NORRISTOWN, PA — Theatre Horizon has appointed Philadelphia theater director and educator Amina Robinson as artistic director, completing a leadership transition that will shape the Montgomery County nonprofit’s artistic programming and community engagement strategy in the coming years.
Robinson, an award-winning director and associate professor of acting and musical theater at Temple University, will oversee artistic programming, creative partnerships, and long-term artistic planning for the Norristown-based theater company. She has already begun working on the organization’s 2026-27 season and is scheduled to officially assume the role in November 2026.
The appointment follows Robinson’s return to Theatre Horizon this spring, where she directed the musical revue Ain’t Misbehavin’. The company described the move as part of its continued expansion of artistic and community-focused programming.
“Returning to Theatre Horizon this season to direct Ain’t Misbehavin’ was incredibly special for me, both artistically and personally,” Robinson said. “This theater has played an important role in my journey as a director, beginning with The Color Purple.”
Robinson brings more than 20 years of experience in directing, performance, higher education, artistic administration, and new-work development. Her directing credits include productions at the Wilma Theater, Arden Theatre Company, Philadelphia Theatre Company, and Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. She previously served as artistic director of The Centre Theater and became the first Black woman to receive the Barrymore Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical for Theatre Horizon’s production of The Color Purple.
Robinson will work alongside Executive Director Mydera Taliah Robinson, whose tenure has focused on education, community engagement, and artist development initiatives.
“Amina brings a rare combination of artistic excellence, generosity, vision, and community-centered leadership,” Taliah Robinson said. “As Theatre Horizon continues expanding how we serve artists and audiences in Norristown and throughout the region, I’m excited to partner with someone who believes deeply in theater as both an artistic home and a gathering place.”
The leadership appointment follows a period of interim leadership under Theatre Horizon co-founder Matthew Decker, who resumed artistic leadership responsibilities in 2024 after the departure of former Artistic Director Nell Bang-Jensen.
Founded in 2005 by Decker and Erin Reilly, Theatre Horizon has grown into one of the Philadelphia region’s leading nonprofit theater companies, known for musical productions, new-work development, educational programming, and community-based storytelling initiatives.
The company plans to formally introduce Robinson during a fundraising and performance event on Oct. 16, 2026, which will include a symbolic transition from Decker and feature performances connected to past productions, including Ain’t Misbehavin’ and The Color Purple.
Looking ahead, Theatre Horizon said its 2026-27 season will emphasize community engagement, new audience development, and expanded programming beyond the main stage. Planned initiatives include a HorizoNEXT “Season Sampler” series, the launch of a permanent community choir, expanded cultural programming, continued development of the company’s THREAD artist residency initiative, and a spring 2027 musical directed by Robinson.
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