James A. Williams Biography

James A. Williams is blessed to have the opportunity to close the cycle having appeared in August Wilson's first professional production, Black Bart in the Sacred Hills (Penumbra Theatre). Favorite roles include Doub in Jitney (Union Square Theatre); Lucious in Jesus Hopped the‘A’ Train and Boesman in Boesman and Lena (Pillsbury House Theatre); Memphis in Two Trains Running (Kansas City Repertory Theatre); Abioseh in Les Blancs (Center Stage); Black Othello in The Masks of Othello (The Playwrights’ Center); Bono in Fences (Pittsburgh Public); Elmore in King Hedley II and Hedley in Seven Guitars (Penumbra Theatre); Pridamant in The Illusion and Camillo in The Winter’s Tale  (Guthrie Theater). Film work includes NBC’s In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice, Worldand Time Enough, The Fifth Column and Cry About a Nickel. Mr. Williams is an artistic consultant for the St. Paul Public School System. He is a founding company member of Penumbra Theatre Company, an associate at Pillsbury House Theatre. He was named 2003 Twin City Artist of the Year by the Minneapolis StarTribune.  Most recently, he directed The Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya.