LaDarrion Williams

Hailing from the small town of Helena, Alabama, LaDarrion Williams is a self-taught playwright, filmmaker, author, and screenwriter committed to shaping a new era of Black fantasy. His theatrical work has garnered attention at notable venues including the Echo Theatre Playwrights Lab, the Great Plains Theatre Conference in Omaha, TSU’s Black and Latino Playwrights Festival, and the Boise Contemporary Theater BIPOC Playwrights Festival. An esteemed alum of the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, LaDarrion's play Coco Queens was featured in the 2019 Sundance Institute’s Playwriting Intensive, won the New Works@theWorks Playwriting Award, and celebrated its world premiere at Playhouse on the Square in July 2024. His Jeff Award-nominated play Boulevard of Bold Dreams—a poignant...

Hailing from the small town of Helena, Alabama, LaDarrion Williams is a self-taught playwright, filmmaker, author, and screenwriter committed to shaping a new era of Black fantasy. His theatrical work has garnered attention at notable venues including the Echo Theatre Playwrights Lab, the Great Plains Theatre Conference in Omaha, TSU’s Black and Latino Playwrights Festival, and the Boise Contemporary Theater BIPOC Playwrights Festival. An esteemed alum of the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, LaDarrion's play Coco Queens was featured in the 2019 Sundance Institute’s Playwriting Intensive, won the New Works@theWorks Playwriting Award, and celebrated its world premiere at Playhouse on the Square in July 2024. His Jeff Award-nominated play Boulevard of Bold Dreams—a poignant exploration of Hattie McDaniel’s historic Oscar win—debuted at the TimeLine Theatre Company in Chicago, had its East Coast Premiere at Greater Boston Stage Company in March 2023, and was part of the Orlando Shakes Theater Signature Series in October 2023, with plans for national productions in 2024-2025. In addition to his theatrical achievements, LaDarrion has directed three short films featured on YouTube and made his mark as a debut author with Blood at the Root, a Young Adult novel that has become a New York Times and USA Today Bestseller.

Scripts

Hurt People

by LaDarrion Williams

Synopsis

“Thirty-year-old, Marcel Bennett, has come back home to Birmingham, 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 Birmingham, 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.”

Boulevard of Bold Dreams

by LaDarrion Williams

Synopsis

An historic night at the Oscars.
A dream of what could have been.

On February 29, 1940, the Oscars are set to make history in Hollywood, but the night takes an unexpected turn when Bartender Arthur Brooks, a hopeful Black filmmaker from rural Alabama, and his best friend Dottie Hudson, a disillusioned maid at the Ambassador Hotel, find themselves at a crossroads. As Academy Award Nominee Hattie McDaniel...

An historic night at the Oscars.
A dream of what could have been.

On February 29, 1940, the Oscars are set to make history in Hollywood, but the night takes an unexpected turn when Bartender Arthur Brooks, a hopeful Black filmmaker from rural Alabama, and his best friend Dottie Hudson, a disillusioned maid at the Ambassador Hotel, find themselves at a crossroads. As Academy Award Nominee Hattie McDaniel unexpectedly opts out of the night’s grand event, Arthur and Dottie are thrust into a frantic mission to convince her to attend and seize her historic victory. As they navigate the glittering world of Hollywood, they confront their own dark pasts and strive to make their own dreams come true. This gripping play delves into themes of race, class, gender, and the shifting dynamics of Hollywood's golden age.

UMOJA

by LaDarrion Williams

Synopsis

In the heart of Birmingham, Alabama, six brave Black students at McMillan University, a predominantly white institution, unite to form a co-ed fraternity dedicated to the overlooked Black community on campus. As they strive to make their voices heard and secure a space for themselves, their noble mission is derailed by escalating racial tension and a scandal that threatens to unravel their efforts. Confronted...

In the heart of Birmingham, Alabama, six brave Black students at McMillan University, a predominantly white institution, unite to form a co-ed fraternity dedicated to the overlooked Black community on campus. As they strive to make their voices heard and secure a space for themselves, their noble mission is derailed by escalating racial tension and a scandal that threatens to unravel their efforts. Confronted with personal secrets and ethical dilemmas, these young friends must come together, test their values, and confront the darkness within and around them in this intense and poignant drama.

