Interview: Jaston Williams of A WOLVERINE WALKS INTO A BAR at Stateside At The Paramount

Audiences first became aware of Jaston Williams as half of the citizens of Tuna, Texas with the debut of Greater Tuna in 1982. The saga continued with A Tuna Christmas, Red, White and Tuna and Tuna Does Vegas. The plays have been performed on and off Broadway at the Kennedy Center, the Edinburgh International Arts Festival, the Spoleto Festival U.S.A. and all over America. He has received Washington DC's Helen Hayes Award nominations for A Tuna Christmas and Red, White and Tuna as well as the San Francisco Bay Area Critics Award for Greater Tuna. He also received the L.A. Dramalogue Award for both Greater Tuna and A Tuna Christmas. A Tuna Christmas was published in "Best Plays of 1995." For several years, Jaston toured in Larry Shue's The Foreigner, for which he received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Best Actor. He performed in The Fantasticks at Washington DC's Ford's Theatre and directed the musical Bad Girls Upset By The Truth at Atlanta's ALLIANCE THEATRE. A recipient of the Texas Governors Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts by a Native Texan he performed at the White House on three occasions. His hometown of Austin, Texas has seen him perform at the State Theatre in Eugene Ionesco's The Chairs and at Zach Theatre in Jay Presson Allen's Tru, for which he received the Austin Critics Table Award for Best Actor in a drama. He has appeared at Zach Theatre in The Laramie Project and next month is joining their production of A Christmas Carol as Scrooge. His play, Romeo and Thorazine, work-shopped at Zach in November 2001. He work-shopped his autobiographical one-man show I'm Not Lying to critical acclaim at the State Theatre and returned it there for a full production in February of 2004 as well as a benefit performance at Washington DC's Kennedy Center. His autobiographical play Cowboy Noises premiered in Austin in February 2008 to critical acclaim.

Broadway World recently sat down with Jaston for a Q & A session during the run of his latest play A WOLVERINE WALKS INTO A BAR.

BBW: Can you give our readers a background on you since the majority are probably only familiar with your Tuna cycle?
JW: I have been in the theatre for over forty five years, written 8 original shows besides Tuna plays, taught on a University level, and performed everything form the classics, Shakespeare and Chekhov and anything else that pays.

BWW: How many shows have you written post Tuna?
JW: Eight.

BWW: Where did the inspiration for A WOLVERINE WALKS INTO A BAR come from?
JW: I lived in the French Quarter in New Orleans for thirteen years. Enough said. It's a hell of a lot of fun up until it isn't.

BWW: I hear that you are also going to join the cast this year for ZACH's A CHRISTMAS CAROL. How did that come about?

JW: I was having a relatively bad day and Dave Steakley called me out of the blue and offered me the part. I think this will be my ninth show at ZACH Theatre.

BWW: You've been touring A WOLVERINE WALKS INTO A BAR. Has the show changed during the tour based on audience response? And if so, how has it changed?
JW: We pulled one scene last week because of the results of the election. My opinion of America and human nature took a hit and there were certain words I no longer felt to be the truth.

BWW: Are you working on any new projects besides A CHRISTMAS CAROL?
JW: I am writing a book which I am scheduled to finish by the new year. I am really stoked about it. It takes place in West Texas during 1968. That was a pivotal year for the country and I wanted to look at it through the eyes of the kind of community I was reared in. It is titled, The Fool and the Daylight Moon.

BWW: I've heard you are considering a tour of GREATER TUNA but with new actors. Can you tell our readers more about this?
JW: I will direct a tour that will go out this spring. Very excited. We just finished auditioning and will be announcing the cast soon.

BWW: Do you have any favorite roles you've played? Are there any bucket list roles you'd still like to tackle?
JW: I love playing Truman Capote in Tru but also Vanya in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. I knew Chris Durang when we were younger and wilder and he wrote one hell of a good play. As for the bucket list, I would love to do anything by Moliere.

BWW: How did you come to choose Lauren Lane as your partner in this new show? Has she been with you for the whole process?
JW: We were in Vanya together. I have never felt more at ease with any other actor. I will do anything if she is involved. She is as good as it gets.

BWW: Of the myriad characters you've written, do you have a favorite?
JW: No.

BWW: I happened to be in the audience when one of the audience members on stage at the tables interrupted you. I thought you handled that beautifully. Has this happened before?
JW: A couple of times but I am pretty good at breaking the fourth wall as they say. The guy that interrupted me the other night was trying to be friendly and complimentary and so I played along. If you do a show set in a bar you're going to get some happy drinkers.

BWW: How did you come to writing your own vehicles? Have you ever written a show for someone else?
JW: The writing just happens. I can write anywhere, especially airports. Sometimes I don't remember something I have written until I come across it later. Writing for Lauren has been a blessing.

BWW: I know you've received critical acclaim and awards for your work. Which, if any, award means the most to you and why?
JW: I received the distinguished alum award at Texas Tech University. That means a lot to me.

BWW: Is there anything else you want to say to the Broadway World readers?
JW: I know a lot of people are in a state after the election. I would love to take your mind off that by sharing this show.