Surrounded by actors and directors, she grew up in the shadows of the rehearsal space. As a teen she developed a passion for drama through her work with ‘The Joan Performing Arts group in Sydney’. Since then she has worked in theatre and film in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. 

With over 35 years in the theatre and film industry, Sarah Oemcke has worked both on screen, on stage and behind the scenes. An accomplished director, actor and producer, Sarah has worked on over 30 theatre and film productions in the last 10 years alone. With over 15 of those in director or lead character roles. Her accomplishments crediting her with awards in the UK and New Zealand for art direction and best actor. 

Sarah has developed her craft as an actor and director with tutors such as Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Ian Hughes, Peter Feeney and Sam Scott. In addition to creative roles Sarah is highly experienced in production and administration. She has been part of theatre management for over 10 years and president of the 16th Ave Theatre Company, Tauranga for four of those years. Responsible for all areas of production, from script selection to marketing and graphic design. During her presidency she guided the theatre out of a severe slump into the now thriving company it is today.

She has been instrumental in the creation of the Black Box Theatre group, an experimental theatre space showcasing independent productions and script development, as well as founding Bay of Plenty Screenwriters Group.