Katrina

by LaDarrion Williams

Synopsis

As Hurricane Katrina rages outside, two strangers—Nyla Jackson and Dante Bivins—find themselves trapped in a crumbling, abandoned hospital room. With the storm’s fury threatening to destroy the building and their lives, they must confront their fragmented memories and unearth a path to escape before time runs out. Structured as a Greek tragedy, this poetic drama weaves their personal struggles into the epic...

As Hurricane Katrina rages outside, two strangers—Nyla Jackson and Dante Bivins—find themselves trapped in a crumbling, abandoned hospital room. With the storm’s fury threatening to destroy the building and their lives, they must confront their fragmented memories and unearth a path to escape before time runs out. Structured as a Greek tragedy, this poetic drama weaves their personal struggles into the epic scale of one of America’s most devastating storms, exploring themes of fate, redemption, and human resilience amidst the tempest.

Coco Queens

by LaDarrion Williams

Synopsis

Coco Queens is a gripping drama that intricately weaves together the lives of four Black women in the 1970s as they confront and navigate the profound and often painful challenges of love, forgiveness, and identity. Through their shared struggles and triumphs, these women forge an unbreakable bond, revealing the resilience and strength required to overcome personal and collective obstacles, and celebrate the...

Coco Queens is a gripping drama that intricately weaves together the lives of four Black women in the 1970s as they confront and navigate the profound and often painful challenges of love, forgiveness, and identity. Through their shared struggles and triumphs, these women forge an unbreakable bond, revealing the resilience and strength required to overcome personal and collective obstacles, and celebrate the complexities of Black womanhood in a transformative era.

Bridging the Gap

by LaDarrion Williams

Synopsis

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.

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.

The Last Stand

by LaDarrion Williams

Synopsis

At a struggling inner-city high school in Grandview, Alabama, Pope Delmar, a passionate young teacher, is determined to provide his students with opportunities he never had. Despite his dedication, the school faces dire challenges: dismal statewide test scores and entrenched institutional racism jeopardize its future. As these obstacles mount, Pope and his colleagues are compelled to confront their own...

At a struggling inner-city high school in Grandview, Alabama, Pope Delmar, a passionate young teacher, is determined to provide his students with opportunities he never had. Despite his dedication, the school faces dire challenges: dismal statewide test scores and entrenched institutional racism jeopardize its future. As these obstacles mount, Pope and his colleagues are compelled to confront their own shortcomings. Yet, for Pope, the stakes are personal and urgent—none of these systemic issues can overshadow the fact that one of his students’ lives is hanging in the balance. This compelling drama explores the intersection of dedication, systemic failure, and the profound impact of a teacher’s commitment.

The Odyssey of Tyrell James

by LaDarrion Williams

Synopsis

Tyrell James is a headstrong teenager deep in the grip of Memphis's gang life, flouting his responsibilities and spiraling towards self-destruction. On the brink of losing everything, he is unexpectedly transported to an 1800s antebellum plantation, where he is thrust into the brutal realities of slavery and forced to confront the historical injustices of the past. In this harrowing and surreal journey, Tyrell...

Tyrell James is a headstrong teenager deep in the grip of Memphis's gang life, flouting his responsibilities and spiraling towards self-destruction. On the brink of losing everything, he is unexpectedly transported to an 1800s antebellum plantation, where he is thrust into the brutal realities of slavery and forced to confront the historical injustices of the past. In this harrowing and surreal journey, Tyrell must grapple with his own choices and the profound lessons of hardship and redemption, ultimately finding a path that could steer him away from ruin and towards a future he was always meant to embrace.

Black Creek Risin'

by LaDarrion Williams

Synopsis

In the sweltering summer heat of 1920s Louisiana, Mama Jakes, a majestic Black woman and owner of the once-thriving Black Creek juke joint, faces devastation when Prohibition forces her to shut down. To survive, she turns to bootlegging her famed hooch with her partner and musician, Willie Earl. As she navigates the treacherous world of illicit trade, Mama Jakes contends with her rebellious sixteen-year-old...

