Willie E. Jones III  graduated from the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theatre BFA Actor Training Program. He has also received training from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He has performed on stages such as The Globe and Morsani Hall. As a playwright, his plays have received workshops and readings at the likes of The Lorraine Hansberry Theater and Millsap College, as well as prison and regional competitions. He is the former interim Co-Director of Theatre at CFCArts and is the former Artistic Director of Stage Door Theatre. He was also the Executive Producer of the “Blackness Is…” Theatre Arts Festival in collaboration with The Guthrie, and a co-founder of the MN Black Theatre Circle. Additionally, he was the co-founder of the Quarantine Bakeoff Playwriting Competition. He is currently the Artistic Director of the Juneteenth Theatre Justice Project and is the Founding Co-Actor/Manager of the Jones Classical Theatre. He is preparing to pursue his MFA in Directing from IU Bloomington in Fall of 2024.