THE HISTORY OF A BRIEF TIME to Play Westport Country Playhouse's Barnstormer Series

Westport Country Playhouse will present “The History of a Brief Time,” on Tuesday, September 8, at 7 p.m., written and performed by author and activist Bill Williams, about the very personal story of the loss of his son William to opioid addiction and his family's journey through struggle, grief, and ultimately, healing. The event is part of the Barnstormer Series in the Lucille Lortel White Barn Center, next to the Playhouse. Tickets are $20; seating unreserved. Barnstormer events are limited to 70 attendees. Recommended for an audience high school age and beyond. Running time 75 minutes.

Upon the death of his son, William, from an accidental heroin overdose in 2012 at the age of 24, Bill Williams, along with his wife and daughter, made the following pledge at William's memorial service: “We promise to do everything in our power to educate and inform people about drug abuse and its prevention, to provide ever more enlightened treatment for addicts, to help make treatment options for addicts more readily available, and to remove the stain of shame surrounding this disease.”

Since that time, Williams has written over 50 essays on addiction, with his work appearing in The New York Times, The Harvard Health Blog, Nora's, Medium, Alcohol and Addiction Weekly, Treatment Magazine, and numerous other publications and local papers. His blog is archived at the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Williams and his wife, Margot Head, have spoken before three Congressional committee hearings and a U.S. Senate Forum on Addiction. Williams has addressed staff at the National Institute for Drug Abuse, and also spoken to numerous community groups, medical organizations, schools, and colleges. Williams is the radio host of The Kingfisher Project, a monthly radio broadcast on WJFF Radio 90.5 FM, an NPR station. 

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