~Just a small town kid with big city dreams ~
Hailing from the small town of Helena, Alabama, LaDarrion Williams is a self-taught playwright, filmmaker, author, and screenwriter redefining the landscape of Black fantasy and storytelling.His theatrical work has been presented at major institutions including the Echo Theatre Playwrights Lab, the Great Plains Theatre Conference in Omaha, Texas State University’s New American Play Festival, and the Boise Contemporary Theater BIPOC Playwrights Festival. A proud alum of the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, LaDarrion’s play Hurt People was selected for the 2024 conference, solidifying his emergence as one of the most compelling new voices in American theater.His play Coco Queens, first featured in the 2019 Sundance Institute Playwriting Intensive, won the New Works at the Works Playwriting Award and received its world premiere at Playhouse on the Square in July 2024. His Jeff Award–nominated play Boulevard of Bold Dreams, a powerful exploration of Hattie McDaniel’s historic Oscar win, premiered at TimeLine Theatre Company in Chicago, made its East Coast debut at Greater Boston Stage Company in March 2023, and was featured in the Orlando Shakes Theater Signature Series in October 2023. Additional national productions were scheduled for the 2024–2025 season.
Beyond the stage, LaDarrion has directed three short films available on YouTube and has emerged as a breakout author in speculative fiction. His debut novel Blood at the Root and its follow-up Bones at the Crossroads are both New York Times and USA Today bestsellers and have been featured on Good Morning America, ABC News, and The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Across every medium he touches, LaDarrion remains committed to crafting bold, imaginative stories that center and celebrate Black voices, futures, and histories.