The role of Marie is something of a dream come true for Brooklyn Williams, born and raised in Ashland and still a student at SOU
By Jim Flint
At just 21 years old, Ashland native Brooklyn Williams is stepping into her biggest role yet — the lead in Oregon Cabaret Theatre’s world-premiere holiday adaptation of “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” now playing through Dec. 31. For a performer who grew up surrounded by Shakespeare, music and a family of artists, the moment feels both surreal and inevitable.
Her story is one of a hometown journey shaped by creativity, loss, imagination and a sense of belonging onstage that has carried her from childhood shows to a lead character Rogue Valley families will meet this holiday season.
Williams described herself as “Ashland, Oregon born and raised,” and jokingly said she was “even voted cutest baby born in Ashland in 2004.” Growing up here, she said, shaped her in ways both obvious and magical.
“You can imagine I spend my days singing to deer while tiptoeing through meadows,” she said. “That’s what being born in the land that is Ashland does to a girl.”
An early calling
Williams’ upbringing reads like the prologue to a theater story. Her mother was a sculptor; her father, a communications major turned DJ who built boom boxes out of vintage suitcases. Creativity wasn’t just encouraged — it was embedded in everyday life.
“I certainly grew up in an eclectically creative household,” she said. Her sisters were equally influential, especially Savannah, who taught her to sing and served as an early model of musical confidence. “I had in-house vocal lessons every second of my upbringing.”
But the childhood moment that changed everything happened onstage at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Williams was 11 when she appeared in “Julius Caesar,” an experience that turned professional theater from a distant dream into something she could imagine herself doing.
“I got the blessing and privilege of being in a professional space at such a young age!” she recalled. Rodney Gardiner, an OSF veteran, encouraged her after every show with a jubilant “Brooklyn! We did it!” The experience made the world of professional theater less intimidating. She saw early — in a way many young actors don’t — that collaboration could be joyful rather than cutthroat.
And she already knew she wanted the stage. Her very first performance came at age 4 in a talent show, singing “Everyone Makes Mistakes” from “Hannah Montana” while wearing (and flinging off) a blond wig. “I’ve always loved a stage,” she said. “I loved that it was safe adrenaline.”
Finding storytelling
Though dyslexia made traditional reading a challenge, scripts became her gateway.
“The format of names with lines was a lot less overwhelming,” she said. Shakespeare felt even more accessible than novels.
Growing up in Ashland, she absorbed Shakespeare by osmosis — and by obsession. She lights up when describing “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” which she performed at Southern Oregon University last year. And she still remembers whispering along to Kate Hurster’s monologue as Portia during in her run in “Julius Caesar,” matching Hurster’s tonality from her dressing room. “I was and still am quite a fan,” she said.
A role filled with wonder
In the Cabaret’s new adaptation, written by longtime company artist Natasha Harris, Williams plays Marie — the imaginative young heroine whose world expands into a fairytale adventure. What excites Williams most is Marie’s agency.
“She makes the story her own and incapsulates the childlike wonder of imagination,” Williams said. Marie’s journey, she said, mirrors something in her own life: the leap from self-doubt to courage: “Getting to say these words and tell this story truly empowers me to step into my own agency.”
Though she also plays the role of Princess Pirlipat, Williams mostly anchors the story as Marie while her five castmates transform rapidly through multiple characters. The six-actor structure, she said, enhances the sense of magic. “We are inviting the audience to play with us, in a way.”
The hybrid score — blending cast-played instruments such as clarinet, melodica, kazoo and accordion with new compositions honoring Tchaikovsky — deepens the enchantment.
“It feels like a magic Christmas carnival,” she said. “The first time we played through the songs I could not help but have the biggest smile on my face.”
From understudy to lead
Williams first joined Oregon Cabaret Theatre as an understudy. Understudies, she noted, get “far less rehearsal time” and must be ready at a moment’s notice. But she valued the challenge.
Now, being trusted with Marie “means the world to me,” she said. “I can’t wait to see families taking time to enjoy this show as their way to connect and celebrate the holiday season.”
Shaped by loss
Another defining part of Williams’ story is the loss of her father, Ashland Police Officer Malcus Williams, who died when she was 13. She has written openly about how he was beloved in the community, a police officer who treated people “like his family.” Theater became a place of safety and solace after his death.
Storytelling and healing feel connected for her.
“I feel safest in a rehearsal space or storytelling. It’s so lovely to feel within bounds for a while. I’ve always felt safest on a stage.”
Her early grief deepened her empathy and awareness — qualities that show up in her approach to Marie, who is not merely dreamy or sweet. Williams sees her as emotionally complex, shaped by doubt, courage and selflessness. “She goes on a true hero’s journey,” she said.
The power of being seen
Williams is especially mindful of her presence onstage as a Black woman playing a role that, in ballet tradition, has rarely been cast diversely.
She learned that the first Black Marie in the New York City Ballet production of “The Nutcracker” didn’t appear until 2019. That fact stayed with her.
“It really made me think about any little girls that maybe get to see themselves on that stage when I perform the part,” she said.
Growing up in a predominantly white town, she said, she internalized insecurities she now recognizes as linked to her Black features rather than flaws. She hopes this production offers something different.
“I hope little girls can see themselves in the beauty, kindness and strength Marie possesses.”
One of the surprises of her early professional life has been the feeling of being recognized in the community.
“It always really feels like a dream come true!” she said. “Especially when kiddos look up to me. It’s the perfect reminder to keep going.”
School, craft, growth
Williams is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Southern Oregon University, with a certificate in musical theater. She wasn’t sure she was ready for college at first, but now embraces it with enthusiasm.
“I truly love to learn and believe the learning never stops,” she said.
For her, studying theater doesn’t end when class does. It continues while she’s walking, reading or observing the world. “That’s the coolest part about being an actor, it’s the art of existing!”
She speaks with gratitude for professors and peers — especially Oregon Cabaret co-owner and director Valerie Rachelle, who she says “has pushed me to grow, in the best way.”
Another mentor was Ashland High School drama teacher Betsy Bishop, now retired.
“Being in Betsy’s program was amazing,” Williams said in 2022 during an interview about performing in “Don Quixote” with Medford’s Collaborative Theatre Project.
Bishop recognized her student’s potential.
“Brooklyn has a great future,” she said at the time. “She’s charismatic and generous, onstage and off. She has a giant range, an expressive body and an open heart as an actor.”
Bishop continues to follow the careers of many of her former students, including Brooklyn’s. “I see all her shows,” she said.
Looking ahead
Asked what kinds of characters she wants to explore in the future, Williams doesn’t hesitate.
“I hope to bring characters to life that bring you to new worlds and lifetimes,” she said.
She said she wants to inhabit every corner of the human experience — whimsical, absurd, realistic. “I want to tell stories that act as portals.”
For Ashland audiences, Williams’ performance as Marie will be more than a holiday delight — it will be a chance to see a hometown artist step into her power, her imagination and her place on a stage she’s loved since childhood.
“The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” opened Nov. 21 and will run through Dec. 31. Tickets start at $34 and can be purchased online at oregoncabaret.com. A preshow dinner or brunch (for matinees) is an option. Oregon Cabaret Theatre is located at 241 Hargadine St., Ashland.
Jim Flint’s Curtain Call column publishes on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. Email Jim at [email protected].
