
BIO

Robert Brophy
Robert Brophy, member Dramatists Guild of America, Playwrights Center, TRU Theatre Resources Unlimited
New York City-born Robert Brophy attended a scholarship high school (Regis) in Manhattan, and Joe Papp’s Shakespeare in the Park, and Grand Master Duk Sung Son’s Tae Kwon Do lessons, which he learned and taught for 50+ years. He volunteer-tutored in Spanish Harlem, in a Parish school no longer there, working with some fine jazzmen on a performance of “East Side Story” (adapted) with the first college graduates of the neighborhood as Tony & Maria.
​
Robert Brophy graduated from Fordham University with a BA summa c. l. in Classics (Latin-Greek), English & drama. He earned MA & PhD in Classics at the University of Michigan, and taught Humanities to Engineers, & Tae Kwon Do. His 3 children were born there: they and his ex-wife with his support or encouragement all earned Doctorates, MD, PhD or Professional Master’s. He taught Classics & Tae Kwon Do at the University of Idaho, where Native students invited his family to the Nez Perce Nation for Easter services. He taught Classics & Tae Kwon Do at the University of Georgia, then at Syracuse University, LeMoyne College & Manlius-Pebble Hill school, teaching Medical Humanities & Tae Kwon Do at SUNY Upstate medical school. From many adjunct or “Visiting” positions he worked full-time in the US Customs Service, Postal Service and New York State Prison Education (Senior Corrections Librarian), where he refreshed his “NYC streets” education. He retired to write and act full-time, historical works on past clashes that illuminate present conflicts, and forgotten figures. He has had numerous NYS grants for the Arts, US & City of Syracuse Covid Arts Recovery grants, & one Alfred P. Sloan-Ensemble Studio Theatre NYC Science Plays grant; on these, he wrote on Harvard women astronomers of 1908, Jewish-, Irish-, African-American and women Civil War veterans, Boxing champions, immigrant saints like Marianne Cope, Quakers who fought in the US Civil War, a “gay marriage” in Custer’s 7th Cavalry, nuns who defied the Holy Roman Emperor, and Lutheran women who clash, then unite, with JS Bach over their faith and their public destiny.
​
Chosen invited member of NYC CreateTheater's Experts Theatre Company. & member: TRU Theatre Resources Unlimited, NYC.
​
I have lived in:
New York City 1948-69
Ann Arbor, MI 1969-73, summer 1975
Moscow, ID 1973-75
Athens, GA 1975-79
Syracuse, NY 1979—present:
Paris/ Houssen, Alsace-FRANCE 1998, 2006, 2012-19