Review: ROBBIN, FROM THE HOOD at Soul Siren Playhouse has Much to Say About Marginalized Communities

The Soul Siren Playhouse premiere of Marlow Wyatt’s play Robbin, From the Hood premiered Thursday evening at the. Zack Theater.

Robbin, From the Hood takes on many of the psychological, sociological, and economic issues that impoverished families have faced for generations. The playwright examines disparate opportunity, and the intergenerational cycle of poverty, deprivation, traumatic behavioral reenactment, and dysfunctional family patterns. Robbin, From the Hood also considers how corporations profit from unfair business practices that keep marginalized communities oppressed.

The drama has a lot to say, perhaps a bit too much. Wyatt tries to delve deep into so many sociological issues that the storytelling gets bogged down. The story bounces equally between between six characters all with significant arcs that are as complex as the protagonist’s. It causes the narrative to become laborious, long, and sometimes leaves one wondering where the story is going.

In Robbin, from the Hood, teenage Robbin (Joyous Celestine) lives with her ailing grandfather (Don McClendon). She, and her Best Friend Juan (Brandon Avila), get an opportunity to apply for a summer work study program at a prestigious company. They covet the chance to win the roles because the paid internships will help their families financially.

 Robbin and Juan are recruited to the firm by the savvy Margaret (Chrissie Watkins), a woman who has used intellect and effort to find her way out of the cycle of poverty. The dedicated and hard-working Margaret has made it her personal mission to create opportunities for underprivileged teenagers to find the type of success that will allow them to break free from their community’s oppression.

Robbin and Juan’s corporate journey lead to different experiences. Robbin uncovers how corporate greed negatively affects her community. Juan sees the work as his means of escape from his current situation irrespective of the company's liability.

That alone is enough for a satisfying 90-minute one act play. But Wyatt digs deeper into the grandfather’s battle with dementia and his estranged relationship with his incarcerated son Charlie (Trials Davis). There is an added subplot about Margaret’s relationship with Kyle (Jeremy Thomas), another executive in the company. Margaret and Kyle’s messy relationship is a full story and character arc unto itself.

The writer’s intention is understood. He is trying to unpack all the aforementioned societal issues, plus more, in a two-hour play. The competing storylines weaken the protagonist’s journey and leave the audience both overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time.

As a director, Cameron Jamarr uses the intimate space wisely. He briskly transitions between the scenes using a few key set pieces to move the action between Robbin’s home and the corporation’s offices. Like other Soul Siren Playhouse productions, Jamarr challenges the audience's senses with pulsating sound design and projections that create interesting visual stimuli.

The .Zack is a difficult venue for actors and sound designers. The theater is both intimate and vertically cavernous. An actor’s ability to articulate and project dialogue is critical to a production's success. Celestine, Avila, and McClendon’s dialogue was difficult to hear. Their vernacular was authentic, but none of the three projected well enough to make the dialogue fully audible, especially where there was underlying ambient sound design. The simultaneous sound effects made their lines nearly impossible to hear.

Celestine and Avila’s portrayals were infectious. The teenager's excitement about their work opportunity was palpable, as was their conflicting opinions about the company where they worked. Both actors showed promising stage presence, but their limited experience was apparent in their characterizations, physicality, and projection.

McClendon’s portrayal conveyed the difficulties families face when caring for elderly loved ones struggling with dementia, but there were too many inconsistencies with his physical portrayal. At times he steadily ambulated through the apartment unaided, other times he used a walker or a wheelchair as a mobility aid. The inconsistencies in his ability to ambulate reduced the character’s believability.

Watkins, Thomas, and Davis are seasoned pros. Their natural performances created convincing portrayals.

Watkins’ performance as mentor and scorned employee was ripe in emotional depth. She is a scene stealer. Her acting experience is evident in both her characterization and her ability to project.

Robbin, From the Hood has ambitious intent. Wyatt has crafted several potentially compelling scenarios about those living in impoverished and marginalized communities and how the conditions effect their population. But in its current iteration, Robbin, From the Hood loses its dramatic impact from its attempt to dramatize too much.

Robbin, From the Hood continues at the .Zack through March 29, 2026. Visit playsiren.com for more information on showtimes and tickets.