LaDarrion Williams

LaDarrion Williams

Hailing from the small town of Helena, Alabama, LaDarrion Williams is a self-taught playwright, filmmaker, author, and screenwriter whose goal is to cultivate a new era of Black fantasy, providing space and agency for Black characters and stories in a new, fresh, and fantastical way. As a playwright, his first play Katrina won first place at the Alabama State Thespian Conference. Black Creek Risin’ was a part...
Hailing from the small town of Helena, Alabama, LaDarrion Williams is a self-taught playwright, filmmaker, author, and screenwriter whose goal is to cultivate a new era of Black fantasy, providing space and agency for Black characters and stories in a new, fresh, and fantastical way. As a playwright, his first play Katrina won first place at the Alabama State Thespian Conference. Black Creek Risin’ was a part of the Great Plains Theatre Conference in Omaha, Nebraska. His play, Coco Queens, was invited to participate in the 2019 Sundance Institute’s Playwriting Intensive and will be receiving its World Premiere at Playhouse on the Square in July 2024. His plays also received semi-finalist recognition from the Eugene O’Neill National Playwriting Conference. He is a 2x finalist for the National Black Theatre I AM SOUL Playwriting Fellowship, David Ross Fetzer Foundation for Emerging Artist Theatre Grant, and the American Blues 2023 Blue Ink Award. He is also an alum of the Echo Theatre Playwrights Lab and the Boise Contemporary Theater BIPOC Playwrights Festival. His Jeff Award nominated play Boulevard of Bold Dreams (a story about Hattie McDaniel’s historic Oscar win) was a part of the New Works Festival at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica, California. It received a world premiere production at the TimeLine Theatre Company in Chicago and an East Coast Premiere at Greater Boston Stage Company in March 2023. It was a part of the Orlando Shakes Theater Signature Series in Fall 2023 and will be produced at subsequent theaters nationwide in 2024-2025. In his filmmaking bag, LaDarrion has curated three short films on YouTube. And as a debut author, his Young Adult Blood at the Root was acquired in a competitive auction from Labyrinth Road, an imprint of Penguin Random House, and will debut in Summer of 2024.

Plays

  • Boulevard of Bold Dreams by LaDarrion Williams
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    3
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    Genre: biography, docudrama/historic + 2 more
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    Keyword: American race relations and racism, film + 8 more
    Genre: biography, docudrama/historic, drama, period
    Keyword: American race relations and racism, film, Hollywood, African American, 20th century history of women, golden age, Black women, hidden figures, icons, monologue for Black actors
    An historic night at the Oscars.
    A dream of what could have been.

    IT IS FEBRUARY 29, 1940, the night of the Academy Awards in Hollywood, California. Bartender Arthur Brooks, an ambitious Black man from rural Alabama, dreams of becoming a movie director. His best friend, Dottie Hudson, is a maid at the Ambassador Hotel who finds herself to be a cynic of all dreams. When Academy Award...
    An historic night at the Oscars.
    A dream of what could have been.

    IT IS FEBRUARY 29, 1940, the night of the Academy Awards in Hollywood, California. Bartender Arthur Brooks, an ambitious Black man from rural Alabama, dreams of becoming a movie director. His best friend, Dottie Hudson, is a maid at the Ambassador Hotel who finds herself to be a cynic of all dreams. When Academy Award Nominee Hattie McDaniel stops in at the bar and decides not to attend the biggest event in show business, Arthur and Dottie must do everything in their power to convince her to go and claim her historic win—while confronting their dark past and making their own dreams come to life.

