[Producers Bio] [Directors Bio]

Biography

     JANA ROBBINS was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where she began dancing lessons at the early age of 4 at the Gene Kelly School of Dance, appearing in recitals singing provocative solos like "Blues in the Night" by the age of 11. At Westmont Hilltop High School, she was cast as Nellie in SOUTH PACIFIC & Eliza Doolittle in MY FAIR LADY, helping to further support & solidify her love of theater. Then it was off to Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Theater, returning several times in the late 80's to teach, direct CRIMES OF THE HEART (which she had done on Broadway) and to deliver the 1985 Commencement Speech when Jean Kirkpatrick became unavailable. That year, she also wrote and performed her one woman show, "Being Alive," a musical revue about getting in touch with your purpose in life & knowing your worth as a woman.

     Jana's first Broadway show was GOOD NEWS starring John Payne & Alice Faye, where she played Patricia Bingham, the Sorority Queen. Other Broadway shows that followed were I LOVE MY WIFE with Lenny Baker, James Naughton & Joanna Gleason; the Pulitzer Prize-winning CRIMES OF THE HEART; ROMANCE/ROMANCE with Scott Bakula; and her favorite musical of all, GYPSY, where she played Mazeppa - the bump it with a trumpet stripper - while standing by for Tyne Daly as Mama Rose, a role she played for 40 performances to critical acclaim. Jana also covered both Linda Lavin and Michele Lee in Charle's Bush's THE TALE OF THE ALLERGIST'S WIFE, playing both roles many times.

     Her memorable Off-Broadway appearances include Olivia in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM; Danny Goggin's JOHNNY MANHATTAN; TICKLES BY TUCKOLSKY, with Helen Gallagher; THE ALL NIGHT STRUT ; Colette in the York Theater's production of the Tom Jones/Harvey Schmidt musical COLETTE COLLAGE; and 17 characters (10 of whom were men) in the one-woman show CIRCUS GOTHIC.

     Jana has also starred across the country in repertory and regional theaters, in a wide range of roles in both musicals and straight plays. She played Louise in GYPSY at the Papermill Playhouse with Dolores Gray as Mama Rose, for which she won the New Jersey Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical; in Stephen Sondheim's SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM at Seattle Rep; Lady Sneerwell in SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL; Martirio in THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; as Sally Bowles in CABARET; Sylvia in TIP TOES at BAM; Ruth Van Horne in FOLLOW THRU at the Goodspeed Opera House; Rosalie in THE MOST HAPPY FELLA at the Kansas City Lyric Opera; Dr. Livingstone in AGNES OF GOD; Mona in DAMES AT SEA (the video tape is available for viewing at Lincoln Center); Maggie in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at The Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia; Jennie Malone in CHAPTER TWO & Annie Dankworth in THE HOUSEKEEPER, both at the Pennsylvania Stage Company; Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL; and Lady in ORPHEUS DECENDING, opposite Jon Tenney for the NY Stage & Film Co. Recently Jana played Bessie Berger in The Arena Stage's production of AWAKE AND SING, and garnered great review at The Actor's Theater of Louisville's Humana Festival for her performance in THE AS IF BODY LOOP. She was also seen in The New York Fringe Festival's production of AND SOMEWHERE MEN ARE LAUGHING.

     Summer stock and summer tours saw Jana in many roles including Anita in WEST SIDE STORY opposite Barry Williams; Rosie in BYE BYE BIRDIE with Bobby Rydell; Rosalie in CARNIVAL with Robert Conrad; The Leader in ZORBA on two separate tours with Georgio Tozzi & Theodore Bikel; and Barbara in RUN FOR YOUR WIFE opposite David McCallum, for which she won Florida's Carbonell Award for Best Supporting Actress.

     Her National Tours include Aldonza in The First National Tour of MAN OF LA MANCHA starring opposite Jose Ferrer; Ethel McCormick in FOOTLOOSE; and as Lee in THE TALE OF THE ALLERGIST'S WIFE, starring opposite Valerie Harper.

     On television Jana has guest-starred on an Emmy Award-winning episode of "Cheers." That same year, she filmed her first pilot for CBC called "Ladies Man" opposite Twiggy. Other TV appearances include guest starring roles on "Bless This House," "The Home Court," "JAG," "Roseanne," a stint on "General Hospital" as Sheila Houston, and as Ambassador Tal on "Babylon 5", Jana's NY TV credits include two guest appearances on LAW AND ORDER: SVU , two appearances on CRIMINAL INTENT and an appearance on LAW AND ORDER as Assistant DA Jean Picone. ."

