Director

Sara is an Orlando-based director, actor,writer and producer. She directed the first reading of Qualia in 2019, staged at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando, as well as its workshop reading in New York City in 2025. Her award-winning short film, Lioness, screened at over 65 festivals internationally, including Oscar and BAFTA-Qualifying, and is currently streaming on Omeleto. For Lioness, she was awarded Best Actress at the Georgia Shorts Film Festival, and nominated for Best Actress at the SOHO International Film Festival in and First Glance Philadelphia Film Festival. On stage, she was twice awarded Critics’ Pick from The Orlando Sentinel for her performances as Beatrice in A View From The Bridge and Pope Joan/Louise in Top Girls and is also a Theater Tampa Bay Nominee for Best Featured Actress for Between Riverside and Crazy. Other theater credits include the Maltz Jupiter Theater, GableStage and American Stage, where she originated the role of Mabel Lisowski in the acclaimed World Premiere of The People Downstairs. Her Chicago credits include The Lyric Opera of Chicago, Lifeline Theater, The Artistic Home, Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company, Northlight Theater and others. Other credits include the TheNew York Times Critics’ Pick production of Coriolanus and work at HERE Arts, Berkshire Theater Group and others. Past productions/performances have been noted in The Chicago Tribune, The Miami Herald, The Tampa Bay Times, The Orlando Sentinel, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and several others. Most recently, she has appeared in Showtime’s Dexter: Original Sin. www.saraoliva.com | Instagram: @sara_antoinette