Jason Odell Williams

Jason Odell Williams

An Emmy Award nominee, Jason’s plays include CHURCH & STATE (Off-Broadway, New World Stages, 2017, published by DPS, 68 regional productions, Henry Award Winner for Best Play, Off-Broadway Alliance and L.A. Ovation Award Nominee for Best New Play, named one of Huffington Post's Top 10 Theatre Productions of 2016, NNPN Rolling World Premiere), HANDLE WITH CARE (Off-Broadway, The Westside Theatre, 2013-...
An Emmy Award nominee, Jason’s plays include CHURCH & STATE (Off-Broadway, New World Stages, 2017, published by DPS, 68 regional productions, Henry Award Winner for Best Play, Off-Broadway Alliance and L.A. Ovation Award Nominee for Best New Play, named one of Huffington Post's Top 10 Theatre Productions of 2016, NNPN Rolling World Premiere), HANDLE WITH CARE (Off-Broadway, The Westside Theatre, 2013-14, NY Times Critics’ Pick, published by DPS, over 30 regional productions, Theatre Bay Area Award Winner for Best Play), SOMEONE ELSE (NC Stage), DIVISION STREET and ON THE MARKET (JCC CenterStage), BALTIMORE IN BLACK & WHITE (the cell theatre), THE WHOLE SHEBANG (Semi-Finalist, PlayMaker Rep’s Thomas Wolfe Playwriting Competition; Semi-Finalist, Eugene O’Neill Theatre Festival), A POUND OF FLESH (Semi-Finalist, Eugene O’Neill Theatre Festival), and AMERICA IN ONE ROOM (Florida Studio Theatre, published by TRW Plays). He’s currently writing a new musical called THE SOUND (Semi-Finalist, 2023 National Music Theater Conference at the O’Neill Theatre Festival) with his wife and collaborator, Charlotte Cohn, and composer Christian Douglas. Jason was the winner of the Hudson Valley Writers Workshop contest and a Finalist for the McKnight National Residency and Commission. On television, Jason’s work as a writer and producer has been seen on National Geographic, the History Channel, Discovery, and Netflix. Jason lives in New York City with his wife and their 17 year old daughter - a budding artist, naturally.


PRESS
"Mr. Williams has achieved something special: He has written a hilarious and heartwarming romantic comedy...which exudes gobs of comic energy and insight."
—The New York Times (Critics' Pick)

“Playwright Jason Odell Williams is a postmodern Clifford Odets. His conservative Southerners are winning, strikingly intelligent, and above all, sincere in their beliefs. The moral struggle that follows fuels a sophisticated dialectic that presents both sides of the gun debate. It’s surprisingly subtle and gripping entertainment… Simply superb!”
– L.A. Times

“A powerful, often humorous, and highly contemporary piece [with] several surprises, four fascinating characters, and so many lines that resonate.” – Huffington Post

"Williams has written a crackling script! Powerful, humorous and so resonant. I wish every member of Congress would see it!" - NPR

“Keep your eye on playwright Jason Odell Williams. If he keeps writing plays as extraordinary and impassioned as his latest play, ‘Church & State,’ he may in time be hailed as this country’s newest Eugene O’Neill.” – Santa Monica Daily Press

“A captivating, thought-provoking new play sure to only advance the career of a promising new dramatist. [A] brightly intelligent and often hilariously on-target script, it is deserving of high praise! Brilliant… furiously funny and disarmingly real. Takes our breath away!” – Arts in L.A.

Plays

  • DESTROYING DAVID by Jason Odell Williams
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy, docudrama/historic + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: art, loss + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, docudrama/historic, drama
    Keyword: art, loss, beauty, grief, Hope, solo piece
    An unnamed Art Restorer, grieving the death of their husband David, believes the only way to heal is to destroy the most beautiful thing in the world: Michelangelo’s David. As we skip through time in the narrator's head learning about their past relationship and the history of the statue itself, one big question looms: will they actually destroy this 500 year old masterpiece? A play about art, beauty, pain...
    An unnamed Art Restorer, grieving the death of their husband David, believes the only way to heal is to destroy the most beautiful thing in the world: Michelangelo’s David. As we skip through time in the narrator's head learning about their past relationship and the history of the statue itself, one big question looms: will they actually destroy this 500 year old masterpiece? A play about art, beauty, pain, grief, and what it means to move forward when all seems lost, DESTROYING DAVID is ultimately a story about hope, why we need art, and the joy life offers in everyday miracles… if we’re brave enough to see and appreciate them.

