Groundbreaker Films

Timeline: From Stage Show to Film (Long Version)

This film started out as a stage show. After watching Rolland Emmerich's film in July of 2016, Robin Phillips was inspired to begin extensive research on the Shakespeare Authorship Question. With her background as a playwright, she wrote a stage show on the subject, and called it, "O Mistress Mine! The Secrets, Lies, Loves & Wives of the REAL Shakespeare: Edward de Vere." It was presented at a small theater as a fundraiser for Health In Harmony, a group which is helping to save the planet by saving the rainforests. (See Dr. Kinari Webb's book: Guardians of the Trees.

https://www.amazon.com/Guardians-Trees-Journey-Through-Healing/dp/1250751381)

Robin next gave it as a fundraiser for an Oxfordian filmmaker. Robin became an enthusiastic supporter and active investor in the film, "Nothing is Truer Than Truth." then also gave her stage show as a fundraiser for several charities, including the International Eye Foundation, AAFSW the Associates of American Foreign Service Worldwide (twice, one year apart).

The group from the Shakespeare Authorship Group at the Cosmos Club were so impressed with the production (See Reviews) that she was asked to take the show to the next Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship Conference in Chicago. A logistical nightmare, so Robin filmed it and presented that instead.

Robin gave several showings of the film over the next four years -- twice at the august Cosmos Club in Washington DC -- all the while researching, re-writing, re-structuring and re-editing. By March 9, 2020, she and her co-editor, Art Harman finished filming. On March 12, Dr. Kinari Webb called from her hospital in Borneo to urge Robin (who suffers from asthma) to isolate immediately because of the impending spread of a lethal virus: Covid.

Over Skype and Zoom, Robin and Art finished editing the film over the next six months, and by September 13, 2020, they had entered their first film festival -- not knowing if it was really any good. There had been some surprising naysayers along the way, but this didn't slow them down. She and Art Harman just put their heads down and kept working. The pair had worked together for 8 and 10 hour days for the previous four years and it was "Now or never."

On May 3, 2021, Robin signed a worldwide distribution agreement with Vision Films, Inc. of L.A. During an arduous technical review of the film, in order to meet the stringent requirements for distribution, Art Harman's extensive technical skills and discipline took him from Co-Editor to Co-Producer on the film. Right away the awards began pouring in, and it took just two of them to get it done. Ta daaaaa!

November 19, 2016 - The film began as a stage show, a fundraiser for Dr. Kinari Webb’s Health in Harmony (healthinharmony.org).

May 8, 2017, Robin’s stage play was also as a fundraiser for Cheryl’s film about Oxford, “Nothing Is Truer Than Truth.” Robin was an enthusiastic supporter and active investor in her film.

October 21, 2017, Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship Annual Conference, Chicago.

“O Mistress Mine,” the first rough prototype version of Robin’s film is presented.

April 13, 2018, Second version of the film,“O Mistress Mine” is presented at a dinner at the Cosmos Club.

June 4, 2018, Third and fourth versions of the film, now “SHAKESPEARE: Hiding in Plain Sight,” is presented to the Association of American Foreign Service World Wide (AAFSW) on two separate occasions, one year apart.

September 11, 2018, Robin incorporates Groundbreaker Films LLC and continues working with her co-editor on “SHAKESPEARE: Hiding in Plain Sight.”

October 20, 2019, Gravitas debuts Cheryl Eagan-Donovan’s acclaimed documentary “Nothing is Truer Than Truth.” As an investor, Robin is delighted.

September 10, 2020, Robin and Groundbreaker Films enters first film festival, “Behind the Name SHAKESPEARE: Power, Lust, Scorn & Scandal.” During COVID, it was no longer essential to be present to enter a film festival, so Robin entered 200 festivals. For fun, she decided to use a pen-name, Christina di Marlo. In this new opening sequence, she exclaims, “Who was hiding behind the name “Shakespeare?” It takes a woman to see it!” We decided it might be prudent to take it out — but here it is.

February 2021, Eagan-Donovan’s Oxfordian film gets new global distribution. “Nothing is Truer Than Truth” is released through NENT UK with a new title, “Shakespeare: The Man Behind the Name.”

May 3, 2021, Groundbreaker Films signs world-wide distribution agreement with Vision Films. They change the name to “SHAKESPEARE: The Truth Behind the Name,” similar to her original title eight months before. The movie launch took place the day after Robin’s birthday on September 13, 2021. It took Robin and her co-editor, Art Harman, four years to create the film. It took one year from the first festival to film launch. Ta daaa!

FRIENDLY, HEALTHY COMPETITION:

April 4, 2022, Robin’s ex-husband, a product of Harvard’s Business School, used to say that having competition on the same block was healthy for business. If you have a McDonald’s franchise, don’t worry that Arby’s is moving into your area. Sometimes the customer will go to your shop, and sometimes they’ll walk across the street. Friendly competition is good for business!

Rave Reviews for the original stage show, “O Mistress Mine”

Your show is sans pareil. There’s something for everybody—music and theatre, song and storytelling, knowledge and humor, wit and laughter—and let’s not forget the costumes! It reminded me of the cabaret tradition. You entance us with a four hundred year old, “Who Done It,” that crams a lot of information into a topic that has been suppressed for far too long.

