The first thing you should know is that Eric Robinson is a New York City based entertainment professional. (He's also apparently, according to Google, an attorney specializing in corporate aquisitions. If you're looking for THAT guy, you're definitely in the wrong place...)
Born and raised a middle child in Wisconsin’s quaint Fox River Valley, Eric grew up a thoroughly confused child of the 80’s. Spending half of his time in church (perpetually decked out in a dress shirt and tie), and the other half mass murdering invisible ninja assassins with with a broomstick while alone in his back yard, Eric had pretty much your typical middle-American upbringing. A futile and embarrassing attempt to integrate into the world of adolescent athletics guided him to community theatre early on, and he's never looked back since.
After a few years of making huge mistakes on the community stage, or wherever he could convince people to sit still long enough to pay attention to him, his legs (which made up 90% of his body) churned furiously towards a larger stage...planet Earth.
That stage came sooner thane expected via an audition for the Up With People International Worldsmart Program. Armed with a journal (so cliché, I know) and a suitcase filled with flannel shirts, he left 'America's Dairyland' behind for an adventure that carried him through 14 different countries and dozens upon dozens of host families across the cultural spectrum. By the time it would reach its conclusion, he would be be changed forever...and have a life-long aversion to riding on busses.
A Little Bit About Eric Robinson...
Over the next decade Eric would cut his teeth as a professional in theme parks and regional theaters across the country. At one such theater, he would meet future business partner Jay Painter and together they would create the short-form improv sensation, Friday Night Face Off, which now, more than 10 years later, enjoys it’s status as the longest running improv comedy show in Long Island history. This show would later inspire the birth of Face Off Unlimited...but more on that later.
A decade's worth of regional theatre would follow, during which Eric would also make his directorial debut directing productions for The Armory Dinner Theatre (Janesville, WI) and Pathways (Appleton, WI). He even enjoyed a stint as a principal vocalist on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Hawaii-based Pride of America.
In 2009, driven by the success of Friday Night Face Off, Eric and Jay walked into a bar in NYC's Greenwich Village, and under the dim, dramatic lighting conceived the idea for Face Off Unlimited. As a founder and CFO, Eric helped build Face Off into the creative force it is today, having created such hit shows as A Whole ‘Nother Level (touring nationwide) BATSU! (now in it’s 3rd successful year in NYC’s East Village), Improvious Maximus (Long Island City), and Goon River, with some exciting new projects right around the corner.
Additionally, Eric teaches improv as part of a uniquely designed curriculum through Face Off University, which now boasts over 100 graduates. His students have seen tremendous success in the entertainment field, from Broadway to Las Vegas, from radio to film and television. Using the fundamental tenants of improvisation, he regularly teaches workshops across an entire spectrum of students, from aspiring and working actors, to high-school and college students, to corporate clients trying to improve communication and productivity in the workplace.
Eric is a hiker (summited Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2006) and skydiver (certified in 2008). With his remaining free time he writes what’s on his mind, hangs out with his lovely wife, and reads hourly updates about his Green Bay Packers (that’s right, he believes them to be his).
Today, Eric can be seen making people laugh (as well as receiving brutal punishment) bi-weekly in New York’s East Village at Face Off Unlimited Presents: BATSU! He’s also a host of the comedy podcast, In the Room With Joe, Jay, Eric and Lyle, which now boasts over 150 episodes and 25k+ weekly listeners.
In 2000, within a few short months of returning to the land of cheese from his adventures abroad, Eric would answer New York City’s seductive call and make the Big Apple his permanent residence. He attended The American Musical and Dramatic Academy and, shortly after graduating, dove head first into his career.
In 2013, Eric was named artistic director of PCat Productions and The Copa Boys, a trio of uber-talented vocalists taking Performing Arts Centers by storm in 2014. Most recently, he directed THE MUSIC OF THE RAT PACK, The Copa Boys break-out performance at The Long Beach Arena (Barbara B. Mann Center for the Performing Arts), featuring legendary conductor Michael Berkowitz.
