Amina Robinson Takes Helm at Theatre Horizon While Directing at Arden

Amina Robinson begins a new job as artistic director of Theatre Horizon in Norristown on Monday.

Robinson starts this position on November 2. She describes the timing as busy because her current production transfers to Philadelphia around the same time. Her staging of Suzan-Lori Parks’s “Top Dog/Underdog” moves from People’s Light Theatre in Malvern to the Arden Theatre. That production runs through December 13.

Akeem Davis plays Lincoln in the Arden production. George McGriff plays his younger brother, Booth. Robinson says she has been happy to work on projects that came to her rather than pitching specific pieces. She notes that Terry Nolen, a producer at the Arden, has asked her several times if she has a play in mind. Robinson spent the summer reading 120 of the 150 plays she selected to plan seasons for Theatre Horizon. She says she wants to produce interesting works that may not have New York runs. She cites Mark St. Germain’s “Dance Lessons” and Diana Burbano’s “Beheading Columbus” as high on her list.

Robinson’s career at Theatre Horizon began years ago when she directed a production of “The Color Purple.” Matt Decker, co-founder of the theater, called her after a student mentioned her name. Decker told her he had the rights to the musical and wanted to talk. Robinson agreed to direct. She says the production was a success and led to more directing offers. She also directed “Once On This Island” for the Arden Theatre. She revisited that musical after doing it at Temple University. She says the production allowed her to explore themes related to Haiti while the country faced events that made the story feel relevant. The team researched Haitian culture and used specific instruments in the score.

In January, Robinson will direct Branden Jacob-Jenkins’s “Purpose” for Philadelphia Theatre Company. That company won a Tony and Pulitzer Prize for Best Play in 2025 for that work. It also won both awards in 2026 for its production of “Liberation.” Robinson says she is proud of her work on “Once On This Island.” She says the use of imagery and storytelling gave the musical resonance beyond its plot.

Robinson has 30 more plays to read before she finishes her current research. She says she looks for plays that grab her heart as she reads them. She describes directing “Top Dog/Underdog” as a juicy and exciting time. She says she and the actors experimented to find what would resonate with audiences. She praises Davis for his consistency once decisions are made. She says Parks’s work has much happening beneath the surface of the play.

Robinson says she believes in building and maintaining relationships, especially with her students at Temple. She says her career took off after the success of “The Color Purple.” She notes that people began asking who she was and wanting to meet her. She says she has directed a variety of shows at different theaters. She says she is about to start a new adventure with the restructuring year at Theatre Horizon.