Robert Valentine was born in New York City,
New York, in 1946. The first of four sons born to William and Mildred
Valentine, he was raised in the midwest. He graduated from the University
of Kentucky with the B.A. in History. After military service, he returned
to Kentucky where he was awarded the M.A. in Communications.
He has taught, performed professionally on stage, on radio and television,
and has written for all three media. He is Senior Lecturer in Mass
Media and Theatre for Murray State University.
As Director of Forensics at Murray State University during the 1970s
and 1980s, he coached his teams to a number of national honors including
the Delta Sigma Rho – Tau Kappa Alpha debate championships of
1980. In 1989, one of his students was named National Champion in
Congressional Debate, and his duo acting teams have won two national
titles. He has been a lecturer in speech communication at the University
of Kentucky and served as guest director of theaters at Bethel College
in Tennessee.
In 1981, he first performed his one-man play, “Edison: A Man,”
which was subsequently featured at the 1982 Knoxville World’s
Fair. After three touring seasons, the “Edison” program
was suspended when he became producer of live theatrical exhibits
for the National Scouting Museum.
He has worked in television and radio as an actor and producer. His
video productions include instruction and information tapes for The
Tennessee Valley Authority, Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Council
of State Governments, Fisher-Price Corporation, and others. His voice
has been featured on a number of nationally-aired radio commercials.
He presently serves as chief consultant and president of Theatre Arts
Enterprises, an independent media production and market consultation
company. He created the live storytelling exhibit for the National
Scouting Museum in Murray, Kentucky, and originated the national storytelling
tour. He is a Fellow of the F. O. Birmingham Memorial Foundation and
serves as Executive Editor of Murray Life Magazine.
He has continued to perform his one-man show, “Mark Twain: A
Reminiscence,” since it was first staged in 1973. He has logged
over 1,000 performances, including having been the featured guest
artist at Point Park College in Pittsburgh. “The ‘Twain’
Show,” he says, ‘is the essence of storytelling. It’s
like studying with a master storyteller, so that your own storytelling
seems to improve without even trying. Telling a story is the most
engaging, rewarding and exciting art form I can imagine.”
Mr. Valentine lives in Paris, Tennessee, with his wife Vicki Jo.
