Pied-a-Terre

Robin Riker (Julia). A third generation actress on both sides of her family, Robin was classically trained and  grew up on stage, back stage, taking tickets and selling cookies in the lobby.  Robin has split her time between stage, screen and television ever since.  Her television credits include a recurring role on Boston Legal, as Candy Springtime, The Closer and Cold Case,among others, as well assix series for CBS, ABC and FOX:  Get a Life with Chris Elliott, The Gregory Hines Show, and Thunder Alley with Ed Asner, and the groundbreaking series “Brothers,” on SHOWTIME, for which she received two Ace Award nominations for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.  Her movie, Read it and Weep, is currently running on the Disney Channel. 

Never far from the stage, in the past two years Robin has received two Best Actress nominations (Ovation Awards and LA Weekly Theatre Awards) for her portrayal of La Marquise de Merteuil in Les Liaisons Dangereuses (The Blank Theatre), a Best Supporting Actress Nomination (Ovation Awards) for the role of Sue Bayliss in The Geffen Playhouse production of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, and Best Supporting Actress Nomination (LA Weekly Theatre Awards) for her work in George Furth’s play, Sex, Sex, Sex, Sex, Sex and Sex (a play about gardening), at The Matrix Theatre.  She recently starred opposite Tony Danza in the production of a new Bernard Slade play entitled I Remember You, at Garry Marshall’s Falcon Theatre.  A native New Yorker, Robin is thrilled to be home and over the moon  about her New York debut in Pied a Terre.

John Howard Swain (Jack).  After twenty plus years in California John is pleased to be back on “the boards” in New York City.  Before departing, he starred in eight Off Broadway productions including Joe Stein’s Lucky Rita (directed by Aaron Frankel), The Winslow Boy, Free Ride, The Strike and Shades.  His regional credits range from John Proctor in The Crucible to Harold Ryan in Happy Birthday, Wanda June, to Alfred in Little Murders.

In Hollywood, John guest starred in scores of television shows.  His episodic credits include Highway to Heaven, The Hogans, Heartbeat, Dallas, Dynasty, Falcon Crest, Knot’s Landing, St. Elsewhere and Hill Street Blues.  He also worked in the mini-series A Family of Spies and Blind Faith.  Film work includes Night Partners, Deadly Care, Angels in the Outfield, Summer Fantasies, and Best Seller.  John can also be seen in an upcoming episode of Law and Order SVU. 

In addition to acting, John is also a director and has staged plays in theatres all over the country.  His favorites are That Championship Season (Florida), The Hollow (New York), Bag Men (Los Angeles) and Night Must Fall (San Francisco).  He has also directed three films: Whose Life, Uncommon, and Stand-By (an entry in the Sundance Film Festival). For the past twelve years, John served as the managing director of one of the country’s premiere schools for film and television actors — Full Circle Productions, headquartered in San Francisco.  John is married to the lovely and talented Marsha Mercant.