Williams plays the lead character Alona in Pittsburgh Opera‘s upcoming world premiere of Time to Act.
Pittsburgh Opera’s upcoming production, Time to Act explores the power of the performing arts to unite communities while confronting grief, trauma, and responsibility. Set in present-day America, the opera follows a group of high school students staging Sophocles’ Antigone whose rehearsal process is upended by the arrival of a new student, Alona. When a school safety drill triggers the revelation of her deeply guarded secret, the story unfolds into a poignant examination of accountability, self-forgiveness, and healing — illuminating how the arts can give voice to young people navigating an era shaped by school violence.
Chris Cox from Pittsburgth Opera provided onStage Pittsburgh with this exclusive interview with Williams who sings the role of Alona.
Chris Cox: Timothi Williams, welcome!
Timothi Williams: Thanks for having me.
CC: Could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and your background, and how you got into singing opera?
TW: I’m originally from Brook County, West Virginia. My family was always very musical. My grandma was a classical pianist; my other grandma is a singer who also plays piano at church; and my mom is a singer. So I was always around it.
I was in choir in middle school, but I never really took voice lessons throughout my adolescence. My high school musical director sought me out and saw that I had some talent. I auditioned for my senior musical, Pirates of Penzance, and got the lead role of Mabel. He guided me through that process and said, “Have you ever really thought about going into music?” And I said, “No, not really. My mom said I maybe should think about it, but she’s my mom. She’s supposed to tell me that I’m good.” But he set me up with my audition at West Liberty University and the next thing that I knew, I had gotten in and took my first voice lesson there with Dr. Linda Cowan. She helped me dive into the world of classical music and opera, and it was love at first sight.
CC: And things have come full circle, because now you teach at Slippery Rock University.
TW: I do. I teach a smorgasbord of things. I have an Applied Voice Studio of about 20 students. I am the director of opera performance there. And when it’s a diction year, I usually will teach French and German diction.
CC: We’re excited for your Pittsburgh Opera stage debut as Alona in Time to Act. How are you feeling about that?
TW: I am so thrilled. The first opera that I ever saw in person was here at Pittsburgh Opera, La Traviata, in 2011. This company has really been important to me and my development, and I’m realizing a dream by singing this role.
CC: Tell us a little bit about your role.
TW: Alona is the new girl at a high school. She enters this drama class and is feeling a little bit uneasy. Towards the middle of the show, we find out a big secret of hers. The world of theater helps her process some of the traumas that she’s been through, and what was a safe place for her before she arrived at her new school becomes a safe place for her again.
CC: Without giving too much away, what are some of the things that this opera explores?
TW: This opera portrays an active shooter drill and some of the feelings that are dredged up as a result. It’s a very important topic for us to be talking about. These active shooter drills and school shootings seem to be happening more frequently. It is grounding and humbling to be able to talk in this show about some of these big issues that are facing us right now.
CC: Not only are you making your company debut, but you’re doing it in a world premiere. How is your preparation different for this role, which no one has ever done before, versus if you were in a classic opera like La Traviata?
TW: It allows me to dive into my favorite part of prep even more. I consider myself a storyteller first. That is the most exciting and enticing part of what we do. I’ve been able to take a look at Alona and think about some of these things that she would be going through, and to pull from different sources that maybe I might not necessarily pull from for something like a Carmen or a Traviata.
It’s been a cool challenge that this particular production takes place in modern times. I’m able to pull from my own experiences as a high school student and use some of the things I’m seeing as an adult to help shape that journey a little bit more precisely.
I also am a mom of a six-year-old. I dropped her off for kindergarten at the beginning of this past fall for the first time. Being a parent adds another layer of understanding that [school violence] is facing our kids in a very real and visceral way. As a parent, I want a better world for her. The way that I feel like I can contribute the best as an artist is to open conversations through art like this.
CC: How are rehearsals going?
TW: Great! I feel like if my spirit could burst through my body, it would. I have had just the best time collaborating with these artists. To finally arrive at this moment where the music has been living in our bodies for a while, and be able to have conversations with the composer and librettist, is a really cool thing that doesn’t happen very often. So I feel super honored. I’m so excited.
CC: Are there any particular things you’re really looking forward to with the production?
TW: I don’t know that there’s anything that I’m not excited about or looking forward to. I’m really looking forward to fleshing out some of the larger scenes for my character. I have so many ideas; I’ve thought about it for so long, and it will be so great to get into the room and collaborate with [librettist and stage director] Crystal [Manich] to get her input on how she feels we can craft the arc of this character.
CC: Opening night is right around the corner. What would you like to say to the people reading this?
TW: Come see us! It’s going to be a really, really great work. It’s a great team, a great cast, and I’m really looking forward to performing it. Come out and show us some love and see us.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
Pittsburgh Opera’s world premiere production of Time To Act is at the Blitz Opera Fatory in the Strip District from February 28 – March 8, 2026. For tickets, call (412) 456-6666 or visit opera.culturaldistrict.org.
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