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James Armstrong grew up in Pensacola, Florida, where he became one of the founding members of the Northwest Florida Young
Playwrights Society. The Society produced several of his early plays, including "Muddin' in Chumuckla," now published by
Eldridge Plays and Musicals, and "To A Steed," recently published in the literary journal Arts & Letters.
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.
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, CAP21, the Epiphany Theater Company, New Jersey Repertory Company,
Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey, 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.
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.
Recently, the Epiphany Theater Company produced his adaptation of A Christmas Carol in Saratoga Springs, New York.
He 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 May, Playwrights' Forum in Memphis, Tennessee premiered his play The Metric System. In June, his monologue play
"The True Author... Revealed" was performed at The Tank in New York City, and in August his play "Canceling Christmas" was
performed at the Chemically Imbalanced Theater in Chicago.
James is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America, Inc. He currently resides in Manhattan.
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