    This play is about race, class, gender, and the ever-changing landscape of Hollywood.
  • UMOJA by LaDarrion Williams
    Cast: 
    7
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: LGBTQ, Black women + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, young audiences
    Keyword: LGBTQ, Black women, blackmen, comedy, intersectionality, Black students, College Fraternity, Epic Black Love Story, PWI, college friendship
    In the heart of Birmingham, Alabama, six courageous Black students who are desperate to be seen, heard, and protected set out to create their own co-ed fraternity for the neglected Black population on the predominately white college campus of McMillan University. But, when their efforts are sidelined by racial tension and a scandal, these young friends are forced to band together, challenge their moral...
    In the heart of Birmingham, Alabama, six courageous Black students who are desperate to be seen, heard, and protected set out to create their own co-ed fraternity for the neglected Black population on the predominately white college campus of McMillan University. But, when their efforts are sidelined by racial tension and a scandal, these young friends are forced to band together, challenge their moral compasses, and face their own dark secrets head-on.
  • Katrina by LaDarrion Williams
    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama + 6 more
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    Keyword: History, African American + 5 more
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama, fantasy, horror, movement/physical, mystery/thriller, tragedy, verse
    Keyword: History, African American, women, folktale, poetry, Katrina, NewOrleans
    Two strangers: Nyla Jackson and Dante Bivins, discover that they are trapped in an abandoned hospital room during Hurricane Katrina. With the hospital building threatening to collapse and the hurricane making landfall, the two must recollect their memories and figure a way out before it's too late. Written in the structure of a Greek tragedy, this poetic drama chronicles one of the strongest storms in American history.
  • Coco Queens by LaDarrion Williams
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: betrayal, current events + 2 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: betrayal, current events, African American, History
    Coco Queens is a riveting play that forms an unbroken bond between four women as they navigate their way through deep-seated, sometimes painful challenges of love, forgiveness and black womanhood in the 1970's.
  • Bridging the Gap by LaDarrion Williams
    Cast: 
    5
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    Genre: comedy, drama + 4 more
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    Keyword: music, internet culture + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, experimental, movement/physical, musical, young audiences
    Keyword: music, internet culture, angsty teen, dance, social media, teens, great roles for teens or young adults
    When a White content creator steals the content of Black creatives, three friends from small-town Alabaster, Alabama, fight for their place on an app that constantly erases them. But when a famous filmmaker decides to document their journey, the trio’s bond has to survive jealousy and down-home secrets before the spotlight costs them their friendship.
  • Hurt People by LaDarrion Williams
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    6
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    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: Bisexual men, African American sexuality + 2 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: Bisexual men, African American sexuality, Southern Black family, coming of age
    “Thirty-year-old, Marcel Bennett, has come back home to Alabaster, Alabama, to unlearn the things that shaped him, which are deep-seated childhood issues that seep into his artistic endeavor. When Marcel catches up with his old high school friend, old feelings arise, and an emotional truth must be sacrificed for Marcel to move on and begin anew. In this coming-of-age story, this play takes on the art of Black...
    “Thirty-year-old, Marcel Bennett, has come back home to Alabaster, Alabama, to unlearn the things that shaped him, which are deep-seated childhood issues that seep into his artistic endeavor. When Marcel catches up with his old high school friend, old feelings arise, and an emotional truth must be sacrificed for Marcel to move on and begin anew. In this coming-of-age story, this play takes on the art of Black masculinity, sexuality, and how true the saying ‘hurt people, hurt people’ is.”
  • The Last Stand by LaDarrion Williams
    Cast: 
    7
    ·
    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: innercityschool, education + 1 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: innercityschool, education, teachers
    Set at a failing inner-city high school in Grandview, Alabama where Pope Delmar, a young
    teacher who cares deeply for his students, is set on giving them opportunities he never had. On the flip side, low-ranked statewide test results and institutional racism threaten the school's future and ultimately force Pope Delmar and other teachers to confront their own failures. But, to Pope, none of that...
    Set at a failing inner-city high school in Grandview, Alabama where Pope Delmar, a young
    teacher who cares deeply for his students, is set on giving them opportunities he never had. On the flip side, low-ranked statewide test results and institutional racism threaten the school's future and ultimately force Pope Delmar and other teachers to confront their own failures. But, to Pope, none of that matters when a student of his life hangs in the balance.
  • The Odyssey of Tyrell James by LaDarrion Williams
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    7
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    Genre: adventure, comedy + 5 more
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    Keyword: slavery, racism + 7 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, docudrama/historic, drama, experimental, fantasy, period
    Keyword: slavery, racism, magic, sexism, comedy, black lives matter, African American, Critical Race Theory, Black History Month
    "Tyrell James is one of those hard-headed kids who ain't got no business doing what he's doing. He’s into the gang life on the harsh streets of Memphis, Tennessee. Skipping out on his responsibilities, and he's on the verge of losing himself. For him, this is the only way to survive. Before he screws up his life even further and continues down the wrong path, he is mysteriously summoned to...
    "Tyrell James is one of those hard-headed kids who ain't got no business doing what he's doing. He’s into the gang life on the harsh streets of Memphis, Tennessee. Skipping out on his responsibilities, and he's on the verge of losing himself. For him, this is the only way to survive. Before he screws up his life even further and continues down the wrong path, he is mysteriously summoned to an 1800s antebellum plantation. There he is forced into learning the hardships of slavery, past mistakes, and valuable life lessons that will set him back on the right path that he was destined for all along."
  • Black Creek Risin' by LaDarrion Williams
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    5
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    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: History, prohibition + 6 more
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama, period
    Keyword: History, prohibition, BlackHistory, GreatDepression, Black women, Alcohol, music, jazz
    A thunderous tale set in the ripe and sweltering summer bayou heat of 1920s Louisiana. When the Law of Prohibition rains down, resulting in the closing of her prominent juke joint called Black Creek, Mama Jakes, a majestic Black woman who, in order to survive, begins to bootleg her famous hooch with her business partner and musician, Willie Earl. Meanwhile, dealing with an outspoken sixteen-year-old daughter,...
    A thunderous tale set in the ripe and sweltering summer bayou heat of 1920s Louisiana. When the Law of Prohibition rains down, resulting in the closing of her prominent juke joint called Black Creek, Mama Jakes, a majestic Black woman who, in order to survive, begins to bootleg her famous hooch with her business partner and musician, Willie Earl. Meanwhile, dealing with an outspoken sixteen-year-old daughter, the ever-changing landscape of American history, and a husband whose heart is hardened by the world, Mama Jakes must make some decisions that will set motion a chain of good life-changing events or some devastating consequences that will impact her entire family. Black Creek Risin’ is about love…magic..bootleggin’…and the dark secrets hidden in the backwoods of Louisiana.

