Creative Team
Lisa Robins
Lisa Robins developed “COMMITTED? A Ritual for Robbie” over the past 30 years..
It was chosen to appear in the Whole Megillah new play festival at SD Rep, and workshopped at Soapbox Gallery in Brooklyn, and the LA Actors Studio.
Meanwhile, Lisa has helped develop other writers’ work in professional workshops in LA and NY, including The Actors Studio, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Rogue Machine, Lab 26, and Theatre East.
Favorite original plays which she helped bring to fruition include The Blessing of a Broken Heart- a solo show directed and adapted by Todd Salovey from Sherri Mandell’s book at the SD Rep. She originated the role of Valeria In Every Generation by Ali Viturbi, at the SD Rep, The Catskill Sonata by Michael Elias (directed by Paul Mazursky), River Time written and directed by Actors Studio West co-Artistic Director, Katherine Cortez, Center of the Star by Yehuda Hyman and Long Bridge (d. Bill Rausch) with Cornerstone, Love, Loss and What I Wore (by Delia and Nora Ephron (Geffen), Sex…by George Furth, (d.John Rubenstein), Good in Bed by Gena Acosta (d.Asaad Kelada). and Tom Bellin’s Shock Therapy. (d.Jenny O’Hara)
Lisa co-wrote Starshine, a children’s musical performed at the Actors Studio.
Film/TV includes Rum Diary, James Dean, (d. Mark Rydell), guest stars and commercials.
She was recently seen as Anne-Marie in A Doll’s House Pt.2 (Beverly Hills Playhouse dir Allen Barton
And will appear next in Helvetica.
Lisa’s greatest work of art is her kid, Ren, who recently graduated from Yale and currently lives in Brooklyn.
They partnered to mount a 4-week workshop culminating in a staged reading extravaganza of Aristophanes’ The Frogs, and hope to work together on many more wonderfully interesting projects
Lisa is a proud lifelong member of The Actors Studio, Rogue Machine and Artist in Residence at The Braid.
Huge gratitude to Elina de Santos for giving COMMITTED? life with Rogue Machine, to Justin Tanner for his dramaturgy,
And Mitch Levine, for his heart and passion during their years long collaboration …
Mitch Levine - Director
“This production of COMMITTED? marks the culmination of a years-long collaboration with Lisa. It has been a deep dive into a life journey that encompasses remarkable artistry and great loss. We explored many ways to create this Ritual for Robbie and bring it to the stage. We hope that it will have meaning to all of you and deepen your understanding of the challenges that so many among us face. It reveals the fragility of life, the uncertainty of fate, but also the joy and resilience of the human soul. I’m grateful to have taken this journey with her. In the end, COMMITTED? is a remarkable celebration of life.”
Mitch Levine is a film and stage director, led the Directors Unit of the legendary Actors Studio, was a Fellow at Juilliard and the first James Cameron Directing Fellow at the American Film Institute. His film, SHADOWS, a story of love and loss during the Holocaust, won awards around the globe.
Recently, he directed the acclaimed run of Cindy Marinangel’s DIETRICH, directed the multi-year tour of the political comedy, GOD HELP US!, starring the late, great Ed Asner, directed the documentaries HUNGRY IS THE TIGER and MORPHING GRAVITY and the drama IN CONFIDENCE (Cannes 2015).
He was Creative Director of the epic Bicentennial Celebration of the University of Virginia, Artistic Supervisor of the world tour of Phillip Glass and Robert Wilson’s EINSTEIN ON THE BEACH, collaborated with Peter Gabriel and Moses Pendleton on the creation of PASSION, directed A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM for PRT, Jean Anouilh’s ANTIGONE for the Williamstown Theatre Festival and Arthur Kopit’s WINGS, which was much-honored in LA.
In NY, he directed SORRY! at Circle Rep, AMORPHOUS GEORGE for MCC, TERROR AMERICA and A PUBLIC SERVICE at the Ohio Theatre and the revival of Lyle Kessler’s ORPHANS. Mitch was founding producer and host of AFI’s GREAT FILMMAKERS series and is the founder of The Film Festival Group. For many years, he was Production Director of MOMIX Dance Theatre and a Special Representative to the United Nations.
Elina de Santos - Producer
Founding Co-Artistic Director of the Rogue Machine (2008-2024). Producing: POCATELLO (Sam D Hunter) LA Premiere, DIRTY FILTHY LOVE STORY (Rob Mersola) World Premiere, DYING CITY (Christopher Shinn) LA Premiere, Ovation Award for Best Production (2013), THE NEW ELECTRIC BALLROOM (Enda Walsh) LA Premiere, VIVIEN (Rick Foster) LA Premiere.
Directing: World Premieres: Painted Ponies (Ian McRae), Hostage (Michelle Kohlos Brooks), Family Riots (Gideon Jeph Wabvuta), In the Valley of the Shadow (Katherine Cortez), Nice Things (Vince Melocchi), Dirty Filthy Love Story (Rob Mersola), Razorback (John Pollono), Church & State (Jason Odell Williams). American Premiere, Daytona (Oliver Cotton). LA Premieres; Smart Love (Brian Letscher), Bhutan (Daisy Foote), Stop Kiss (Diana Son), Falling (Deanna Jent), New Jerusalem (David Ives), Albee’s A Delicate Balance (LA Premiere) and Mamet’s Speed the Plow (WC Premiere). Odyssey, WCJT: Miller’s All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, & Broken Glass, Odets’ Rocket to the Moon, Awake & Sing!, & Williams’, & Williams’ Orpheus Descending -LADCC Best Direction. Her educational program, Celebrating Voices Storytelling, partners with Boys & Girls Clubs in Southern California and recently LAUSD serving hundreds of children for the past 9 years. Elina received the LADCC Career Achievement in Directing Award, 2012.
Rogue Machine - Producer
Rogue Machine has been serving the Greater Los Angeles community for 16 years and has gained a national and international reputation for developing and producing new plays and plays new to Los Angeles.
“Rogue Machine has had the strongest theater season of any other local company, large or small.”