On Stage!
Boulevard of Bold Dreams
By LaDarrion Williams • Directed by TammyRa'
Showtimes
Friday Apr. 24th, 7 p.m.
Saturday Apr. 25th, 7 p.m.
Sunday Apr. 26th, 4 p.m.
Thursday Apr. 30th, 7 p.m.
Friday May 1st, 7 p.m.
Saturday May 2nd, 2 p.m.
Saturday May 2nd, 7 p.m.
Sunday May 3rd, 4 p.m
Thursday May 7th, 7 p.m.
Friday May 8th, 7 p.m.
Saturday May 9th, 2 p.m.
Saturday May 9th, 7 p.m.
Sunday May 10th, 4 p.m.
About the Play
On February 29, 1940, the Oscars are set to make history in Hollywood, but the night takes an unexpected turn when bartender Arthur Brooks, a hopeful Black filmmaker from rural Alabama, and his best friend Dottie Hudson, a disillusioned maid at the Ambassador Hotel, find themselves at a crossroads. As Academy Award nominee Hattie McDaniel unexpectedly opts out of the night’s grand event, Arthur and Dottie are thrust into a frantic mission to convince her to attend and seize her historic victory. As they navigate the glittering world of Hollywood, they confront their own dark pasts and strive to make their own dreams come true. This gripping play delves into themes of race, class, gender, and the shifting dynamics of Hollywood's golden age.
Visiting Playwright Special Events
Red Carpet Night: Friday May 8th
LaDarrion Williams,Boulevard of Bold Dreams playwright, will be holding a post-show talkback after the performance that evening. Patron-level ticket buyers will also be served pre-show appetizers and refreshments.
Book Signing: Saturday May 9th, 4:30 p.m.
LaDarrion Williams will be signing copies of his Blood at the Root book series, available for purchase in the theater lobby.
About LaDarrion Williams
LaDarrion Williams is Alabama-bred but now LA-made playwright, filmmaker, and author who often writes about the generational journey of Blackness throughout the years. He is a Eugene O’Neill semifinalist, Sundance Episodic and Theatre second-rounder, and now a resident playwright at the Echo Theatre Company in Los Angeles. His award-winning short film, Blood at the Root, has garnered social media praise and is an official Script Pipeline TV Writing Finalist out of 13,000 scripts. His award-winning stage play Katrina was performed in Hollywood, CA in 2017, and is now an award-winning short film. In 2019, LaDarrion Williams was invited to the Sundance Institute Playwriting Intensive to develop his play, Coco Queens
Meet the Cast
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Michelle Bester
As Dottie Hudson
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Kenny Ray Williams
As Arthur Brooks
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Dani Cleveland
As Hattie McDaniel
About Hattie McDaniel
Hattie McDaniel (1893–1952) was a trailblazing performer who rose from a childhood in Kansas to become one of the most significant figures in Hollywood history. After starting her career in minstrel shows and on the radio, she moved to Los Angeles, where she eventually landed the career-defining role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind. The performance earned her the 1940 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her the first Black actor to ever win an Oscar, though she was forced to accept the honor at a segregated table. McDaniel was also a fierce advocate for civil rights, successfully fighting racial housing covenants in court, and she remained a resilient figure who navigated the immense pressures of a prejudiced industry with grace and determination.