    Total running time: 65-75 minutes.

    REVIEWS FROM WORKSHOP PRODUCTIONS
    at Harbinger Theatre & Burien Actors Theatre


    "A fascinating new play! An ode to the beauty, resilience, and importance of all art. A lovely, sad and uplifting portrait of a person in pain who is saved by love of beauty rather than the destruction of same. Both eloquent and passionate… playwright Jason Odell Williams has the remarkable ability to deliver an enormous amount of information in a way that is illuminating beyond simple metaphor. This is a work where language is the star." – The Troy Record


    "An exciting, tour de force production! Destroying David has us questioning many of the flawed things about life, love, loss and the fragility of the world around us. A very relevant message in today’s troubled world. Just when you are tearing up, [Williams] deftly breaks the tension and has you laughing out loud. A sheer delight from start to finish. It is very much worth your time." – Nippertown


    "Wonderful! Beautiful! Alive and vivid! This is a play of thoughts brought into the verbal world just as Michelangelo’s David was brought out of the marble. Sometimes I think a play is extraordinary but this time it is the total experience that stands out as something special." – The Berkshire Edge


    "Destroying David is easily one of my favorite BAT shows to date. This show is original and comes from a place of love. In a way it is a love letter to the statue of David. Destroying David brings up questions about grief, the flaws in things, and the purpose of art. Excellent! Real and grounded… this show is one of BAT’s best… make sure not to miss it." – Westside Seattle

  • MAKE 'EM LAUGH! (a journey through the sitcom multi-verse) by Jason Odell Williams
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    7–40
    ·
    Genre: comedy, farce + 3 more
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    Keyword: comedy, sitcoms + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, farce, parody/spoof, satire, young audiences
    Keyword: comedy, sitcoms, Farce, spoof, colleges and high schools
    NOISES OFF meets the movie PLEASANTVILLE meets an episode of FRIENDS in this theatrical love letter to sitcoms (classic and modern) with flexible casting (7 - 40 roles), one simple unit set, opportunities for fun cameos, surprising theatrical tricks, physical comedy and more! After declaring that college would be a waste of time and money, and that their one-time dream to be a comedy writer is an impractical...
    NOISES OFF meets the movie PLEASANTVILLE meets an episode of FRIENDS in this theatrical love letter to sitcoms (classic and modern) with flexible casting (7 - 40 roles), one simple unit set, opportunities for fun cameos, surprising theatrical tricks, physical comedy and more! After declaring that college would be a waste of time and money, and that their one-time dream to be a comedy writer is an impractical pipe-dream, a high school student gets trapped in an alternate sitcom multiverse and can’t find their way out. After some frustrating and hilarious encounters with the casts of shows that look a LOT like Friends, Seinfeld, Will & Grace, and The Golden Girls to name a few, and getting some sage advice from "Norman Lear," our hero student discovers they DO want to go to college – to become a sitcom writer! An uproarious comedy about finding your true passion and discovering that laughter is the best medicine.
  • ON THE MARKET by Jason Odell Williams
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    4–18
    ·
    Genre: comedy, romantic comedy
    ·
    Keyword: comedy, adult romantic comedy + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, romantic comedy
    Keyword: comedy, adult romantic comedy, real estate, widow, sweet, actors over 50
    A former singer, now realtor, struggles with the modern dating scene after becoming a widow two years ago only to have her life turned upside down when she finds a mysterious note from her dead husband telling her it’s okay to “move on.” A modern, romantic comedy for grown-ups about love, loss, and finding your Forever Home. (2W, 2M)
  • THE WHOLE SHEBANG by Jason Odell Williams
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    6–14
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: climate change, Dystopia + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, political, satire
    Keyword: climate change, Dystopia, high school, belief vs truth, coming of age, prom, science
    Kate, a straight-A high school senior, stops attending her AP Science class after her teacher delivers a lecture about mankind's responsibility for climate change. As a series of storms hits their small town of Martins Ferry, Ohio, Kate's friends, family and teacher try to convince her to come back to class and decline her invitation to appear on a popular conservative talk radio show to discuss her...
    Kate, a straight-A high school senior, stops attending her AP Science class after her teacher delivers a lecture about mankind's responsibility for climate change. As a series of storms hits their small town of Martins Ferry, Ohio, Kate's friends, family and teacher try to convince her to come back to class and decline her invitation to appear on a popular conservative talk radio show to discuss her bold decision. But Kate keeps having flashbacks of her father when he was alive telling her coal provided good clean jobs and climate change was a hoax. Will Kate stick to her guns about the "climate change myth" she was taught to believe... even as a literal flood of evidence rises around her? Or will she see finally see the light and stand up for what’s right... no matter the cost? THE WHOLE SHEBANG is a darkly comic play about our core beliefs, our changing planet, and what we choose to value most. "Truth is in the eye of the denier."
  • AMERICA IN ONE ROOM by Jason Odell Williams
    Cast: 
    9
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: American society and politics, American race relations and racism + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, immersive, political
    Keyword: American society and politics, American race relations and racism, gay rights, Indian (South Asian) women, Asian American, a political social satire, improv, audience engagement
    AMERICA IN ONE ROOM is a comedy-drama about what divides us and what brings us together as a nation.

