Meet Robert Fuson | Director, Sound Designer, & Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Robert Fuson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robert, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Much of my success has been a result of fortune and being in the right place at the right time. That is undoubtedly true for the vast majority of success stories. However, particularly in a highly collaborative field such as theatre, I cannot put enough stress on the notion of making yourself indispensable. Do not allow yourself to get locked into being only one thing. While I identify primarily as a director, I worked significantly more as a stage manager and sound designer in my first several years than as a director. In fact, I learned how to sound design because I could not find anyone else to do it for me when I was self-producing. It very quickly became a skill that got me into a lot more rooms because it was a job that few people took the time to learn how to do.

I cannot guarantee that people will remember you every time you say “yes,” to a job, but I can assure you that you are quickly forgotten when you say, “no.” The couch and bed is where the artist disappears from view. Avoid that at all costs. To prime yourself to be in the right place at the right time, you must be on the forefront of people’s thoughts. The best way to cement yourself into this place is to be needed and reliable. The ideal person to succeed is someone who, when there is a gap, people will say, “I know this person will find a way to fill this gap, even if they don’t have the perfect tools.”

Say what you mean. Do what you say. Above all, have a collaborative spirit.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I believe I am creatively separated from many other directors in the field by a lack of ego and a trust in the artists I work with. I think a lot about what differentiates Theatre from Film. Before the advent of Film, there was a pressure on Theatre to create a show that was the same every performance at every location. Now, Film has usurped that mantle, Theatre cannot be uniform in every presentation because it’s performers are different every day. However, Film is the same every time it is presented. There is no changing what is recorded. Therefore, I embrace the temporal existence of Theatre. I recognize that my job is not to craft something perfect from my imagination for an audience to view over and over. Instead, my role is to train performers to tell their best version of a story from wherever they are every day. The difference between these approaches may sound arbitrary and overly intellectual, but it makes all the difference in how you communicate and collaborate with your actors.

It’s hard to not attribute where I have gotten today to the success of my first professional directing job for Proud Mary Theatre in Greenville, South Carolina. Sandy Staggs took a chance on a young director for a production of “I Am My Own Wife,” and took the show to the Community Theatre Festival at the Southeastern Theatre Conference. Somehow, we walked away with numerous accolades including Outstanding Achievement in Directing and Best Play. That moment spring-boarded me to being a position where I was able to be taken seriously as a director, despite my age, and connected me to artists across the country that I built relationships with that have created opportunities for me down the road.

Of course, none of this was easy. It would have been impossible to accomplish if this were not my passion. None of my successes have been financial, so all my work is done in conjunction of working full-time in other jobs. I have had to turn down weekends with friends, vacations with family, and lost romantic partners due to my commitment to my craft. But theatre has taught me more about myself than anything else. I firmly believe that my exploration into this art form is one of my own self-discovery, as well as guiding others down their own paths of growth. I have found that to be the brand of my artistic journey: growth. In everything I help create, I hope to instigate change in myself, my fellow artists, and the audience. It is why I do what I do.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ponce City Market is always my go-to for visiting the city. The shops are quaint and lovely, the refurbished building is aesthetically appealing, and the proximity to the Beltline is a huge plus.

Downtown Decatur is another one of my favorite spots. The Square is a wonderful collection of eclectic shops and restaurants and the entire area is very walkable in an afternoon. Grab an ice cream at Jenni’s, then peruse Homegrown and Sq/Ft, finishing up with a evening meal at Raging Burrito.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I must give credit to Lauren Morris. She has an uncanny eye for inspiration. There have been so many times when I have felt defeated or lost in this past year to find myself revitalized by a simply a conversation with her. She is a rapidly growing force in the Atlanta Theatre industry with the ability to always highlight the strength of her actors and elevate their humanity in a way that viscerally connects with the audience time and time again.

Website: https://www.robertfuson.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roberteffeweson/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobertFusonTheatremaker

Image Credits
Credit: Burke Brown