    This is the first installment of LaDarrion Williams’ Black Creek Trilogy.
  • Here Beside the River by LaDarrion Williams
    Cast: 
    6
    ·
    Genre: period
    Genre: period
    Here Beside the River takes place twenty years after the tragic death of Bootlegging Queen Mama Jakes. Infamous blues singer Hoochie comes back to reopen her late mother’s juke joint, Black Creek. When a strange and compelling man named Nigel Duchannes comes laying claim to her mother’s juke joint, Hoochie is then forced to face a dark and ugly betrayal that’s been haunting her family’s land for generations....
    Here Beside the River takes place twenty years after the tragic death of Bootlegging Queen Mama Jakes. Infamous blues singer Hoochie comes back to reopen her late mother’s juke joint, Black Creek. When a strange and compelling man named Nigel Duchannes comes laying claim to her mother’s juke joint, Hoochie is then forced to face a dark and ugly betrayal that’s been haunting her family’s land for generations. The second installment of LaDarrion Williams’ Black Creek Trilogy.
  • Mississippi Son by LaDarrion Williams
    Cast: 
    3–7
    ·
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama + 2 more
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama, faith-based, period
    A Prodigal Son-inspired play that illuminates a turbulent and complex time in American history. Set in 1963 in Jackson, Mississippi--the household of matriarch Viola Lewis is shaken up when her eldest son, RJ, comes back home for the first time since her husband's death. He's there to reunite with the love of his life, Rainey, who is engaged to be married. Mend the broken relationship with his...
    A Prodigal Son-inspired play that illuminates a turbulent and complex time in American history. Set in 1963 in Jackson, Mississippi--the household of matriarch Viola Lewis is shaken up when her eldest son, RJ, comes back home for the first time since her husband's death. He's there to reunite with the love of his life, Rainey, who is engaged to be married. Mend the broken relationship with his militant little brother, Bobby, and seek forgiveness from his mother. Meanwhile, Viola Lewis must find the courage to step out on faith when her world is rocked by a tragic assassination a few feet away from her home.
  • The Listenin' Skies by LaDarrion Williams
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: prisonreform, blackmen + 6 more
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama, fantasy, period
    Keyword: prisonreform, blackmen, History, prisonpipeline, African American, socialissues, peopleofcolor, black lives matter
    Buddy is a chain gang member, and Pharaoh, a man who has spent the past fifteen years in a Mississippi penitentiary, is facing similar challenges. However, they are separated by over a hundred years. When Pharaoh discovers an old journal chronicling a painful history of Buddy's life and journey to freedom, it will give Pharaoh a newfound strength to embrace his new beginnings.
  • A Layin' on of Hands by LaDarrion Williams
    Cast: 
    5
    ·
    Genre: drama, fantasy
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    Keyword: black magic, coming of age in a world of magical realism + 2 more
    Genre: drama, fantasy
    Keyword: black magic, coming of age in a world of magical realism, Black Queer Love, Family Secrets
    Set in the backwoods of the Mississippi 1940s, Frank Underwood, a man harboring past sins, must teach his seventeen-year-old nephew the knowledge of his magical lineage, preparing him for the real world. However, when a sinister secret gets exposed, Frank's sins will come to light, and his relationship with his nephew will not be the only thing he needs to prepare for.
  • Unless it's With You by LaDarrion Williams
    Cast: 
    8
    ·
    Genre: fantasy
    ·
    Keyword: young love, black love + 5 more
    Genre: fantasy
    Keyword: young love, black love, coming of age, southern, teen, History, black history
