Robert Fuson (they/them) is a theatre teacher and freelance director, voice coach, writer, sound designer, and stage manager in Birmingham, AL. They most recently served as Visiting Assistant Professor of the University of North Alabama where they directed Romeo vs. Juliet: Grudge Match and Bakkhai. They earned an MFA in the Theatre Arts with a concentration in Directing from the University of Alabama and a BA in Theatre Arts from Furman University. They worked as the Artistic Company Manager of the Guerilla Shakespeare Theatre Company and the Company Manager of Horizon Theatre’s Apprentice Company. They have trained in Viewpoints with SITI Company and are pursuing certification in Fitzmaurice Voicework. They focus on theatre that incorporates the audience as collaborators in the live storytelling experience.
In addition to these production roles, Robert has directed freelance across upstate South Carolina, Atlanta, GA and Alabama. In 2018, their professional directorial debut, I Am My Own Wife at Proud Mary Theatre (Greenville, SC) received numerous state and regional accolades, including “Best Production” and “Outstanding Achievement in Directing” at the Southeastern Theatre Conference Community Theatre Festival (SETC CTF). Additionally, in 2019, acting as director and producer, Robert was awarded “Outstanding Choreography” from the SETC CTF for Guerrilla Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of Never Swim Alone. Both Never Swim Alone and I Am My Own Wife also were awarded Best Sound Design at the South Carolina Community Theatre Festival in 2017 & 2018, respectively.
As a writer, Robert seeks to write stories that challenge the audiences’ understanding in new and surprising ways. Their first full-length play, Barbie Liberation Organization has received stage readings at the Essential Theatre’s Bare Essential’s Series in Atlanta, GA, and the Spartanburg Fringe Festival in Spartanburg, SC. Their play, Empathy Experiment was given a full performance by Crimson Stage at the University of Alabama under the title An Evening For Healing. Romeo VS. Juliet: Grudge Match which divides the audience into teams to root for where the outcome is determined by improv games that are played every performance, resulting in a choose-your-own-adventure type show.