Free Daily Headlines

News

Set your text size: A A A

Playhouse actor sets stage for $1M cancer center boost

An actor who has performed for more than 20 years at the Flat Rock Playhouse has become the biggest donor so far to the Pardee Comprehensive Cancer Center, making a cash donation and matching pledge challenge that would total $1 million, the Pardee Foundation announced Friday at the close of its annual Women Helping Women luncheon at the Blue Ridge Conference Hall at BRCC.


Brian Robinson is giving $500,000 now and challenging the community to match his gift of another $250,000, for a total of $1 million.

He recently returned from a wellness retreat, where each meal began with a moment of gratitude.

"The one blessing which I have been the most guilty of taking for granted has been my health," he said. "At the end of those two weeks I had a newfound awareness and appreciation for my health that I had never had before."

When he got back to Flat Rock, his friend, Debbie Rouse, a member of the cancer center capital campaign, offered to take Robinson on a tour of the new Cancer Center, which will begin seeing patients next month.

"I was overwhelmed by the life force already present in the building," Robinson said. "It is filled with light, it radiates warmth, and very soon it will pulse with life as it will treat not only those already existing patients in this community, but also the more than 500 new patients a year who will come there to have the most precious gift restored to them, their health."

"Many of you in this room have already made a commitment to this new place of healing," he told the full house gathered for the annual luncheon. "I am honored to now stand with you. To those of you still considering a gift, I hope my challenge will encourage you, knowing that every dollar you give will be doubled. Every gift no matter the size will make a difference. This place of miracles is going to change people's lives for the better, today, tomorrow and long after we are all gone. I hope you will join me."

The gift is a major step forward for the Pardee Foundation in its goal of $6 million for the cancer center, giving the capital campaign a total of about $4 million so far, said Kim Hinkelman, executive director of the Pardee Foundation.

This was not Robinson's first substantial donation to a local cause. In June 2015 he gave $318,000 to help start the theater’s newly formed educational program, Flat Rock Playhouse Studio 52. He has performed on stage at the Flat Rock Playhouse since he left graduate school at UNC at Chapel Hill. He first performed at the Flat Rock Playhouse in 1993 when Artistic Director Robin Farquhar cast him in a leading role in the musical City of Angels. Over the next 20 years he went on to play leading roles in more than 22 productions, including 1776, Thoroughly Modern Millie, A Few Good Men and My Fair Lady. A native of Tennessee with extensive film and television credits, Robinson earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Virginia a graduate degree in the professional actors training program at UNC at Chapel Hill.
He has appeared in commercials for Food Lion, Time Warner Cable, Coca Cola, Subway and Tylenol. He had a featured role in Gospel Hill, starring Angela Bassett and Danny Glover and directed by Giancarlo Esposito.