Sandy Duncan and Nancy Opel. With Chad at the helm, Abingdon also co-produced the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway run of Jacqueline Novak’s, Get On Your Knees. In addition to all of his work at Abingdon, highlights of his career include, the Emmy award winning Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert on NBC, starring John Legend and Sara Bareilles; Love! Valour! Compassion! at Theatre 71; And the World Goes ‘Round, honoring Bebe Neuwirth; Alone in the U.S.A at SUNY New Paltz; Who Are You? At the New York Music Theatre Festival; Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel and Chess both at A.T.A NYC and Peter and the Wolf with the Hampton Ballet Theatre. Chad also choreographed the musical movies Walk the Walk, Landed, and Winning New York (official section 2016 young film maker series).
Photos
Photography by Grace Copeland
Special Events Additional info
April 26, 2023 at 7PM Following a serendipitous encounter with Robin Williams in late 1988, Adam Bryant found a near-perfect survival job to supplement his theatre work, as Robin’s stand-in & photo-double. That work began in early 1989 on the film “Cadillac Man,” and continued for 25 years on 36 films and one CBS sitcom “The Crazy Ones,” culminating with the third and final installment of the “Night at the Museum” film franchise, “NATM: Secret of the Tomb,” shortly before Robin’s untimely passing. As an actor, some of Adam’s credits include: Broadway: Big River. Off-Broadway: The Wonder Years, Gifts of the Magi. Regional: Big River, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Lend Me A Tenor, Tintypes, Annie, etc. Film: Mrs. Doubtfire, The Fisher King, Summer Rental, etc. Radio/Recordings: Garrison Keillor’s show, Sandra Boynton’s Rhinoceros Tap (gold album) and platinum album Philadelphia Chickens (Grammy-nominated).
April 30, 2023 at 3PM Robin Williams had Lewy body dementia…an important fact he never knew. Lewy body dementia (LBD) is the second most common form of progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s disease and affects more than 1.4 million Americans. It is widely misdiagnosed, as it can mimic Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or a psychiatric disorder because there are overlapping symptoms. The Lewy Body Dementia Resource Center (LBDRC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in New York, exists to raise crucially needed awareness of this neurodegenerative brain disease, offer loving support and services to people living with LBD and their care partners, and promote scientific advances. To find resources on LBD and more about LBDRC, visit their website at www.lewybodyresourcecenter.org.
May 4 & May 10, 2023 ASL interpretation for the May 4th and May 10th performances will be provided by Deaf-Blind Training, Interpreting, and Professional Development. Visit their website at www.dbinterpreting.org.
ASL interpreted performances are made possible through A.R.T./New York’s Microgrant program.
