Emilio Williams was born and raised in Madrid, Spain, where he has recently enjoyed a string of alternative theater hits. His work has been produced in Spain, France and the United States.
He is currently developing his next world premiere with Teatro Luna: Your problem with men. This summer he is also co-directing the bilingual version of That’s weird, grandma for the Barrel of Monkeys with Molly Brennan.
In 2010, his comedy Tables and Beds (Camas y Mesas) was selected among 80 plays from 12 countries as the winner of the 4th Premio el Espectáculo Teatral. The play opened during Madrid‘s Alternative Theater Festival to both audience and critical acclaim. The comedy transferred to a commercial venue, the Teatro Arenal. The play was featured in Teatro Stage Fest, New York City, with the work of other leading Spanish playwrights. Last year, it represented Spain in the festival International Voices Project in Chicago.
Also, last year, he directed his own play, España S.L., a political farce, in the historical Teatro Lara of Madrid.
In June 2010, his play, Medea Vindicada, opened in Madrid to sold-out audiences. The play, a one woman show, is a parody and a tribute to Euripides‘ classic Medea. The play was also produced in New York City as Medea’s got some issues (KGB Theater).
Emilio was born in Madrid, where his first play opened in 2007. Sonata a Strindberg was a night of five one act that also played at Universidad de Salamanca. Two of the plays were presented in French as part of the Avignon Off Festival in 2009. In 2010 a full English production opened at the University of Tennessee.
This indie hit was followed up with If I lived, it was for a reason (2008), a verbatim documentary play about the drama of political refugees in Spain. It opened at the Casa Encendida, an iconic civic center in Madrid.
Emilio‘s interest for documentary theater is rooted in his years of work as a journalist. He worked for CNN in Atlanta and Washington. He moved to Chicago in 2011, the city where his father was born.
