Apriah Williams

Raised in Turks and Caicos, Apriah Williams had never experienced theatre until she was 16 years old. She was introduced to what would later become her passion when she watched a Cirque du Soleil show while visiting New York City. Apriah wanted to show the world that perseverance can transform a girl from the islands into a talented and successful theatre artist.

After moving to Miami, Apriah enrolled at Florida International University with no prior knowledge of theatre or design in the fall of 2015. Two years later, she put up her first fully-realized set design for the production of Ubu Rex. After presenting her design at the regional Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Apriah was invited to the National Festival in Washington, D.C. on a full scholarship after being recognized with the award for National Theatrical Design Excellence.

Apriah, who has epilepsy, believes her accomplishments are due to her time management abilities and attention to her health. She also attributes a lot of her success to her support group which consists of her mentors: Professors Anthony Galaska, Christopher Goslin, and Jennifer Ivey, as well as her family and friends.

After graduation, Apriah will be pursuing a master’s degree in technical direction at CalArts in Valencia, California. She hopes to one day show other aspiring African-American, female technical directors that they can do it if they dream hard and work harder.