EMMY AWARD NOMINEE
Jason Odell Williams
writer
STAGE, PAGE & SCREEN
Dave’s wife is ready to have a baby. Dave... not so much. While navigating the complex waters of family,
career and fidelity, Dave finds himself in a motel room with a curt New York escort who may or may not be the answer to his problems. A funny and candid glimpse at a regular guy searching to answer the eternal question: can we find everything we need… in just one person?
“A witty and wise romp … with great depth and substance." ~Citizen-Times
"This charming and piquant play with blistering frankness and big laughs will resonate with audiences!” ~Carolina Curtain Call
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"Human, relatable and very funny. The writing is sharp and insightful. Incredible!" ~Mountain Xpress
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WINNER: The Hudson Valley Writers’ Workshop 2012 new play contest.
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SOMEONE ELSE
a play (1M, 1F)
Published by Dramatists Play Services.
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In the wake of a school shooting in his hometown of Raleigh, NC, a Republican U.S. senator makes an off-the-cuff comment to a blogger that calls into question the senator’s stance on gun control and his belief in God-- three days before his bid for re-election. As his devoutly Christian wife and liberal Jewish campaign manager try to contain the damage, this look at how religion, guns, and social media influence our political system is simultaneously funny, honest, heartbreaking, and uplifting.
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BEST NEW PLAY NOMINEE - Off-Broadway Alliance; L.A. Ovation Awards
TOP TEN L.A. THEATRE PRODUCTIONS OF 2016 - The Huffington Post
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“GRIPPING ENTERTAINMENT” – Los Angeles Times
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"POWERFUL, HUMOROUS, AND SO MANY LINES THAT RESONATE" - Huffington Post
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"I WISH EVERY MEMBER OF CONGRESS WOULD SEE IT!" - NPR
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"ONE OF THE BEST PLAYS OF THE YEAR!" - Times Square Chronicles
"A HILARIOUSLY ON-TARGET SCRIPT BY A PROMISING NEW DRAMATIST” – Arts in L.A.
“SPEAKS TO THE LUNACY OF MODERN POLITICS” – L.A. Theatre Bites
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“EXTRAORDINARY AND IMPASSIONED” – Santa Monica Daily Press
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“BRILLIANT” – Edge Media Network​ “FLAWLESS” – Stage Raw​ “STELLAR” – L.A. Weekly
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Off-Broadway Premiere:
New World Stages, 2017
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NNPN Rolling World Premiere:
Skylight Theatre & JCC Centerstage, 2016
CHURCH & STATE
a play (2M, 2F)
WORLD PREMIERE: NC Stage Asheville, NC - Nov 6, 2015
HANDLE WITH CARE
a play​ (2M, 2F)
When a beautiful young Israeli woman reluctantly travels with her grandmother to America, circumstances both tragic and hilarious bring together the young woman, who has little command of English, and a young American man with little command of romance. Is their inevitable love an accident . . . or is it destiny generations in the making?
A New York Times Critics' Pick, this hit romantic comedy ran for 112 performances Off-Broadway at The Westside Theatre (starring stage & screen legend Carol Lawrence) and has enjoyed 18 regional and international productions to date.
"A hilarious and heartwarming romantic comedy . . . which exudes gobs of comic energy and insight. Mr. Williams has achieved something special: He has written a Jewish Christmas play." - The New York Times
Published by Dramatists Play Services.
Destiny. Delivered.
NY PREMIERE: Westside Theatre
Off-Broadway - Dec 3, 2013
YA novel, published August 2013
In This Together Media
PERSONAL STATEMENT​
a novel
Getting into college has never been harder. Can't rely on a perfect SAT score or a 5 on your AP Mandarin exam anymore. And field hockey or basketball? Please. The real sport is Competitive Volunteering. Change the world--and tell Harvard all about it.
In Jason Odell Williams' hilarious first novel, it's open season on college admissions as a Category-3 hurricane bears down on Connecticut. Self-proclaimed tiger-daughter Emily Kim drags her best friend, apathetic test-taking genius Rani Caldwell, to the coastal town of Cawdor, where Emily's sure her humanitarian efforts will make her Harvard application stand out from the pack. Problem is: so does everyone else.
When Emily and Rani arrive, hundreds of other ambitious teenagers are already in Cawdor with the same idea -- including Emily's 'frenemy' Robert Clinton III, gay, black and meant for the Sorbonne. Observing the battle royale is Alexis J. Gould, aide to the Governor and a veteran of the admissions rat race. To the kids in Cawdor, this hurricane isn't a natural disaster. It's an opportunity. Let the games begin!
Published by IN THIS TOGETHER MEDIA, Personal Statement has been optioned for a three-pciture deal. Books two and three in the series are in development.
Top 10 Finalist in The Tracking Board's 2015 Launch Pad Pilot Competition
BIRDLAND
a series for television
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BIRDLAND is an upstairs-downstairs dramedy set at a major league baseball stadium in Baltimore.
But it’s not about baseball. It’s about the people behind the scenes of the stadium, the people who help make the magic happen, both on and off the field. It’s about figuring out who you are and finding love and discovering that “home” means something different for everyone.
When the Baltimore Birds owner suddenly dies and leaves the team to his only child, Georgia, the team and franchise are shaken to the core and their quest for a World Series title or even a playoff spot is constantly in doubt. Complicating matters for Georgia: a recent break-up with the Birds’ star first baseman, Jimmy Jones, and the return of her former high school flame, Tommy Kane, who quit his job teaching English at an all-boys prep school to take a job as a beer vendor at the ballpark.
This a working-class city with high-class aspirations. It’s about black and white and straight and gay and everything in between. This is Baltimore. This is America. This . . . is Birdland.
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OUTLIERS
a series for television
Picture an entertainment agent. Armani suit, Tom Ford shoes, iPhone X. Can you picture it? Well, these two guys...? Don’t look like that.
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Meet KARIM CARTER and NEIL MATTHEWS. They are black, educated, hip young men trying to change the old boys' network of the entertainment industry. In other words, they are outliers in show business.
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Karim was a lawyer at a prestigious New York firm. Neil was a major player at a top tier consulting firm. Both were on partnership track in their respective fields, but were unhappy and unfulfilled. So they decided to abandon their stable jobs and start their own talent agency, Pulse Entertainment.
Each episode follows Neill and Karim as they scout talent, negotiate contracts, attend premieres, and network, network, network. It’s an uphill battle for these childhood friends as they not only overcome their lack of experience and adjust to their different work styles, but also struggle to find their place in a world still dominated by old white guys.
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The series challenges stereotypes while offering an inside look at the entertainment industry in the city that never sleeps. It’s about friendship, ambition, struggling, hustling, rejection, failure, sacrifice, success, overcoming adversity, and trying to find the perfect work-life balance.
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Will our unlikely heroes build a small but mighty agency on their way to becoming key players in the industry? Or will the world decide it’s not yet ready for these outliers?
BALTIMORE IN BLACK & WHITE
a series for television
A young woman is about to marry an old friend of the family. The only problem: she's white and Jewish; he's black... and not. This pull-no-punches dramedy looks at how far we've come (and how far we haven't) by exploring two Baltimore family's relationships over the past two decades.