As Artistic Director of The Chicago Theater Sweatshop, Emilio Williams brings together his experience as a theater artist on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
He was born in Madrid Spain, where he is widely regarded as one of the most promising playwrights of his generation. His work has been produced in Spain, France and the United States.
Last summer he directed his own play, Smartphones- a pocket size farce, for Trap Door Theatre to much critical acclaim. He is currently developing Your problem with men, a world premiere, in English, for Teatro Luna, the all-Latina theater company from Chicago.
Recently, his one woman show Medea's got some issues, starring Ana Asensio, received "Best International Show" at United Solo Festival, Off Broadway, New York City.
In 2010, his comedy Tables and Beds, an unromantic comedy was selected among 80 plays from 12 countries as the winner of the 4th Premio el EspectáculoTeatral. 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. It will receive its US premiere in March 2013 at Stage773, Chicago.
Also in 2011, he directed his own play, España S.L., in the historical Teatro Lara of Madrid. The play, a farce against the political class in Spain, coincided with the pacific street revolts in Spain. The show also entertained participants in the “indignados” movement during an outdoor performance in Plaza de la Opera.
His first play opened in 2007 in Madrid. 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. The play included “Tomorrow will be worse”, documentary play about President George Bush’s extra-judiciary program of extraordinary renditions.
That 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 training and work as a journalist. In the 1990’s, he worked for CNN in Atlanta and Washington. He worked for Johns Hopkins University between 2001 and 2005, and was an international consultant for the institution until 2011. That same year, he moved permanently to Chicago, the city where his father was born.
His email is emilio.williams@chicagosweatshop.org
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