About me
NIGEL SEMAJ (they/them) is a Baltimore-based director, movement director, and educator originally from Washington, D.C. They serve as an Assistant Professor of Performance and Affiliate Assistant Professor of Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where their work fosters inclusive and equitable theatrical spaces through anti-racist pedagogies and restorative practices.Nigel’s directing career spans a wide range of work, including the Off-Broadway premiere of Bloodshot by Elinor T. Vanderburg, Ntozake Shange’s Spell #7, and Bryony Lavery’s Slime. Their artistic voice speaks to those who have “let the sadness in,†often exploring themes of grief, violence, and life’s hardships. Notable projects include 10,000 Moor, an all-woman adaptation of Titus Andronicus that explores rage and violence; For Hylas, an adaptation of the Hercules myth centered on love, loss, and grief; and Call Me By Any Other Name…Just As Sweet, a queer deconstruction of Romeo and Juliet. Upcoming adaptations include in the darkest forest, inspired by Shakespeare’s forested worlds, and the serpent under’t, which delves into the horror and supernatural elements of Macbeth.Nigel’s approach to movement as a central storytelling tool is informed by training with companies such as Frantic Assembly, Pig Iron, and Tectonic Theatre Company. Their work spans plays, operas, musicals, and films, including Fidelio with Heartbeat Opera, Sarah Young’s award-winning short film Not Him, and Federico GarcÃa Lorca’s Blood Wedding.Committed to creating accessible, inclusive performance, Nigel’s academic research focuses on anti-racist pedagogies in theatre education. They are a board member of the American Alliance for Theatre Education and co-chair of the Irene Ryans Acting Scholarship for Region II’s Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.
