James has studied playwriting and theater at Harvard
University, Drew University, and Oxford University (Keble College). He also
holds an M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from the Carnegie Mellon University School
of Drama. In the fall, he will be beginning a Ph.D. program in theater at the
Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
His plays have received productions and staged readings
across the country, both by academic institutions and by professional (Actors
Equity) theaters such as the Abingdon Theatre Company, Bristol Riverside
Theatre, CAP21, the Epiphany Theater Company, New Jersey Repertory Company,
Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, and Urban
Stages. His teleplay "Cacophony Cookies" aired on local television in
Pittsburgh.
The author has received numerous awards for his work. His
one-act play "Birdgirl on Walkabout" was voted by the audiences as
"Best Play" at Boston Playwrights' Platform's 28th Annual Summer
Festival of New Plays. It is now published by Norman Maine Publishing.
New York has seen several of his other plays, including
"The New Mrs. Jones" (now published by Brooklyn Publishers) at the
Theatre-Studio Inc., "The Mating Habits of New Jersey Wildlife" at
Dance Space Center, "The Sign in the Scarlet Prison" at Theater for
the New City, "Searching for St. Anthony" at the Samuel French
Off-Off-Broadway Festival, "When Ladies Go A-Thieving" at the
American Globe Theatre, "Better a Beggar" at the Bouwerie Lane
Theatre and "The Mysteries of the Castle of the Monk of Falconara" at
the Spotlight On Halloween Festival. "The Mysteries of the Castle" is
anthologized in The Best American Short Plays: 2005-2006, published by Applause
Theatre & Cinema Books.
In 2006, his play Foggy Bottom, which The New York Times
called "one of the most international farces around," premiered at
the Abingdon Theatre where it played to packed houses, becoming the most
successful production in the history of the Abingdon's black box space up to
that time.
A number of his plays have been produced on Staten Island,
as well, including "Dickens Condensed," now published by Playscripts,
Inc., and "The Pirate Princess," now published by Eldridge. In
addition, monologues from his plays The Metric System and "Wall Street
Hymn" are included in collections published by Smith and Kraus.
The Epiphany Theater Company produced his adaptation of A
Christmas Carol in Saratoga Springs, New York. James has also adapted The
Romance of Tristan as the play Net of Dreams as well as the Horace Walpole
novel The Castle of Otranto.
In 2009, Playwrights' Forum in Memphis, Tennessee premiered
his play The Metric System. That summer, his monologue play "The True
Author... Revealed" was performed at The Tank in New York City. The Metric
System is now published by Original Works Publishing and "The True
Author... Revealed" is included in The Best American Short Plays:
2008-2009.
Recently, his short play "The Rainbow" premiered
as a part of the 18th Annual NYC 15-Minute Play Festival at the American Globe
Theatre. The play is also a finalist for the Actors Theatre of Louisville's
2012 Heideman Award.
James is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America, Inc.
He currently resides in Manhattan.