    When eight strangers receive an invitation to the America in One Room convention in the fall of 2019, promising debate on a wide range of topics, they are hesitant to participate. However, as each diverse personality files into the aptly-titled Liberty Room, their insecurities, strengths,...
    AMERICA IN ONE ROOM is a comedy-drama about what divides us and what brings us together as a nation.

    When eight strangers receive an invitation to the America in One Room convention in the fall of 2019, promising debate on a wide range of topics, they are hesitant to participate. However, as each diverse personality files into the aptly-titled Liberty Room, their insecurities, strengths, weaknesses and hopes for the future are put on full display. Inspired by the real-life convention of the same name, AMERICA IN ONE ROOM dissects recent headlines and our nation’s past (and even employs a little audience participation) to answer the question: what does it mean to be an American?
  • DIVISION STREET by Jason Odell Williams
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama
    ·
    Keyword: family, acting + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, drama
    Keyword: family, acting, success and failure, Movies, awards, fame, Jewish, police brutality, media, black lives matter
    It's the night of the Golden Globes, and Robbie, a white actor with a rising career, has received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role as a racist cop in a #BlackLivesMatter film. His pregnant African-American wife Nia is an actress whose once-thriving career has recently taken a back seat to her husband’s. Add Robbie’s white wannabe-gansta manager Trey to the mix who is like a walking poster...
    It's the night of the Golden Globes, and Robbie, a white actor with a rising career, has received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role as a racist cop in a #BlackLivesMatter film. His pregnant African-American wife Nia is an actress whose once-thriving career has recently taken a back seat to her husband’s. Add Robbie’s white wannabe-gansta manager Trey to the mix who is like a walking poster child for cultural appropriation, and the result is a fresh comedic-drama about race, fame, and the Hollywood movie machine. (2M, 1W) .
  • CHURCH & STATE by Jason Odell Williams
    Recommendations: 6
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: god, religion + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, political
    Keyword: god, religion, guns, Senator, Republican, christianity, southern, school shooting, election
    BEST NEW PLAY NOMINEE (Off Broadway Alliance, 2017)
    BEST NEW PLAY NOMINEE (L.A. Ovation Awards, 2016)
    TOP TEN PRODUCTIONS OF 2016 (The Huffington Post)
    WINNER - OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY (Henry Awards, 2019)

    “Gripping entertainment! Simply superb!” – Los Angeles Times
    "Powerful, humorous, and so many lines that resonate." - Huffington Post
    ...
    BEST NEW PLAY NOMINEE (Off Broadway Alliance, 2017)
    BEST NEW PLAY NOMINEE (L.A. Ovation Awards, 2016)
    TOP TEN PRODUCTIONS OF 2016 (The Huffington Post)
    WINNER - OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY (Henry Awards, 2019)

    “Gripping entertainment! Simply superb!” – Los Angeles Times
    "Powerful, humorous, and so many lines that resonate." - Huffington Post
    "A crackling script! I wish every member of Congress would see it!" - NPR
    “Plenty of humor! Words that need to be said and heard!” – Time Out NY
    "One of the best plays of the year!" - Times Square Chronicles
    “Extraordinary and impassioned” – Santa Monica Daily Press
    “Speaks to the lunacy of modern politics” – L.A. Theatre Bites
    "Williams' excellent script yields to searing theater!"- Talkin' Broadway
    "This show is stunning. Beautiful writing... so timely and so heartbreaking – but it’s also quite funny and human. I want everyone to make seeing this show a priority... This is theater with purpose!” – The Alt

