Jason Williams (actor)
Encyclopedia
Jason Odell Williams is an actor
, writer
, and director from Columbia, Maryland
. Jason received his BA
from the University of Virginia
and his MFA
from the Actors Studio Drama School
in New York
. Jason currently lives in Manhattan
with his wife, actress and singer Charlotte Cohn, and their daughter, Imogen.
, Guiding Light
, "One Life to Live
") and in several independent films as well as off-Broadway
and regionally at such theatres as Aquila Theatre Co., Studio Theatre
in Washington D.C., Baltimore's Centerstage, the Shakespeare Theatre of D.C., the Actors Studio
, the Daryl Roth 2 Theatre, NJ Rep, Rep Stage, the National Shakespeare Company, and the Heritage Repertory Theatre in Virginia
. In 2006, in a sold out extended run, Jason played the role Carter in the regional premiere of Neil LaBute
's Fat Pig
at the Studio Theatre in Washington D.C.
As a writer and director, Jason's work has appeared at Primary Stages, MTC, New Jersey Rep, Abingdon Theatre, Interart Theatre, Rep Stage, The Baltimore Playwrights Festival, and the historic Ensemble Studio Theatre, among others. In 2002, Jason's first feature-length screenplay, The Danish Play, was optioned by Emerald Oceans Media Group in Denver
. Jason directed a short version of his script, which went on to win awards at the 2004 New York Short Film Festival, the 2003 Philadelphia Short Film Festival, and the 2003 Denver Underground Film Festival.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and director from Columbia, Maryland
Columbia, Maryland
Columbia is a planned community that consists of ten self-contained villages, located in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It began with the idea that a city could enhance its residents' quality of life. Creator and developer James W. Rouse saw the new community in terms of human values, not...
. Jason received his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
and his MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
from the Actors Studio Drama School
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street in the Clinton neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded October 5, 1947, by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, Robert Lewis and Anna Sokolow who provided...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Jason currently lives in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
with his wife, actress and singer Charlotte Cohn, and their daughter, Imogen.
Works
As an actor, Jason has appeared on television (All My ChildrenAll My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
, Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
, "One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
") and in several independent films as well as off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
and regionally at such theatres as Aquila Theatre Co., Studio Theatre
Studio Theatre
A studio theatre is a 20th-century term that describes a small theatre space. Studio theatres often have a flexible auditorium whose stage and seating may be re-arranged to suit the specific requirements of a production...
in Washington D.C., Baltimore's Centerstage, the Shakespeare Theatre of D.C., the Actors Studio
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street in the Clinton neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded October 5, 1947, by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, Robert Lewis and Anna Sokolow who provided...
, the Daryl Roth 2 Theatre, NJ Rep, Rep Stage, the National Shakespeare Company, and the Heritage Repertory Theatre in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. In 2006, in a sold out extended run, Jason played the role Carter in the regional premiere of Neil LaBute
Neil LaBute
Neil N. LaBute is an American film director, screenwriter and playwright.-Early life:LaBute was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Marian, a hospital receptionist, and Richard LaBute, a long-haul truck driver. LaBute is of French Canadian, English and Irish ancestry, and was raised in Spokane,...
's Fat Pig
Fat Pig
- Plot synopsis :Fat Pig tells us the story of Tom, a stereotypical professional in a large city, who falls for a very plus-size librarian named Helen. They meet in a crowded cafeteria at lunchtime and get to talking. Tom is taken with her brash acceptance of the way people see her and her...
at the Studio Theatre in Washington D.C.
As a writer and director, Jason's work has appeared at Primary Stages, MTC, New Jersey Rep, Abingdon Theatre, Interart Theatre, Rep Stage, The Baltimore Playwrights Festival, and the historic Ensemble Studio Theatre, among others. In 2002, Jason's first feature-length screenplay, The Danish Play, was optioned by Emerald Oceans Media Group in Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. Jason directed a short version of his script, which went on to win awards at the 2004 New York Short Film Festival, the 2003 Philadelphia Short Film Festival, and the 2003 Denver Underground Film Festival.