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Celebrated actress soars in new play at the Falcon

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Contributed by: Cheryl Games on 10/30/2006

By Crystal Madison

To say that Robin Riker is a busy actress is an understatement. In the last 16 months she has appeared in four Los Angeles-based stage plays, including the upcoming I Remember You with Tony Danza that opened at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank on Oct. 27. But being a busy actress comes naturally for Riker who has been acting on stage since the age of two.

"I wanted to be a veterinarian or an archeologist," said Riker. "But I abandoned those for the stage."

Her parents were both actors so the career path made sense, but was never easy. Even when her parents owned a theatre, she still had to audition for them. If she wasn't right for the part, they told her so. She learned early on that rejection is just part of show business. "Even when your parents reject you, you can't take it personally," Riker said.

Her newest turn on stage is in I Remember You, a romantic comedy that stars Danza along with Richard Gilliland and Madison Dunaway. Written by Bernard Slade ( Same Time, Next Year) and directed by Walter Painter, the play takes place in a smoky Manhattan cabaret amidst the whiskey-smooth standards of Irving Berlin, the Gershwins and others. The plot involves a charming singing piano player who finds himself in a love triangle. The cast and crew clicked from the moment they met and recently cooked dinner together at Riker's home.

"We just all fell together like we belonged," she said. "I have loved sharing the stage with such generous actors. No one is doing a star turn. We are all there to serve the piece."

Riker's other recent appearances in Los Angeles stage plays have earned her a slew of accolades. She received a nomination for this year's Ovation Awards for her role in The Geffen Playhouse's production of All My Sons; two Best Actress nominations, from the Ovation Awards and the L.A. Weekly Theatre Awards, for her performance in the Blank Theatre's Les Liaisons Dangereuses; and a Best Supporting Actress nomination from L.A. Weekly for her work in George Furth's Sex, Sex, Sex, Sex, Sex & Sex at The Matrix Theatre.

Riker waxes philosophical about all the attention she has received from her recent nominations. "It's like an affirmation that the stage is good for me," she said. "Nothing is more satisfying than being on stage. It is really an actor's medium. You do the story from beginning to end every night and it's always a little dangerous because it's live."

While her heart and soul are on stage, she continues to work steadily in television. She can be seen in an upcoming episode of the new John Lithgow comedy 20 Good Years, the Disney Channel film Read It and Weep and the upcoming mini-series Pandemic with Faye Dunaway. While the pace of Riker's career might seem too fast for some, for her it's just the way she likes it. "I can't imagine another life. It just suits my temperament," said Riker.

I Remember You runs at the Falcon Theatre through Nov. 12. For more information or ticket reservations, call (818) 955-8101.

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