Born into the great tradition of Yiddish Theatre through his grandfather, producer Sol Dickstein, Bob began performing at the age of eight at the Anderson Theatre on 2nd Ave. After graduating from Carnegie-Mellon University, Bob began his professional career as a company member of the American Conservatory Theatre under the esteemed mentoring of William Ball. Later he was closely associated with the Loretto-Hilton Repertory of St. Louis and artistic director, Davey Marlin-Jones.
An actor, teacher, director, guitarist and songwriter, Bob has appeared on Broadway in THE CONSTANT WIFE, BELLS ARE RINGING, LAUGHTER ON THE 23rd FLOOR and as the stand-by for Richard Nixon in FROST/NIXON. His credits include tours of FROST/NIXON (in which he finally got to play Nixon), GUYS AND DOLLS and WEST SIDE STORY. Off Broadway, he’s been seen in BONKERS IN THE BOROUGHS, ROCK AND ROLL MAN, SENIOR MOMENT, WITNESSED BY THE WORLD, IT MUST BE HIM, THE LATE CHRISTOPHER BEAN, DIE MOMMIE,DIE!, JOLSON & COMPANY, PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE and BABY ANGER and GET FREED.
Bob has performed at many of the leading regional theaters in this country including Playhouse on Park (2 JEWS WALK INTO A WAR), The Shakespeare Theater, D.C. (KISS ME KATE), Denver Theatre Center /Seattle Rep (THE GREAT LEAP), George St. Playhouse/Cleveland Playhouse (MY NAME IS ASHER LEV, RED), Cleveland Playhouse/Arizona Theatre Co. (LOMBARDI), Olney Theatre Center (WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION and SLEUTH), Pioneer Theatre Co. (12 ANGRY MEN and DRACULA), Galveston Outdoor Musicals (FIDDLER ON THE ROOF), Long Wharf (THE FRONT PAGE), Coconut Grove Playhouse (THE TALE OF THE ALLERGIST’S WIFE), Wilma Theatre (BIG LOVE and ENEMIES, A LOVE STORY ), Walnut St. Theatre (ART and HOTEL SUITE), La Jolla Playhouse (LIGHT UP THE SKY), Syracuse Stage (TWELFTH NIGHT and AWAKE AND SING), Delaware Theatre Co. (BORN YESTERDAY and THE PRICE), American Conservatory Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Hartford Stage and the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival and many others.
Bob was a company member of Los Angeles’ Colony Studio Theatre for six years serving as an actor and director. He performed in WATCH ON THE RHINE, THE SUICIDE, BEARCAT, EXECUTION OF JUSTICE, A DAY OUT OF TIME and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. As a director he staged TALLEY’S FOLLY, STORMLESS VOWS, THATAWAY JACK and SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM.
In New York he was a company member of The Drama Dept., appearing in JUNE MOON and FREE TO BE YOU…AND ME.
Film work includes TWO LOVERS, WANTED, KISSING JESSICA STEIN, MUSIC OF THE HEART, CRADLE WILL ROCK and BLIND DATE and the soon-to-be-released, BLEECKER. Bob’s been seen on the smaller screen on ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, FBI: MOST WANTED, MADAM SECRETARY, MANIFEST, THE GOOD WIFE, ONION NEWS NETWORK, DELOCATED, ED, DELLAVENTURA, LAW AND ORDER, L.A. LAW, CAGNEY AND LACEY, DIFF’RENT STROKES, CHEERS, SOAP and LAW AND ORDER SVU.
He received an M.F.A. from Carnegie-Mellon University/Moscow Art Theatre School’s joint program. At the Moscow Art Theatre he was seen in “GRAPES OF WRATH” and as Chebutykin in “THE THREE SISTERS”.
Full Credits:
BROADWAY: Ensemble in Act One (dir. James Lapine), Richard Nixon (Stand By) in Frost/Nixon (dir. Michael Grandage), Inspector Barnes in Bells are Ringing (dir. Tina Landau), Ira in Laughter on the 23rd Floor (dir. Jerry Zaks), Mortimer Durham in The Constant Wife (dir. Mark Brokaw), Sheridan Whiteside (stand by) in The Man Who Came to Dinner (dir. Jerry Zaks)
OFF BROADWAY: Hoover/ Preacher/ As Cast in Rock and Roll Man (New World Stage), Freddy in Picasso at the Lapin Agile (dir. Randall Arney), Rosen in The Late Christopher Bean (dir. Jenn Thompson), Sol Sussman in Die Mommy Die (dir. Carl Andress), 9 Characters in Jolson & Company (dir. Jay Berkow), Mr. Hart in June Moon (dir. Mark Nelson) 8 Characters in Baby Anger (Dir. Michael Mayer)
TOURS: Ensemble Lt. in Golf, the Musical (dir. Christopher Scott), Shrank in West Side Story (Europe, dir. Alan Johnson), Richard Nixon and Bob Zelnick in Frost/Nixon (dir. Michael Grandage)
REGIONAL THEATRE: Buddy Silver/Auctioneer in True Art (Dorset Theatre Festival), Zeblyn in Two Jews Walk into a War (Playhouse On Park), Saul Slezak in The Great Leap (Denver Theatre Center), The Men in My Name is Asher Lev (George St. Playhouse), 1st Gangster (D.C. Metro Arts Award) in Kiss Me Kate (The Shakespeare Theatre, DC), Vince Lombardi in Lombardi (Playhouse/Arizona Theatre Co.), Mark Rothko in Red (St. Playhouse/Cleveland Playhouse), Sir Wilfred Robarts in Witness for the Prosecution (Olney Theatre Center), Andrew Wyke in Sleuth (Theatre Center), Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Fulton Theatre), Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof (Galveston Outdoor Musicals), Harry Brock in Born Yesterday (Delaware Theatre Co.), Juror #3 in 12 Angry Men (Pioneer Theatre Co.), Sir Toby in Twelfth Night (Syracuse Stage), Van Helsing in Dracula (Pioneer Theatre Co.), Marc in ART (Walnut St. Theatre)
TELEVISION: Only Murders in the Building, Madame Secretary, Manifest, Blindspot, Difficult People, Elementary, Veep, The Good Wife, Onion News Network, Law and Order: SVU, Law and Order.
FILM: Bleecker, Hotel Bleu, Two Lovers, Wanted, Kissing Jessica Stein, Music of the Heart, Cradle Will Rock.