    Three days before his bid for re-election, in the wake of another school shooting, a Republican U.S. Senator has a life-altering crisis of faith, and makes an off-the-cuff comment that sends the entire campaign into a tailspin. His devoutly Christian wife and liberal Jewish campaign manager try to contain the damage, but in a country where religion influences politics and politics have become a religion, how do you reach the people and stay true to yourself? A timely and fast-paced story that is simultaneously funny, heartbreaking, and uplifting.

    www.ChurchAndStateThePlay.com

  • HANDLE WITH CARE by Jason Odell Williams
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, holiday + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Israel, Jewish + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, holiday, romantic comedy
    Keyword: Israel, Jewish, christmas, bilingual, Hebrew, destiny, fate, Virginia
    “A hilarious and heartwarming romantic comedy... which exudes gobs of comic energy and insight. Mr. Williams has achieved something special: He has written a Jewish Christmas story.” —The New York Times (Critics’ Pick)

    In this bi-lingual romantic comedy, circumstances both hilarious and tragic bring together a young Israeli woman, who has little command of English, and a young American man, who...
    “A hilarious and heartwarming romantic comedy... which exudes gobs of comic energy and insight. Mr. Williams has achieved something special: He has written a Jewish Christmas story.” —The New York Times (Critics’ Pick)

    In this bi-lingual romantic comedy, circumstances both hilarious and tragic bring together a young Israeli woman, who has little command of English, and a young American man, who has little command of romance. Is their inevitable love an accident ... or is it destiny, generations in the making?

    “Miraculous ... the story of the beauty in tragedy, the rekindling of faith, and realizing that you’re found in translation ... leaves the audience delighted.” —The Jewish Week

    “Thrilling ... a delightful, bilingual comedy ... this is the perfect non- Christmas “Christmas” show, a celebration of friendship and life that is big on the small things that matter in life.” —Los Angeles Daily News

    HANDLE WITH CARE ran for 112 performances Off-Broadway and has had 17 regional productions since premiering in 2011.
  • A POUND OF FLESH - a modern-day revenge tragedy by Charlotte Cohn & Jason Odell Williams by Jason Odell Williams
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    8–12
    ·
    Genre: drama, tragedy
    ·
    Keyword: Anti-Semitism, revenge + 5 more
    Genre: drama, tragedy
    Keyword: Anti-Semitism, revenge, neo-Nazi, mass shooting, American Jews, Jewish, family
    Inspired by and in response to Shakespeare's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE and the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, A POUND OF FLESH is a modern-day revenge tragedy about fear, redemption, and what it means to be "the chosen ones." After a shooting takes place at a synagogue in a quiet American suburb, SHIA, an 18 year old Rabbi's daughter with a dark past, decides to seek revenge on...
    Inspired by and in response to Shakespeare's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE and the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, A POUND OF FLESH is a modern-day revenge tragedy about fear, redemption, and what it means to be "the chosen ones." After a shooting takes place at a synagogue in a quiet American suburb, SHIA, an 18 year old Rabbi's daughter with a dark past, decides to seek revenge on the white supremacists responsible. She disguises herself as a man and infiltrates the local Atomwaffen chapter (a neo-Nazi group that considers themselves right of the alt-right). There Shia meets FRANK, the son of the man who shot and killed 5 people in the synagogue before shooting himself. Shia convinces Frank to follow her lead on the next steps to "take down the Jews." But Shia secretly plans to carry out the "Four Deaths" as described during Yom Kippur prayer services on the extremist group -- Stoning, Burning, Decapitation, and Strangulation. Complicating matters, Shia's best friend TIKI (short for Tikvah which means "hope" in Hebrew) begins to fall in love with a stranger she met after Friday night services named MILES. Both Tiki and Miles lost a loved one in the shooting. But their bond hides a secret that Shia uncovers when Tiki arrives one night for Shabbat dinner. Will Tiki turn the other cheek as she's begged Shia to do in the past, or will her baser nature be revealed when she has a chance for personal revenge?
  • BALTIMORE IN BLACK & WHITE by Jason Odell Williams
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    8–16
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama
    ·
    Keyword: Race, american race relations + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, drama
    Keyword: Race, american race relations, mixed race, race relations, marriage, Baltimore, Jewish
    A young woman is about to marry an old friend of the family. The only problem: she's white and Jewish; he's black... and not. This laugh-out-loud ensemble comedy looks at how far we've come (and how far we haven't) by exploring two Baltimore family's relationships over the past two decades.

    CO-AUTHORED BY: Charlotte Cohn and Almeria Campbell

    “Terrific...
    A young woman is about to marry an old friend of the family. The only problem: she's white and Jewish; he's black... and not. This laugh-out-loud ensemble comedy looks at how far we've come (and how far we haven't) by exploring two Baltimore family's relationships over the past two decades.