You address a controversial topic with an amazing command of the subject matter, sparkling wit, and gleeful humor, all of which are absent from most conversations on this topic, which is not even allowed by most of the academic community. So, not, ”Brava,” but “Bravissima” for a scintillating, enlightening, witty, playful, and absolutely charming evening and for telling the secret that academics don’t want us to ponder

Félicitations!

-- Elisabeth Waugaman, Ph.D (Medieval French literature)

You are truly amazing. You are a creative genius. It only struck me after we got home that you are doing exactly what Edward de Vere did. All Oxfordians talk about de Vere using theater to reach people, emotionally and intellectually. But you’re doing it yourself! That is truly brilliant.

All of us in the audience who already knew some of the facts you presented experienced them in a new way, since you reached us on all levels. You have done an extraordinary job assimilating a vast amount of relevant information in record time, then putting together a convincing narrative of the key points.

As I told someone afterwards, you’ve read much more than I have on this topic, so you included many facts that were new to me.

You are doing so much to overturn centuries of ignorance and prejudice on this topic. I hope you will think of posting the video on YouTube. I’m sure Tom Regnier will help in any way you ask to promote your splendid work.

--Richard M. Waugaman, MD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and 2012-2016 Faculty Expert on Shakespeare for Media Contacts, Georgetown University.

Artwork RP

Unable to purchase some drawings, Robin made her own!

Interviews

Coming SOON

Bio and Theater Reviews

Robin Phillips’ career tracks three paths: Performer; Writer; Producer. PERFORMER: singer, actress, narrator. WRITER: journalist, graphic artist; playwright, screenwriter. PRODUCER: plays, films, cabaret.

Member, National Press Club; Founding Member, National Speakers Association, D.C. Chapter (1983); Corporate Member, Women in Film and Video; Narrator/Living-Breathing-Subtitle forOpera Camerata in Washington, DC since 2013.

Her professional career began with a decade-long journey across Europe, studying with the greats at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and with tutors at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, being coached by the finest voice masters in Bavaria, mastering fluent French and German along the way, performing continuously both as a singer and actress in the U.S. and inEurope.

Of course, the fact that she was raised the daughter of a prominent American Diplomat in Europe, and was educated in Embassy schools, ensured she had the experience and confidence to direct her own career. A “Citizen of the World,” Robin has lived, worked and studied for almost twelve years in Washington, DC, Bonn, Wiesbaden, Munich, London, Sydney, Ville Franche-Sur-Mer, Nice, Brussels, and Monte Carlo.

Returning to the U.S., she performed with the Wooly Mammoth Theatre Company, the Lazy Susan Dinner Theatre, etc. And worked in Public Relations in the Association market. She was a founding member of the DC Chapter of The National Speakers Association. She became a journalist covering society and fashion for “Washington Life,” “Quarante, The Magazine for the Woman who Has Arrived,” “Washington Entertainment,” where she was also Editorial Director. She produced acting and commercial classes for the Panache modeling agency. She appeared asonscreen talent for Convention Network, Julian Bond, anchor.

After not getting cast in one theatrical role, undaunted, Robin began producing and starring in her own Way Off Broadway shows -- “Love Makes The World Bank Go Round!” and “Selling: You’ve Gotta Have Heart!”

She produced “An Evening in Vienna,” at the Mayflower Hotel before President Reagan’s entire Cabinet. Le Neon, the French American Theater Company, tapped Robin to play three roles: aFrench, a Spanish and a German cabaret singer in their World Premiere of “Jules & Jim.”

Robin ran off with the rave reviews: “Robin Phillips is the reason to go see this play.” Sitting backstage she knew she could write a better play. This is when her shows evolved from‘industrial theatre’ to full blown stage plays.

She researched, wrote and produced her first stage play, a musical review of the greatest French artistes of the 20th century: “Les Papillons de Nuit: The Music Halls of Paris, 1900-1960.” It was a smash hit, sold-out, success. The next critically-acclaimed play she wrote, produced and starred in, was “Agatha SINGS!”

RAVE REVIEWS FROM SOME OF THE PLAYS WRITTEN, PRODUCED AND STARRED IN BY ROBIN PHILLIPS:

“Researched and scripted by Robin Phillips, who also plays the role of Christie “Agatha SINGS!”is a theatrical and musical tour de force…In her portrayal of four stages in Agatha Christie’s life, her acting is even more impressive than her singing.” --Joseph McLellan, The Washington Post

“There is no other show in town remotely like “Agatha SINGS,” a rich array of drama, comedy, mystery and music...It communicates its fascinating story with power and elegance...(Christie) considered singing her true vocation. This gives Phillips an opportunity to season the show with some 30 vocal numbers, keyed to the plot and including opera, lieder, folk music in several languages and popular songs from two thirds of the 20th century…(a) musical and theatrical tour de force.” --Joseph McLellan, The Washington Post

“Phillips possesses a crystal-clear voice and a facile ability with various languages and dialects. The overall effect is marvelously engaging...The expression ‘tour de force ’accurately describes Phillips ’mastery of various musical styles but it does not adequately capture the intimate nature of the exploration of her subject...it is a one-of-a-kind evening of theater.” --Michael Toscano, The Washington Post