Jaston Williams, "Greater Tuna"

Jaston Williams is an American humorist, playwright, actor, director, producer, essayist and novelist. He is best known as the co-author and co-actor of the Greater Tuna quartet of plays. Greater Tuna is the first in a series of four comedic plays (followed by A Tuna Christmas, Red, White and Tuna, and Tuna Does Vegas), are each set in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas, the "third-smallest" town in the state. In 1971, Williams left Texas Tech University and moved to San Antonio to begin his acting career, where he joined the "First Repertory Company in San Antonio." He gained footing in the industry with the Taos Magic Mirror Players and TransAct Theatre of Austin. Along the way, he collected material for volumes of plays, essays and other writings. One of his popular true-to-life stories featured in his one-man show, I'm Not Lying, is a counterculture experience involving Williams wearing a chicken suit and performing at a Renaissance Fair at Dennis Hopper's mansion in Taos. Williams' performances have played on and off Broadway at the Kennedy Center, the Edinburgh International Arts Festival, the Spoleto Festival U.S.A. and all over America. Jaston 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, he toured in Larry Shue's The Foreigner. He performed in The Fantasticks and directed the musical, Bad Girls Upset by The Truth. Jaston received the Texas Governor's Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts by a Native Texan, and has performed command performances at the White House on three occasions. He has appeared at the State Theatre in Eugene Ionesco's The Chairs and at Zachary Scott Theatre in Jay Preston Allen's Tru, for which he received the Austin Critics Table Award for Best Actor in a drama. He appeared at Zachary Scott Theatre in The Laramie Project. Awards and nominations In 2018, Williams received the national Marquee Award, a lifetime achievement award, from the League of Historic American Theatres. Williams has received five nominations for the Helen Hayes Award in Washington, D. C., the Los Angeles Drama-Logue Award for acting and writing, the San Francisco Bay Critics Award for acting and writing, He has also received the Distinguished Alumni Award at Texas Tech University (2015), the Texas Governor's Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts, and, along with Joe Sears, the first Paramount Theatre Marquee Walk of Fame Award. Jaston is the recipient of the 2013 Texas Medal of the Arts and has been inducted into the Buddy Holly Walk of Fame in Lubbock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices