Biography

Robert W. Schneider is an award winning professional director/lecturer who splits his time between Pennsylvania, New York and California.

      Award winning director Robert W. Schneider splits his time between three homes: Los Angeles, New York City and Pennsylvania State University. In New York, he has directed productions of Unsung (The York Theatre), All Fall Down (The York Theatre), The Random Black Girl Cabaret (The Laurie Beechman Theatre) and Dialing for Donna (The Robert Moss Theatre). As an assistant director he has collaborated with Susan H. Schulman on The Toymaker's War, Richard Sabellico on The Apple Tree and John Basil on Twelfth Night. He was quite fortunate to observe Tony Award winner Judith Ivey and Dan Knechtges on their production of Vanities: The Musical at Second Stage Theatre.
      In 2009, Robert became the youngest director to obtain an MFA in Direction for the Musical Stage from Pennsylvania State University, under the guidance of Susan H. Schulman. At Pennsylvania State University, Robert directed such productions as Peace in Our Time, Six Degrees of Separation, Company, Babes in Arms and A Man of No Importance.
      As Associate Artistic Director of the Penn State Nu Musicals Festival, Robert has directed workshops of such new musicals as Dani Girl, Standardized Testing: The Musical, Rocket Science (2011 Richard Rodgers Award Winner) and Pregnancy Pact. As the founder of Conejo Theatre For Everyone, which produced full-scale musicals using developmentally delayed adults, Robert was highly praised by the state of California for his ''incredible artistic vision and humanity''. The evolution of this program can be viewed in the award winning documentary, Dreams Come True.
      In Los Angeles, Robert appeared on camera in The X-Files, Gilmore Girls, Crime and Punishment in Suburbia (w/Ellen Barkin), Silk Hope (w/Farrah Fawcett) as well as music videos with LL Cool J and a series of commercials for Levis Jeans. On stage, he was awarded for his performances in both Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphosis and Noel Coward's Hay Fever. As a director, Robert worked constantly, winning awards for his productions of Steve Martin's WASP, Teresa Ferrell's Snapshoots and The Sound of Music.
      Currently, Robert is an Associate Professor of Theatre at Pennsylvania State University. He has been cited as ''one of the greatest teachers'' on campus and has taught over five thousand students, many of which have gone onto very successful careers in the theatre. He is a leading innovator of integrating theatre into online educational environments as well as publishing a drama anthology. He is currently working on a book focused on directing for the musical theatre.
      He is a proud member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.