ROBESON

MUSIC BY Scott Davenport Richards
LIBRETTO BY Scott Davenport Richards and David Cote

Private workshop
September 9, 2025; 4:30pm
PEAK Performances
Montclair State University
Alexander Kasser Theater
1 Normal Avenue
Montclair, NJ

ROBESON is an epic and inspiring biographical examination of Black singer, actor, and activist Paul Robeson (1898-1976). A global superstar, Robeson leveraged his fame to fight on the frontlines for equality. His heroic and uncompromising efforts against fascism and racism worldwide led Robeson to be entangled in the tragic power struggle between the two superpowers of the twentieth century—the United States and the USSR—with his own life and career hanging in the balance. Inspired by historical events, ROBESON also resonates with today’s ongoing fights for social justice.

Conductor: Kelly Kuo
Direction/Dramaturgy: Robin Guarino

CAST
Paul Robeson: Justin Hopkins
Eslanda Goode Robeson: Raven McMillon
Paulie Robeson: Joseph Parrish 
Uta Hagen: Lucy Evans
Eugene O’Neill: Logan Wagner
Emma Goldman: Wendy Hill
Hattie McDaniel: Adrienne Danrich
Carl Van Vechten: William Ferguson
Interviewer: Michael Kelly