Ronnie Williams Interview by Jen Bush

Ronnie Williams (he/him) is in You’re a Weirdo, Annie Best at the Fresh Fruit Festival.  Being an actor and an artist as well as a musician, creativity is embedded in his DNA.  He has a flexible and open-minded approach to his craft.  “I am a go with the flow type of artistic.  I let my mind and body wonder and let whatever it is come to light.”  He doesn’t need many words to bring his creations to life.  “I may speak few words, but my art/craft speaks volumes.”  It will be exciting to see what he brings to light in this production. 

Erin Shea Brady’s clever comedy exploring the life of a queer, polyamorous writer in Chicago peppered with a whiff of Nora Ephron will premiere as part of the Fresh Fruit “Return to Live Theatre” Festival.

“You’re a Weirdo, Annie Best” by Erin Shea Brady is produced by Juliet Roll in association with the Fresh Fruit Festival (Covid Compliance overseen by Leah Ableson) and will run Friday 5/6 at 6:30 pm; Sunday 5/8 at 5:30 pm; Monday 5/9 at 8:15 pm.  

Annie Best is a writer living in Chicago. She is queer, polyamorous, recently estranged from her family and at a creative standstill. When one of Annie’s partners convinces her to dive into the world of Nora Ephron’s great romantic comedies, Annie begins to see her life through the Ephron lens. Annie imagines scenes and conversations, paying homage to When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and Julie & Julia, among others, as she sits with the beauty and discomfort of the life she has chosen. Along the way, as seasons pass, romantic relationships develop and change with faith and family coming into question. At the end of the play, Annie reconnects with her father, finally finding the courage to stand on her own.

I had a chance to chat with Ronnie Williams to find out all about his artistic career and his experience with this production.

What is your creative process? My creative process varies depending on my mood. 

Do you find a sense of added responsibility when dealing with plays that tackle serious, mature, or timely subject matter? I don’t find added responsibility; I just feel that I have to bring the character to life!

What’s so good about off off Broadway/indie theater? I think what makes it so good is the grit and the power of the actors because they don’t feel the pressure of Broadway. Even though Broadway is all about how many seats a venue can hold hehehe 

What do you feel is different now than before pandemic? Another thought: what should be different now than before pandemic? The difference now is how humans interact with each other.  Everyone seems timid and not as engaged, as we have been in front of our computers for quite some time. Now that masks are coming off we need to slowly embrace each other and what’s in front of us.  No need to be scared. We are all in this together! 

What’s next for you? Next for me is creating more abstract art and letting that become my main income 🙂