In the sweltering summer heat of 1920s Louisiana, Mama Jakes, a majestic Black woman and owner of the once-thriving Black Creek juke joint, faces devastation when Prohibition forces her to shut down. To survive, she turns to bootlegging her famed hooch with her partner and musician, Willie Earl. As she navigates the treacherous world of illicit trade, Mama Jakes contends with her rebellious sixteen-year-old daughter and a husband whose heart has grown cold with hardship. Each choice she makes could either usher in a new era of fortune or bring about catastrophic consequences, unraveling dark secrets and stirring the murky depths of the bayou. Black Creek Risin’ is a thunderous saga of love, magic, and the hidden perils of survival in the untamed South.

Here Beside the River

by LaDarrion Williams

Synopsis

Twenty years after the tragic death of the legendary Bootlegging Queen Mama Jakes, the haunting echoes of the past stir once more in the small, forgotten town of Black Creek. Hoochie, the renowned blues singer and Mama Jakes' daughter, returns to revive the family’s beloved juke joint, determined to honor her mother’s legacy.

However, her return is met with unexpected resistance when the enigmatic and sinister...

Twenty years after the tragic death of the legendary Bootlegging Queen Mama Jakes, the haunting echoes of the past stir once more in the small, forgotten town of Black Creek. Hoochie, the renowned blues singer and Mama Jakes' daughter, returns to revive the family’s beloved juke joint, determined to honor her mother’s legacy.

However, her return is met with unexpected resistance when the enigmatic and sinister Nigel Duchannes arrives, claiming ownership of the juke joint and laying bare a dark, long-buried secret. As Hoochie grapples with Nigel’s claims, she is forced to confront a twisted history of betrayal and deception that has poisoned her family’s land for generations.

In this gripping second installment of LaDarrion Williams' Black Creek Trilogy, secrets unravel and loyalties are tested, as Hoochie fights to reclaim her heritage and uncover the truth hidden beneath the surface of Black Creek. The past and present collide in a dramatic struggle for justice and redemption, where every note played and every word spoken may be the key to unlocking a devastating truth.

Mississippi Son

by LaDarrion Williams

Synopsis

Set against the tumultuous backdrop of 1963 Jackson, Mississippi, this Prodigal Son-inspired drama explores a pivotal moment in American history through the lens of a fractured family. Matriarch Viola Lewis’s world is turned upside down with the return of her estranged eldest son, RJ, who has come back for the first time since his father’s death. His return is fraught with tension as he seeks to rekindle his...

Set against the tumultuous backdrop of 1963 Jackson, Mississippi, this Prodigal Son-inspired drama explores a pivotal moment in American history through the lens of a fractured family. Matriarch Viola Lewis’s world is turned upside down with the return of her estranged eldest son, RJ, who has come back for the first time since his father’s death. His return is fraught with tension as he seeks to rekindle his romance with his former love, Rainey, who is now engaged, and mend the rift with his fiery younger brother, Bobby. As RJ seeks forgiveness and redemption, Viola must summon the strength to navigate her own crisis of faith and resilience in the face of a tragic assassination that shakes the very foundation of her world.

The Listenin' Skies

by LaDarrion Williams

Synopsis

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.

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

Synopsis

In the 1940s Mississippi backwoods, Frank Underwood, a man shadowed by his own dark past, is tasked with preparing his seventeen-year-old nephew, Jake, to inherit a dangerous magical legacy. As Frank imparts the secrets of their family's supernatural lineage, an unsettling revelation about a buried sin threatens to unravel their fragile bond. The discovery forces Frank to confront his own tormented history and...

In the 1940s Mississippi backwoods, Frank Underwood, a man shadowed by his own dark past, is tasked with preparing his seventeen-year-old nephew, Jake, to inherit a dangerous magical legacy. As Frank imparts the secrets of their family's supernatural lineage, an unsettling revelation about a buried sin threatens to unravel their fragile bond. The discovery forces Frank to confront his own tormented history and ignites a tumultuous struggle, where the sins of the past and the perilous demands of the future collide, testing both their familial loyalty and their survival.

Unless it's With You

by LaDarrion Williams

Synopsis

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...

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

Synopsis

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.

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

Synopsis

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...

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

Synopsis

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...

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.