Celebrating its 30th year, STOMP continues to turn the ordinary into instruments of rhythmic genius. The current tour is coming to Philadelphia on December 26th and includes New Jersey native, Isaiah Robinson. Isaiah took time out to talk about his role, and how he became a part of the international phenomenon.
[Miller Theater, 250 S Broad St.] December 26-29, 2024; ensembleartsphilly.org.
Debra Danese: Congratulations on your debut with STOMP. What drew you to want to be a part of this production?
Isaiah Robinson: I grew up playing the drums in church and joined every musical/theatrical extra curricular I could get my hands on at Overbrook High School in New Jersey. I discovered STOMP after college and got a decent understanding of what it was. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to combine my love of rhythm, acting, and the stage.
DD: What was the audition process like?
IR: I auditioned in mid to late June, over the course of three days. Cuts were made after the first two days. After the last callback, everyone was sent home and told to wait about two weeks to hear if we’d be invited to train for the show. I got the call! On August 26th, I started five weeks of training with seven other amazing performers. By the end of those five weeks, five of us were invited to tour. I’m extremely proud to be a part of that training group. We were very supportive of one another and called ourselves “Phase 8”!
DD: What was the most challenging aspect of learning the show?
IR: One of the hardest parts of the show was maintaining the amount of energy it takes to perform a high intensity production as this. The first number feels like a marathon, yet there’s another hour and thirty minutes or so left of the show! I soon found that I had to build up my stamina and adjust my diet and sleep habits to fulfill the needs of both my character and the show overall.
DD: As a recent college graduate, what was the best advice you were given in starting your career?
IR: One of the best pieces of advice I received from professors and mentors was that talent will only take you so far. You must also be cognizant of the way you treat people. Putting a smile on someone’s face can be just as memorable as doing a backflip, which I can not do! Casting and creative teams tend to hire people that they’d like to work with. With that being said, I do everything I can to bring the best version of myself into every room I walk in.
DD: Being from the area, who are you most excited to have in the audience at the Miller Theater?
IR: I have family, high school teachers, friends, and church family coming to the show, some of whom I haven’t seen in months or years. With that being said, I can’t pinpoint my excitement to one person in particular. I believe the majority of them are coming on the 26th so that’ll be an exciting day!
STOMP runs December 26-29, 2024 at the Miller Theater [250 S Broad St.] Tickets available at ensembleartsphilly.org.