    CO-AUTHORED BY: Charlotte Cohn and Almeria Campbell

    “Terrific characters, sharp dialogue, and bang-on insights.” - Neil LaBute

    “A stunning and evocative story… with humor, grace, and a huge heart. This show will make you smile and exit the theatre with a lightness to your step.”
    - Urban Excavations
  • SOMEONE ELSE by Jason Odell Williams
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: marriage, middle age + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, romantic comedy
    Keyword: marriage, middle age, contemporary
    SOMEONE ELSE (1M, 1W) is an award-winning comedy about love, fidelity and Ukrainian escorts. As his wife of 10 years ratchets up the pressure to have a baby, Dave feels the spark being sucked out of their sex life and begins to fantasize about a rendezvous with a beautiful and droll Ukrainian prostitute who offers him surprisingly sage advice about his marriage. Meanwhile, Dave’s sexy co-worker has escalated...
    SOMEONE ELSE (1M, 1W) is an award-winning comedy about love, fidelity and Ukrainian escorts. As his wife of 10 years ratchets up the pressure to have a baby, Dave feels the spark being sucked out of their sex life and begins to fantasize about a rendezvous with a beautiful and droll Ukrainian prostitute who offers him surprisingly sage advice about his marriage. Meanwhile, Dave’s sexy co-worker has escalated their usual playful banter into a full-on flirtation… or is it simply a ploy to steal a promotion? While Dave navigates the complex waters of family, career and fidelity, he finds himself in a motel room with a curt New York escort who may or may not be the answer to his problems.

    A winner of The Hudson Valley Writers’ Workshop new play competition, SOMEONE ELSE is a hilarious and candid glimpse at a lost and confused man searching to answer the eternal question: can we find everything we need… in just one person?

    World Premiere at NC STAGE in Asheville, NC, Nov. 2015.

    Winner of The Hudson Valley Writers Workshop 2012 New Play Contest.

    PRESS FROM WORLD PREMIERE:
    "Someone Else sizzles with sensuousness and sexy dialogue! A witty and wise romp examining the travails of a young husband and his sexual journey… represents everywoman and everyman's struggle - the human condition made manifest. No one turns out to be despicable, all are understandable and forgivable and acceptable. There's great depth and substance in this racy script, fit for long discussion and thoughtful consideration." - Citizen-Times

    “This wickedly funny and enchanting, charming and piquant world premiere with blistering frankness, big laughs, and range of emotional dichotomies (love or sex, freely single or hitched with children, success or happiness) will resonate with audiences.” - Carolina Curtain Call

    “Someone Else is human, relatable and very funny. This show is all about exposing inner fears and demons and debating them in often-unsettling ways. The writing is sharp, insightful and gives every audience member something they can relate to in their own lives.” - Mountain Xpress
  • GIVE ME SHELTER by Jason Odell Williams
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    5–10
    ·
    Genre: drama, mystery/thriller
    ·
    Keyword: college, media + 8 more
    Genre: drama, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: college, media, sexual assault, rape, fraternity, university, true story, truth, American society and politics, social commentary
    After a female college student's gang-rape accusation is published in a prominent magazine then quickly retracted, the truth becomes more and more elusive as the girl and two of the accused boys tell the University three different versions of what happened on that fateful night. Inspired by true events, GIVE ME SHELTER is a fast-paced, gut-wrenching drama that asks the loaded question: when it comes to...
    After a female college student's gang-rape accusation is published in a prominent magazine then quickly retracted, the truth becomes more and more elusive as the girl and two of the accused boys tell the University three different versions of what happened on that fateful night. Inspired by true events, GIVE ME SHELTER is a fast-paced, gut-wrenching drama that asks the loaded question: when it comes to seeking justice for sexual violence on our nation's campuses, who can we really trust? (3M, 2W)
  • DOG PARK by Jason Odell Williams
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, romantic comedy
    ·
    Keyword: writers, loyalty + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, romantic comedy
    Keyword: writers, loyalty, competition, dogs, friendship, celebrity, fame, success and failure
    Aspiring screenwriter Alice and struggling novelist Owen have always had a flirty vibe yet have remained just dog park buddies. But when world famous actress Jennifer Stone shows up at the park, and offers to option Owen’s novel shortly after meeting him, their competitive natures are revealed. DOG PARK is a one-act romantic comedy about loyalty, celebrity, and what it means to be on top.