College of Fine Arts Research Profiles

Williams has directed over 90 professional and university productions, in addition to several productions and directing colloquia in London, Winchester, and Yorkshire, England, as well as Austria, Scotland, Germany, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Russia, Greece, Costa Rica, and South Africa.

Since coming to UF, she founded the popular improvisational theatre troupe, “Theatre Strike Force,” a cabaret troupe, “Formal Attire” (now known as GatorTones), and the International Theatre Production Program. Dr. Williams was elected as a member of The College of Fellows of the American Theatre in 1997 along with playwright Edward Albee. As of fall 1997, Professor Williams returned to teaching full time in the areas of acting, directing, and ballroom dance. In March 2000, Dr. Williams served as one of three faculty members for the prestigious Salzburg Seminar in Austria for a weeklong seminar on American Drama, which included professionals from 27 countries. Having directed Agnes of God in 1994 and performed in Love Letters in 1995, Dr. Williams returned to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with a dance drama adaptation of Strindberg’s Miss Julie in August 2003. She continues to serve as Director of the International Theatre Production Program and most recently directed a production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in June 2011, which performed on amphitheatres in Athens and Spetses, Greece.

New plays are another of Williams' passions. She directed Loaded for Bear in New York City in 2009, Fatima and Maama in Los Angeles in 2010, and The Loyalist in Chicago in 2011.

In 2005, Dr. Williams was invited to tour an aerial production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Novorossiisk, Russia. Based on the success of the Midsummer tour, Williams' upcoming production of Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer has been invited to perform in St. Petersburg and Novorossiisk, Russia, and Kiev in the Ukraine.

In August 2012, Williams was invited to co-direct the David Mark Cohen Award-winning play, The Adoration of Dora by Rojo Simon, in Washington, D.C. Most recently, she directed And When We Awoke There Was Light And Light by Laura Jacqmin, which was the 2013 David Mark Cohen winner.

At the invitation of Anthony Korahais, Williams and Dr. David Young performed Love Letters in July at La Montana Azul as part of the 2013 International Chi Kung Retreat in Costa Rica.

Director of a new play, The Adoration of Dora, in Washington, D.C. in August 2012

Director of a new play, The Loyalist, in Chicago in August 2011

Director of a new play, Fatima and Maama, in L.A. in August 2010

Director a new play, Loaded for Bear, in New York City in August 2009

College of Fine Arts Scholarship Enhancement 2004, 2007, 2010

Florida Theatrical Association International Grants ($6,000) 2000-present

Florida Theatrical Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Live Theatre, 2006