Director

Roberta Emerson is a Director, Actor, Producer, and Educator, and is the Director of New Play Development at Orlando Shakes. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a BFA in Acting and Theatre Management and New York University with an MFA in Acting. She has worked as an actor and director in many regional theaters around the country, has done extensive voice over, commercial and film work, and has been a teaching artist in both the US and Europe. Recent directing credits include Apologies to Lorraine Hansberry (You Too, August Wilson) and Beauty and the Beast. Her production of Beauty and the Beast gained national acclaim and recognition from Disney Theatricals for its use of color-conscious and identity-conscious casting. Ms. Emerson is also a Co-organizer and Theatre Relations Lead for Central Florida Entertainment Advocacy whose mission is to create a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive arts and entertainment community in Central Florida. She is also on the Board of The Arts Bridge Charity, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing relief to struggling artists, and Associate Artistic Consultant and IDEA lead for CFCARTS, as well as serving on the Board of the National New Play Network. Roberta also serves as the Co-Chair of the IDEA committee for the Shakespeare Theatre Association.