BOSCH Star Directs At Skypilot Theatre

Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, a member of the cast of the Amazon hit show BOSCH, is helping out SkyPilot Theatre by directing her good friend, Inda Craig-Galván's play, Tinder...Sucka, as part of the SkyPilot's fundraiser, Return of the Living Fundraiser evening on Friday, Feb 23rd at Theatre Of Arts at 1625 N. Las Palmas in Hollywood. The reception starts at 7PM and the show of 5 ten-minute comedy one acts starts at 8 PM. The evening features silent auctions, drawings and door prizes plus food and drinks. Admission is 15 dollars at the door.

Cynthia Kaye McWilliams was born in Berlin, Germany, grew up primarily in Kansas City, Kansas and graduated from the prestigious Theater School of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. While in Chicago, Cynthia honed her skills with stage credits including the lead role in First Breeze of Summer, Lady Capulet in an adaptation of the classic, Romeo and Juliet and Vivian Baptiste in A Lesson Before Dying. Cynthia's first job on camera was working opposite Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves in Warner Brothers' feature film, The Lake House. She followed that up with a recurring role on FOX's Prison Break. After that, she landed her first series regular role in Family Practice; a pilot created by the producers of Lost. The pilot didn't go, but Cynthia continued to work in Chicago; racking up experience in independent films like Robert Townsend's Of Boys and Men and the romantic comedy, One Small Hitch. She landed a recurring guest star on another FOX series, Chicago Code, and soon after flew from Chicago to Los Angeles for a dream job, playing sitcom wife to Damon Wayans in a CBS pilot. She officially moved to L.A. and would go on to work for 5 seasons on the NAACP award winning comedy, The Real Husbands of Hollywood as Trina Shaw, entertainment lawyer to the stars, among them - the hilarious Kevin Hart. During that time, she appeared in guest starring roles on The Exes (TBS), Hart of Dixie (CW), Survivor's Remorse (Starz) and The Odd Couple (CBS) as well as starring in the original web series Surviving. She then booked the lead in an NBC drama pilot, Love is a Four Letter Word, recurred on season 4 of ABC's Nashville and can be seen on season 3 and this current season 4 of Amazon's Bosch.

Cynthia also has a dynamic voiceover career, having voiced for several cartoons with Cartoon Network, the animated film Bilal (in theaters NOW) and video games including HALO 5, Batman Arkham Asylum, Skylanders and more. Cynthia supports women & minorities creating their own content, is a believer in artist collaboration and actively supports arts education.

Cynthia Kaye McWilliams was born in Berlin, Germany, grew up primarily in Kansas City, Kansas and graduated from the prestigious Theater School of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. While in Chicago, Cynthia honed her skills with stage credits including the lead role in First Breeze of Summer, Lady Capulet in an adaptation of the classic, Romeo and Juliet and Vivian Baptiste in A Lesson Before Dying. Cynthia's first job on camera was working opposite Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves in Warner Brothers' feature film, The Lake House. She followed that up with a recurring role on FOX's Prison Break. After that, she landed her first series regular role in Family Practice; a pilot created by the producers of Lost. The pilot didn't go, but Cynthia continued to work in Chicago; racking up experience in independent films like Robert Townsend's Of Boys and Men and the romantic comedy, One Small Hitch. She landed a recurring guest star on another FOX series, Chicago Code, and soon after flew from Chicago to Los Angeles for a dream job, playing sitcom wife to Damon Wayans in a CBS pilot. She officially moved to L.A. and would go on to work for 5 seasons on the NAACP award winning comedy, The Real Husbands of Hollywood as Trina Shaw, entertainment lawyer to the stars, among them - the hilarious Kevin Hart. During that time, she appeared in guest starring roles on The Exes (TBS), Hart of Dixie (CW), Survivor's Remorse (Starz) and The Odd Couple (CBS) as well as starring in the original web series Surviving. She then booked the lead in an NBC drama pilot, Love is a Four-Letter Word, recurred on season 4 of ABC's Nashville and can be seen on season 3 and this current season 4 of Amazon's Bosch.

Cynthia also has a dynamic voiceover career, having voiced for several cartoons with Cartoon Network, the animated film Bilal (in theaters NOW) and video games including HALO 5, Batman Arkham Asylum, Skylanders and more. Cynthia supports women & minorities creating their own content, is a believer in artist collaboration and actively supports arts education.

INTERVIEW WITH CYNTHIA KAYE WILLIAMS

SP - We are excited to have you as a guest director for our B Movie Fundraiser. How do you know Inda Craig-Galván, the playwright of Tinder...Sucka?

Inda and I have been friends for years, we met in Chicago and she actually sold me my condo, this was before she became an award-winning playwright but not before we all knew she was one of the funniest, sharpest and all around dopest writers- period!

SP - What attracted you to the script?

I'm attracted to ANYTHING Inda does. I have such an immense love and respect for her work ethic and ability. She always surprises me with how she cannot just write but SUPERBLY write in any genre- whether it's a zombie-comedy movie, cop procedural, comic book fantasy, children's play, family drama, sitcom; she's just good. Family dynamics and relationships are always full and real, her stories are compelling, she is full of poignant social commentary, never shying away from a moment to tell her bold truth or challenge us to look inward and often, she is just laugh out loud funny!

SP- How did you get started in the entertainment business?

I always loved reading and reading aloud, I used to work in a library because I enjoyed surrounding myself with literature. I read to the kids. Did the typical high school plays, community theater, etc. I founded a black theater program in my high school in Kansas City to allow opportunities to students of color who weren't being featured in "Our Town". After school and in summers, I worked with youth in many different capacities teaching them to write, perform and generally find their own voice. After earning my BFA in Acting from DePaul University's Goodman School of Drama, I hit the streets of Chicago, then L.A.-auditioning, working, learning...wash, rinse, repeat. It's my job. And it's a darn good one.

SP- What other things have you directed? How does it compare to acting as a creative experience?

I directed early on, started that before acting...it's all storytelling...and that's what I'm in love with. I do enjoy the process of helping actors. I think actors can make great directors, but only when we are truly interested in helping another actor grow and not just using them to work through or rehash our own issues, agendas, opinions and methods.

SP - Is directing for TV or Film something that you are working toward as part of your career?

I'm focused on acting right now, but I'm always open to opportunities...there are so many young new voices out here and I am definitely interested in working with them to help see their words find life!

SP - There is a real focus on female directors in Hollywood now. Have you noticed a change on sets that women are being given more opportunities to direct?

Is there a real focus on female directors in Hollywood? They still represent 15% of the DGA with only half of that being black, Latina or Asian women. Television shows, films, commercials are still LARGELY produced and directed by men. I think there is an ongoing, much needed and more public discussion of the issue of disparity in representation (racially, culturally, sexually, across age categories, etc.) - but I wouldn't say it's Hollywood's "focus". Hollywood has always been focused on making money. But thank God for artists, visionaries, HUMAN beings who are interested in telling stories, expanding the concept of "truth" and challenging status quo! And yes BIG shout out to shows like Ava DuVernay's Queen Sugar on OWN, which has had 3 seasons of its show being directed by different but ALL female directors, to more women producing high profile projects, like Margot Robbie with I, Tonya, Nicole Kidman & Reese Witherspoon with Big Little Lies and to female directors like Greta Gerwig getting ACKNOWLEDGED for her continued work as an indie actor, writer and director!

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