The TDPS community mourns the loss of Robert W. Goldsby, professor emeritus and former chair of the Department of Dramatic Art. During his nearly 30-year tenure with the department from 1957 to 1986, Professor Goldsby taught acting courses, directed 33 student stage productions, and helped establish Berkeley's first Ph.D. program in dramatic art.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Professor Goldsby's family, friends, colleagues, students, and all who were touched by his extraordinary life and work.
Robert Weddington Goldsby, a distinguished theater director, educator, and author, passed away peacefully on October 26, 2024, at his home in Oakland, California. Born on December 11, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York, to Robert Echols Goldsby and Winifred Wailes Goldsby, Robert spent his early years in Maplewood, New Jersey. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the Army in 1944 at the age of 18 and served in the Philippines for two years after completing basic training in Armor. His professional journey in theater began with a tour of Three Men on a Horse for the troops in the Philippines in 1945.
Following his discharge from service, Robert obtained a bachelor's degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University in New York City and a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the Yale School of Drama. He then launched a long and successful career in the performing arts, initially working as an actor for summer stock and Equity theaters. It was during a summer stock production in New Hampshire that he met Angela Paton, the leading lady at Chase Barn Theater. Eight weeks later, they married. They remained married for over 60 years until Angela passed away in 2016. Together they brought into this world and are survived by three children, five grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
His career at UC Berkeley began in 1957 when he was appointed as an assistant professor of Dramatic Art. Along with other Department leaders, Robert played a pivotal role in establishing the first Cal PhD program in Dramatic Art in 1963. He served as Department Chair from 1973 to 1977. Throughout his tenure at UC Berkeley, he directed 33 student-led stage productions, each a testament to his dedication to nurturing young talent and his deep love for the dramatic arts. Among these, a staging of Aristophanes' The Birds on the iconic Greek Theater stage stood out as particularly cherished. He retired from UC Berkeley in 1986 and remained a Professor Emeritus. As an esteemed educator, Robert taught acting and directed students in full productions as a tenured professor at UC Berkeley and subsequently taught as a visiting professor at Columbia, UCLA, Pepperdine, the University of Washington, and USC.
Robert was also a prominent theater director, staging productions in professional theaters. He directed 153 Equity and University theater productions, including 11 plays by Molière, 46 classical plays from Shakespeare to Giraudoux, and 98 plays from the modern repertory, ranging from Ibsen to Innaurato. His work took him to well-established theaters in New York, Paris, Marseille, and San Francisco. He was an early staff member and Conservatory Director of the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and, along with is wife, co-founder of the Berkeley Stage Company. In Los Angeles, he was an associate member of the Antaeus Company and directed productions at South Coast Repertory and the Odyssey Theater.
Robert was a recognized authority on Molière, sharing his expertise through his long career as a professor and through his seminal book, Molière on Stage: A Director's Story, which remains a definitive guide to the French playwright's work.
Robert W. Goldsby will be deeply missed, but his spirit will live on through the many lives he touched and the indelible mark he left on life's stage.
(Obituary courtesy of the Goldsby family.)