     Her feature films include A PLACE FOR SARA; EAST END; HAUNTED HEART starring Olympia Dukakis; EXECUTIVE TARGET starring Michael Madsen & Roy Scheider; THE LAST DAYS OF FRANKIE THE FLY starring Dennis Hopper, Daryl Hannah & Kiefer Sutherland( Jana also helped to develop and cast this film) and she just completed filming on the remake of THE WOMEN written and directed by Diane English, starring Meg Ryan, Annette Benning, Eva Mendez, and Candice Bergen.

     Los Angeles theater-goers saw her in BANDIDOS at the Mark Taper Forum; as The Whore in HELLO AGAIN; POSSUMS; Dr. Brookner in THE NORMAL HEART; and, 27 years after appearing as Aldonza with the National Company, she repeated the role at the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera opposite John McCook of "The Young and the Restless."

     Jana's has performed her acclaimed cabaret acts, ONE HELL OF A RIDE!(The songs of Cy Coleman) and GYPSY IN MY SOUL in New York and through out the country . Her CD, JANA ROBBINS - FACE TO FACE on Original Cast Records, is available at Tower Records, Footlights, CDBaby.com & Amazon. Com. Jana also teaches and directs, actively appears in benefit performances to raise money for AIDS, a cause she deeply cares about, and has produced a number of benefits including the GYPSY Company's AIDS benefit starring Tyne Daly and Jule Styne. Her production company - BETTER WORLD PRODUCTIONS - is dedicated to making a difference in the quality of our lives by "presenting theater and film entertainment that inspires us to create a Better World." She was the producer of LITTLE WOMEN on Broadway, and I LOVE YOU BECAUSE Off Broadway. For more information on Jana as a producer please see her producing bio.

[Bio] [Directors Bio]

Producers Biography

     Jana Robbins founded BETTER WORLD PRODUCTIONS to “present theater and film entertainment that inspires us to create a Better World“. She made her Broadway producing debut with Allan Knee’s LITTLE WOMEN - The Musical starring Sutton Foster and Maureen McGovern. She was also one of the producers of the Off-Broadway musical I LOVE YOU BECAUSE. Ms. Robbins has been helping to develop Allan Knee's THE JAZZ AGE, a three character play about Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Zelda with music, serving as Executive Producer in its first production at the 59E59 Street Theater, and producing its next developmental production in Association with The Blank Theater Company in Los Angeles starring Luke McFarlane of “Brothers and Sisters”. She is currently partnering with Randall Wreghitt on the THE GREAT GAME by D. Tucker Smith, and joins Kevin McCollum and Manny Azenberg to transfer the recent highly successful Kennedy Center Revival of RAGTIME to Broadway. Previews begin on October 23, with Opening Night set for November 15.

     Jana also helped to develop and produce the films “The Last Days of Frankie The Fly” with Keifer Sutherland, Dennis Hopper and Daryl Hannah, and “Executive Target” with Roy Schieder and Michael Madsen.

[Bio] [Producers Bio]

Directors Biography

     Jana’s directing credits include directing CRIMES OF THE HEART
(in which she appeared on Broadway) at her alma mater, Stephens College, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts. She also taught acting at Stephens, and a comprehensive class called Nuts and Bolts, which taught students how to market themselves in the business. That same year (1985) she delivered the commencement speech at the graduation ceremony.

     Several years later Jana choreographed THE CZAR OF ROCK AND ROLL for The New York Stage and Film Company at The West Bank Café in New York.
While appearing on Broadway in GYPSY, Jana produced and directed the GYPSY company’s AIDS Benefit starring Tyne Daly, the cast of GYPSY, and featuring Jule Styne center stage on a white grand piano.

     When GYPSY closed on Broadway, Jana continued directing with productions of OUT THE WINDOW at Theater Geo in LA, and DOMESTIC VIOLENCE by Frederick Stropple, for which she received a DramaLogue Award as Best Director.

     She developed and directed THE PARTICIPANT written by and starring Dayton Callie of TV’s DEADWOOD. Jana also produced the show in association with Chazz Palminteri which was nominated for a Best Solo Performance Award by LA Weekly. It said“ Director Jana Robbins skillfully draws a performance with the right balance of pathos and wit..” The Tolucan said, “Director Jana Robbins has done an outstanding job here. Her direction is flawless and brings out the best of Dayton Callie, both as actor and author. Better World Productions and Chazz Palmiteri produced a funny and powerful show.”

     In NY, through the auspices of The Times Square Group, Jana taught inner city school children and directed them in A CHANGE OF HEART at the Soho Playhouse with guest star Andre De Sheilds, and most recently in BREAKING THE SILENCE at The Players Theater. Jana also directed a reading of THE CHOSEN WIFE starring Karen Ziemba.

     Most recently she directed LITTLE WOMEN at Stephens College, and will remount CRIMES OF THE HEART for Gettysburg College in the Spring of 2010.

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