Orlando Theater Best of 2022: Director, Drama
They led productions ranging from a look at foster children to an indictment of the nation’s response to the AIDS epidemic; here are the 2022 Orlando Sentinel honorees for director of a drama, as selected by theater critic Matthew J. Palm.
Although it’s impossible for one person to see every local production, as the Orlando Sentinel’s theater critic, each year I see a broad spectrum of dramas, comedies and musicals. The individuals selected by me for this 2022 theatrical honor roll, presented here alphabetically, elevated the theatrical arts. Go to OrlandoSentinel.com/arts to see the honorees in other fields, and check back on Dec. 20 to learn the Critic’s Pick in this category.
Felichia Chivaughn
The Mountaintop > Garden Theatre
From the opening seconds of January’s “The Mountaintop,” Felichia Chivaughn got the tone just right. And she skillfully drew out humanizing and nuanced performances from her stars about what it means to be human, with death always on the horizon. This is Chivaughn’s third appearance on the year-end honor rolls; she was last honored in 2019 for co-directing the musical “Once on This Island” at Theater West End.
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Roberta Emerson
Apologies to Lorraine Hansberry (You Too, August Wilson) > Orlando Shakes
In October, Roberta Emerson superbly succeeded in taking “Apologies to Lorraine Hansberry...” — a show that breaks all kinds of theatrical norms — and giving it form and shape while respecting author Rachel Lynett’s intent. The complicated play entertained while it stimulated the brain. Emerson has been honored three times previously, for acting and directing, and won a Critic’s Pick in this category in 2021 for her work on “A Raisin in the Sun.”
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Ke’Lee Pernell
Locomotion > Orlando Repertory Theatre
Taking a play that’s presented nonlinearly, with actors playing multiple roles, Ke’Lee Pernell made all the theatrics flow beautifully. In October’s “Locomotion,” she framed the emotions pitch-perfect: The story’s sadness hit the heart, but didn’t overshadow the positive feelings and lessons the play had to offer.
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Jeremy Seghers
Angels in America > Valencia College Theatre
With a cast of mostly young students, Jeremy Seghers found something fresh-eyed in a masterwork of American theater. In February, he guided his actors to find the beauty of “Angels in America” playwright Tony Kushner’s text without declaiming it full of self-importance, thereby grounding a fantastical play in reality. While coming up with new ideas, such as dance-club preshow, Seghers also carefully ensured sound, lighting and other effects that went into this epic didn’t overpower his performers. This is Seghers’ fourth time being honored; he was a 2021 Critic’s Pick for his sound design of “The Woman in Black.”
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Nicole Visco
Closer > New Generation Theatrical
In a challenging play, Visco not only deftly meshed the plot’s comedy and drama, she found moments to make her selfish characters watchable. In September’s dialogue-heavy “Closer,” she also set just the right pace for her actors to deliver playwright Patrick Marber’s sometimes staccato, almost poetic lines.
Find me on Twitter @matt_on_arts, facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Want more theater and arts news and reviews? Go to orlandosentinel.com/arts. For more fun things, follow @fun.things.orlando on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
