Robin U. Russin
Biography
Robin Russin is an accomplished screenwriter, playwright, director, producer, and educator whose work spans film, television, theater, and academia. He is widely recognized for his contributions to storytelling both as a creator and as a mentor to emerging writers.
Biography
Robin Russin is a Rhodes Scholar with an extensive academic background. He holds degrees from Harvard University, the University of Oxford, the Rhode Island School of Design, and UCLA. His scholarly foundation has strongly influenced his approach to narrative, blending intellectual rigor with practical storytelling craft.
Academic Career
Russin is a professor of screenwriting and playwriting in the Department of Theatre, Film & Digital Production at the University of California, Riverside. There, he played a key role in helping to establish the MFA program in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts. Beyond teaching, he is deeply involved in developing new voices in theater and film, leading workshops for both emerging and established playwrights.
Film and Television Career
Robin Russin has written, produced, and directed for major film and television projects. His film credits include the box office hit On Deadly Ground. In television, he worked on America’s Most Wanted and served as Senior Producer on ABC’s medical drama Vital Signs. His original one-hour pilot script about King David, Beloved, was sold to ABC and later adapted into the series Of Kings and Prophets.
More recently, Russin directed the independent feature film When I Sing, continuing his engagement with personal and character-driven storytelling.
Theater and Writing
As a playwright, Russin’s work has been staged to critical and audience acclaim. His play The Face in the Reeds premiered in an extended run at the Ruskin Group Theatre in Santa Monica and later received multiple readings in New York City. He also initiated and continues to lead a playwrights’ workshop at the Ruskin Group Theatre, fostering a collaborative creative community.
Russin is the co-author of the influential writing guides Screenplay: Writing the Picture (now in its second edition) and Naked Playwriting. His essays, stories, articles, and reviews have appeared in numerous respected publications across literary, cultural, and academic fields.
