NOBODY, NO TIME
October 3–25, 2025
Written and Directed by Carlyle Brown
Nobody, No Time by ILLUSION Mellon Playwright in Residence, Carlyle Brown, is inspired by the life of Bert Williams, the famous and popular Vaudeville Negro entertainer. He was the headliner in the Ziegfeld Follies and at the beginning of the twentieth century he was one of the top recording artists in the world. He performed in black face and built his career and legacy on the exploitation of Negro stereotypes. W.C. Fields called him the funniest and the saddest man he ever knew. This new play with music that looks inside the most talented, complex and conflicted figure of the Vaudeville era.
As the Mellon Playwright in Residence, Carlyle has been a part of Illusion's leadership team since 2020. Nobody, No Time will be the fourth play Carlyle has written since he began his Mellon residence with Illusion.
CAST
Shawn Hamilton* | BERT
Derrick Moore* | CHAPPY
Dennis Spears* | GEORGE
Regina Marie Williams* | AIDA
Monica E. Scott* | LOTTIE
John Middleton* | BELASCO/ZIEGFELD
Austene Van* | u/s AIDA
CREATIVE
Carlyle Brown | Director
Hank Smith | Choreographer
Victor Zupanc | Music Supervisor
Justin D. Cook | Music Director
Joseph Stanley | Scenic Design
Zamora S. | Costume Design
Alice Endo | Lighting Design
Sarah Harris | Properties
Trenon Graham | Percussion
Rachel Sprinkel* | Stage Manager
*member Actors’ Equity Association
Pictured: Bert Williams.
See This if you like:
Carlyle Brown
Historical figures
Musicals
Plays with music
Illusion - 50 Years!
Bonnie and Michael were active during the transformative late '60s and early '70s, participating in social and political movements such as the Civil Rights Movement, anti-Vietnam War protests, Women’s Rights Movement, and Gay Rights. They witnessed revolutionary theater across the United States, France, England, and Germany. Inspired by this, they founded ILLUSION THEATER, aiming to create plays that bring to light illusions, myths, and realities, fostering personal and social change. Their work invites audiences to question long-held beliefs and imagine new realities.