    A coming-of-age story surrounding two teenagers: Ember Underwood, a mysterious nomadic type of girl with a strange ability to take on other people's emotions, and Marcus Brown, whose life was drastically changed at a high school party. When these two connect, sparks fly high, and they soon realize that their love has been predestined for thousands of years. A summer of what was supposed to be innocent...
    A coming-of-age story surrounding two teenagers: Ember Underwood, a mysterious nomadic type of girl with a strange ability to take on other people's emotions, and Marcus Brown, whose life was drastically changed at a high school party. When these two connect, sparks fly high, and they soon realize that their love has been predestined for thousands of years. A summer of what was supposed to be innocent young love will surely change these two teens' lives in more ways than they can ever imagine.
  • Broken Memories by LaDarrion Williams
    Cast: 
    6
    ·
    Genre: drama, tragedy + 1 more
    Genre: drama, tragedy, young audiences
    Broken Memories is an explosion of movement, music, and story. It follows three teenagers struggling to find their voice in a world that often ignores them. By weaving dance with poetry and the shocking stories of their lives, Broken Memories forces audiences to confront issues such as bullying, teen pregnancy, depression and suicide head-on.
  • All the World by LaDarrion Williams
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: biography, immersive + 1 more
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    Keyword: a play for two teens, domestic abuse + 6 more
    Genre: biography, immersive, young audiences
    Keyword: a play for two teens, domestic abuse, Smalltown, a play for a young black actor, black theatre, Disney References, American high school student, a play with music
    A semi-autobiography/epistolary play chronicling the life of a small-town Alabama teen, Montel Williams' (not the talk show host) life, as he navigates the turbulent times of senior year, wanting to be a Disney Channel star, a tense friendship with a new kid named Alondre Barnes that has a dark secret and the pressure of life after graduation—all with the help of soundtracks from High School Musical, Camp...
    A semi-autobiography/epistolary play chronicling the life of a small-town Alabama teen, Montel Williams' (not the talk show host) life, as he navigates the turbulent times of senior year, wanting to be a Disney Channel star, a tense friendship with a new kid named Alondre Barnes that has a dark secret and the pressure of life after graduation—all with the help of soundtracks from High School Musical, Camp Rock, Victorious, and more.
    Think Moonlight/ The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
  • Paper Airplanes by LaDarrion Williams
    Cast: 
    5
    ·
    Genre: drama, young audiences
    ·
    Keyword: 2000s, angsty teen + 4 more
    Genre: drama, young audiences
    Keyword: 2000s, angsty teen, celebrity, Radio show, music, friendships
    FULL LENGTH: Spending her last days of summer vacation hosting a pop segment of teen gossip, relationships, and music at her father's local radio station, Demetria Moore and her two friends, Countess and Deon, are ready to take on a new world of college and gain independence. But when a stranger is invited as a guest on her show, they soon discover it's the hottest new pop star, and he's running...
    FULL LENGTH: Spending her last days of summer vacation hosting a pop segment of teen gossip, relationships, and music at her father's local radio station, Demetria Moore and her two friends, Countess and Deon, are ready to take on a new world of college and gain independence. But when a stranger is invited as a guest on her show, they soon discover it's the hottest new pop star, and he's running from something that's chasing him. Is it fame? Fortune? Well, whatever it is, Demetria will find out all that glitter ain't gold when this popstar's past trudges up something that she's been running from something all along as well...and it just may air live on the radio for all to hear.