SOMETHING 'PERMANENT' ROBEY THEATRE VISIONARY SEES A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR HIS AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMPANY.

Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Writer

Bennet Guillory has a vision for his Robey Theatre Company, a dream which he claims is ``not so farfetched.''

``I hope you write it, and I hope somebody like - Who's that big philanthropist in town? Eli Broad? - I hope Eli Broad reads it and says, 'Let's help these folks out,' '' says Guillory, the Robey's producing/artistic director who also appears in the company's production of ``Permanent Collection'' at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

Under Guillory's vision, the Robey, which develops new plays - and revives others - about the black experience, would get a permanent home with two stages, one with 99 seats, the other 44, to produce a three-play season. To that wish list, add administrative offices, a parking lot and an 800- to 1,200-person subscriber base. The season would consist of a work developed out of the Robey's writers lab, along with the restaging of two plays: something from the pen of August Wilson or Lorraine Hansberry, for example.

``We have it south of Wilshire Boulevard,'' says Guillory. ``And after three to four years, and we are established in that space as the black theater company, then we go the real world and what it should be.''

Co-founded in 1994 by former Bay Area acting mates Guillory and Danny Glover, the Robey is still some distance from the scenario its leader envisions. The company currently has no home or subscription base, and the Robey stages one or two productions per year - depending on available funds.

``Permanent Collection,'' mounted last year at the Greenway Court Theatre, is a co-production with the Greenway Arts Alliance and the Center Theatre Group. For the time being, partnerships with other producing agencies are a necessity, says Guillory, noting that the Robey has co-produced with Greenway and East West Players in the past. The company has produced only eight plays during its history.

``We don't do a lot,'' concedes Guillory. ``But it does not serve anyone or anything to do work that is less than what it should be. Our limited resources don't allow us to do certain things, so we have to find ways to compensate. Sometimes that means stick and gum, and sometimes that means we find the money - no matter what - to do the production values that are needed for what the play demands.''

There will be no stick and gum required this time. The restaging of ``Permanent Collection'' on a CTG stage will, Guillory figures, help further raise the company's profile. The play has already been a critical and financial hit in its 2005 staging at the Greenway Court.

Written by Thomas Gibbons and inspired by an actual series of events at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, ``Collection'' delves into questions of responsibility and accountability within the art world. A black administrator (played by Guillory) takes over the directorship of a major art collection and immediately creates waves when he proposes shifting some impressionist works to display African-American artifacts that had previously been in storage.

The Robey had previously produced Gibbons' play, ``Bee Luther Hatchee.'' ``Permanent Collection,'' the second in a trilogy, is exactly the type of play his company should be performing, according to Guillory.

``The issue (in the play) is: Who has the right to make a choice, to say this painting will be seen and this will not be seen - this is important to culture and this not?'' says Guillory. ``These are ongoing themes in Tom's work, and it's an ongoing theme in our socially conscious mission statement.''

Guillory trained at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre, where he also served as director of the Black Actor's Workshop for three seasons. Treading the boards of regional theaters for more than 30 years, Guillory often found himself the only black actor among a cast. Colorblind and nontraditional casting was not yet in vogue, and Guillory grew tired of waiting for prime stage roles.

``More often than not, one is viewed as a 'black actor,' an 'Asian actor' a 'Latino actor' or a 'physically impaired actor' as opposed to simply 'an actor,' '' says Guillory. ``To do the kind of work I wanted to do, we needed to build our own house. The Robey is that house.''

Co-founder Glover, whose film commitments (among them ``The Color Purple,'' and the ``Lethal Weapon'' movies) have kept him from playing a more active role in the company, credits Guillory with being ``the mother, the father, the baby sitter, the nanny and everybody'' for the Robey's creation.

``Neither of us (initially) thought we'd have the opportunity to have life outside of the theater,'' says Glover, who appeared in the 1999 Robey/East West-produced play ``Yohen.'' ``We both had the unique experience of going to drama school together, mounting plays, watching plays and coming out of the theater. A lot (of the Robey) was informed by work we had done - and work we saw ourselves doing.''

Glover, a Robey board member who frequently helps with fundraising, is less bullish on the prospect of a permanent home for the company.

``I know how important that is to Ben, having a defined structure and institution, and maybe in the mix of things it will happen,'' says Glover. ``The legacy of what this theater is about and attempts to do resides basically in the work and the approach to the work.''

Evan Henerson, [phone]

evan.henerson(at)dailynews.com

PERMANENT COLLECTION

Where: Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City.

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday; through Feb. 12.

Tickets: $20 to $40. [phone].

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Photo:

(color) Bennet Guillory, left, with LaFern Watkins and Doug Cox in ``Permanent Collection,'' would like the Robey Theatre Company to acquire a performance space of its own.