Naomi J. Williams is the author of the novel Landfalls, long-listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Her short stories and essays have recently appeared in the Virginia Quarterly Review, LitHub, Bourbon Penn, Electric Literature, the Brevity blog, and the Sacramento Noir anthology. Honors include a Pushcart Prize, the UC Davis Maurice Prize in Fiction, and residencies at Hedgebrook, Djerassi, Vermont Studio Center, VCCA, and Willapa Bay. A biracial Japanese-American, Williams lives in Sacramento, where she co-founded and co-directs the literary nonprofit CapLit. A long-time former Davis resident, she is a past co-director of Stories on Stage Davis and is honored and delighted to be back.
Sara Matsui-Colby will read “Dead Astronauts,” by Naomi Williams. Sara is a bilingual, mixed Japanese American actor, audiobook narrator, and director. She is a member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA. Known for bringing compassion and empathy to every character she voices, Sara specializes in middle-grade, young adult, and new adult titles. Her bilingual fluency and accent skills are a resource for publishers and authors seeking authentic, nuanced performances. Sara’s narration credits include work with Graphic Audio and Penguin Random House, with recent titles including the Crave series by Tracy Wolff and the upcoming book Sprout by Taylor Tyng. Her most recent directing credit is Artificial Truth by J.M. Lee. As a performer, Sara has appeared in theatres throughout the Greater Bay Area, in film, and has dubbing credits for shows on Disney+ and Netflix. She is delighted to share her love of storytelling with Stories on Stage. To learn more, follow her on Instagram @saramatsuicolby or visit saramatsuicolby.com.
Jeri Howitt’s work has appeared in Yolo Crow, Canyon Voices, and 166 Palms, with recognitions including Honorable Mentions from GlimmerTrain. Every Picture Tells a Story turned a piece, “The Nightly Death of His Wife,” into a podcast. Six years ago, she began to write children’s books: A Tale of Two Loves; Che the Rat Lives in the New York Metropolitan Art Museum and The Coloring of Friendship. She is currently working on The Land of LOPPVIEW, a book aimed at the delightful world of a ten-year old and Pidge and the Crocodile aimed at pre-readers and young readers. Jeri is Founder and Director of Stories on Stage Davis from 2013-2016, and has returned to the director position for Season XI. jerihowittbooks.com.
Tim Gaffaney will read “Escape, Escape, Escape,” by Jeri Howitt. Tim’s stage experience, spanning nearly 50 years, includes dramas, musicals and comedies. He appeared in eight seasons with the Davis Shakespeare Ensemble, where his credits included Frank Butley in Native Gardens, Egeon in Comedy of Errors, Oberon in Midsummer Night’s Dream, Capulet in Romeo and Juliet, de Guiche in Cyrano, Malvolio in Twelfth Night and Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing. Other local credits include Dance Nation, Pillowman and the Internationalist with Bike City Theatre Company; and Inspecting Carol, A Flea in Her Ear and The Miser with the Woodland Opera House. He worked with the Foundry Players in Washington, DC, where his credits included Fortinbras,Working, The Curate Shakespeare-As You Like It, Our Town and Shadowlands. From 2022-2025, he hosted the arts beat on “In the Studio” with Davis Community Television. He has served as the Casting Director for Stories on Stage Davis since 2014. Tim is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.