Actress, Playwright, Daughter of Activist Hosea Williams and Rep. Juanita Williams
Actress Elisabeth Omilami will take on the compelling role of Miss Emma Glenn in of “A Lesson Before Dying” – a Dominion Entertainment Group, LLC’s (DEG) production – this summer in Decatur. It is her character from which the drama derives its name, as an innocent young black man who is condemned to death learns how to die with dignity.
Omilami, who has been in more than 40 films including “We Are Marshall,” “The List,” “Comeback Dad,” and “A Time to Kill,” has been seen in the Academy Award Winning films, “Ray” and “The Blind Side.” An Atlanta native and graduate of Hampton University’s theater department, she enjoys taking on roles that explore nuances of black culture.
“I’m honored to play family matriarch, Omilami said. “Emma represents so much of the good that black women bring to this world. Pride. Strength. Love. She’s an archetype society can never forget.”
The cast alongside Omilami includes: Enoch King as the main character, Grant Wiggins; Simeon Daise, as Jefferson; Lee Buechele, as Sheriff Sam Guidry; Brittany Smith, as Vivian Baptiste; Trevor Goble, as Paul Bonin; and Kerwin Thompson, as Rev. Moses Ambrose.
This is Omilami’s first production with DEG, which is known for its annual holiday hit “Black Nativity” and has been developing musicians, playwrights, directors, filmmakers and artisans since its founding in 2015. An actress and human rights activist, Elisabeth Omilami is a graduate of Hampton University’s theater department and has written several plays.Outside of the theater, Omilami has worked with her parents, world-renowned Civil Rights activist Rev. Hosea Williams and State Representative Juanita T. Williams, and their organization Hosea Helps, formerly Hosea Feed The Hungry and Homeless. Her husband, Afemo Omilami, is COO of Hosea Helps and is also an acclaimed actor.
Tickets for “A Lesson Before Dying, which will play at Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center, are on sale now from $10 for children to $30 for adults.
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