Robin Gottlieb
By Jackie Perrone

Robin Gottlieb performs in Rocky Horror at Trustus Theatre.

Robin Gottlieb inherited her grandmother's talents and is patterning herself after Ruth Gottlieb Moore by also becoming one of Columbia's big stars.

"Columbia is so amazing!" Gottlieb says. "The theater scene here is wonderful. There are so many talented people, and something going on all the time. I don't see why anyone would leave here to go struggle for recognition somewhere else, when the opportunities here are just plain unlimited."

Robin Gottlieb, daughter of Ruth Moore's son Joel, found her calling at age 11, when she appeared in Workshop Theater's production of Annie.

Gottlieb said, "I grew up listening in on Workshop's Board meetings in our living room. My dad has been on the Board for many years.

Robin Gottlieb

"My entire family has always been very supportive of the arts, of all kinds, performing, musical, visual. But I'm the only one who's following in my grandmother's footsteps."

Robin dabbled in theater as a youngster, and entered USC on an art scholarship, graduating with a major in theater. Her love of singing has led her into musicals, such as Baby, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Into the Woods at Workshop.

Eight years ago, she signed on at Trustus and has reveled in the productions there.

"It's been such a learning opportunity and wealth of information and experience. I'm now in my first venture in directing. We're preparing Nunsense Amen, with an all- male cast."

Robin taught theater in the public schools for a while and is now education manager at EdVenture Children's Museum. She'll be leading musical- theater camps this summer, two one- week sessions for eight to 12 year olds.

"EdVenture does so much more than science," she explains. "We hold camps on a number of different things, such as cooking, math, theater. Now is the time to sign up for this summer's camps."

Like her grandmother, Robin Gottlieb knows which is her favorite of the shows she's done.

"We're winding up our run of Tick Tick Boom , which is really a tribute to the life of Jonathan Larson. He is the playwright who died very young on the eve of the Broadway opening of his play Rent. It's a three- person musical, very touching and sweet."

Other shows in Robin's resumé include what she calls "flashy" roles: Gypsy, Cabaret, and Chicago.

"I want to pay tribute to some people who have meant a lot to me in my Columbia theater life," she says. "At Trustus, Jim Thigpen, Dewey Scott- Wiley, and Randy Hannah have all been supportive and helpful to me."

As to her grandmother Ruth, "We have never done a show together," Robin says. "We would love to do it. We're waiting for the right thing to come along."

Any playwrights listening out there?