Roberta Emerson Named Director of New Play Development with Orlando Shakes, Visiting Lecturer at UCF

Headshot of Roberta Emerson

ORLANDO, Fla. — Roberta Emerson, who has worked as an actor and director in many theaters throughout the United States, has been named Director of New Play Development with Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF and Visiting Lecturer in the School of Performing Arts at the University of Central Florida, artistic director Jim Helsinger announced.

At Orlando Shakes, Emerson will plan and help curate its annual PlayFest new play development festival, and join the senior management team and support the company’s season and new works initiatives. At UCF, she will teach two theatre courses, direct Lynn Nottage’s Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine, and participate in department and university committees and governance, including the recruitment and advising of students.

“Roberta brings an abundance of theatrical success to this dual position with UCF and Orlando Shakes,” said Michael Wainstein, director of the UCF School of Performing Arts. “Her knowledge and experience, particularly through her connections in Central Florida and her previous work with students in the arts, makes her an ideal fit for our department.”

“I am so thrilled to have Roberta join us,” Helsinger said of Emerson. “She was wonderful in our cast of Antony & Cleopatra a few years ago, and she has an excellent reputation as a director, administrator, new play lover, and social justice advocate. She brings to UCF and Orlando Shakes a level of professionalism and creativity that will help to guide the next generation of writers, directors and performers, both in the classroom and on the stage.”

Emerson has been a staple within Central Florida’s arts and culture community for much of the past decade, professionally acting in and directing multiple stage productions at Orlando Shakes, Florida Repertory Theatre, Orlando Youth and Orlando Rep, as well as The Studio Theatre Tierra Del Sol, Twin Cities Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center, the Guthrie Theatre, Negro Ensemble Company, Walker Arts Theatre and Oregon Shakespeare.

From 2013-16, she was Director of Theatre for Dr. Phillips High School’s Theatre Magnet program where she was responsible for eight theatrical productions per year, before assuming the same role with Montverde Academy in 2016.

She most recently served part-time as the Associate Artistic Director at the Garden Theatre and the Artistic Producing Consultant for Central Florida Community Arts. She also serves on the board of The Arts Bridge Charity and the executive team for Central Florida Entertainment Advocacy.

“I am immensely excited to be joining Orlando Shakes and UCF,” Emerson said. “This is a dream come true. The opportunity to join the amazing School of Performing Arts faculty at UCF is one I could not pass up. And Orlando Shakes is a pillar of our community and is known for its integrity within the arts. Just to have a seat at these respective tables is an honor that I do not take lightly.”

Emerson holds a BFA in Acting and Theatre Management from the University of Minnesota and an MFA in Acting from New York University. She currently resides in Groveland and is represented by Lock Talent.

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ABOUT ORLANDO SHAKES
Now in its 33rd season, Orlando Shakes in Partnership with UCF is Central Florida’s largest professional theater company that features classic, contemporary, and brand-new shows at the John & Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center. Conveniently located in Loch Haven Cultural Park, just minutes from the heart of Orlando’s Mills 50 and Ivanhoe Village Mainstreet entertainment districts, Orlando Shakes is one of the region’s top date-night destinations. Visit OrlandoShakes.org to learn more about our annual seven-show Signature Series, the three-show Children’s Series, PlayFest, our new Cabaret series, and our immersive educational programming that serves Central Florida schools and the local community at large.