James Caputo

James Caputo

Jim’s plays have won many competitions including: The Ashland Oregon New Play Festival, The Mountain Playhouse Contest, The Fusion Theatre Seven (Audience Award), The Theatre Oxford Competition (First Prize), The Palm Springs International Festival (First Prize) and The New York Public Television Competition, which produced and distributed his work to public television stations across the country. He was a top...
Jim’s plays have won many competitions including: The Ashland Oregon New Play Festival, The Mountain Playhouse Contest, The Fusion Theatre Seven (Audience Award), The Theatre Oxford Competition (First Prize), The Palm Springs International Festival (First Prize) and The New York Public Television Competition, which produced and distributed his work to public television stations across the country. He was a top ten in the 2015 Riva Schiner Comedy Award.
His plays have been produced from New York City to Hollywood with many stops in between. Jim lives in San Diego. He is an actor, director, playwright and a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Plays

  • The Miracle of Ballydonal
    A bit of humor, a bit of romance, a bit of fairy tale, and a wee bit of irreverence: on a foggy Christmas Eve in a pub in Ballydonal, a small remote Irish village that time and place has forgotten, 3 men gather to say farewell to Eileen. Their revels are interrupted by the discovery of a new born baby in the loo. Recalling the day they all attended the Sligo Fair with Eileen nine months ago, each volunteers...
    A bit of humor, a bit of romance, a bit of fairy tale, and a wee bit of irreverence: on a foggy Christmas Eve in a pub in Ballydonal, a small remote Irish village that time and place has forgotten, 3 men gather to say farewell to Eileen. Their revels are interrupted by the discovery of a new born baby in the loo. Recalling the day they all attended the Sligo Fair with Eileen nine months ago, each volunteers paternity, seeing the child as a miracle that will right their life. Tales of an assignation with the Virgin Mary, the local filming of Ryan’s Daughter, Samuel L. Jackson the grip, whispers from God, and baptism by Guinness, lead to a resolution for all. But it is through the healing nature of forgiveness, redemption, love and family, a true miracle is achieved.
  • Maternal Spirits
    Ashland New Play Festival Selection
    We begin with a woman at a coffee bar, alone with her crossword puzzle. A mini lifetime of bad relationships has inured Jane and caused her to give up on the mating game. Enter guileless Frank, recently divorced and just embarking on a second time around via a dating app. He stumbles, fumbles and bumbles his way past her guard, or does he?
    After their...
    Ashland New Play Festival Selection
    We begin with a woman at a coffee bar, alone with her crossword puzzle. A mini lifetime of bad relationships has inured Jane and caused her to give up on the mating game. Enter guileless Frank, recently divorced and just embarking on a second time around via a dating app. He stumbles, fumbles and bumbles his way past her guard, or does he?
    After their successful first date, Jane is influenced by the warning advice of her stepmother, Momma Ruth, who communicates from the after-world through any available electronic device including Alexa. The relationship ends, and Jane is devastated.
    The positive spirit of Jane’s birth mother appears and combats the negative spirit, Momma Ruth. Jane’s faith is renewed, and she heads for the one place where she can find Frank, the coffee bar. The rest is history.
  • Holiday Spirits
    “…an instant classic.” M. Polin SD Review.
    A new take on Christmas Carol. It’s Christmas Eve of course, and Ron and Laura have put the house up for sale because they are splitting up. A realtor magically appears and announces they will be visited that evening by three couples - potential buyers.
    The first, a young Goth couple reenact the moment Ron and Laura met with a 16 Candles prom dance....
    “…an instant classic.” M. Polin SD Review.
    A new take on Christmas Carol. It’s Christmas Eve of course, and Ron and Laura have put the house up for sale because they are splitting up. A realtor magically appears and announces they will be visited that evening by three couples - potential buyers.
    The first, a young Goth couple reenact the moment Ron and Laura met with a 16 Candles prom dance.
    The second, a flower child and her guru, Baba John, reenact the day Ron carried Laura over the threshold with a Fred & Ginger number.
    The third, bickering seniors, represent the future if the present is left unchanged.
    At plays end, Ron and Laura reconcile and live happily ever after. A bell rings and the realtor gets her wings.
    Oh, and the plywood lawn cutouts of Elvis and Tammy stored in the closet come alive.
  • Good Grief
    A young woman, Amy, whose father is on life support and an older widow, Mary, meet at a funeral parlor. The widow provides emotional support and life wisdom, while the young woman gives the widow new found purpose. Mary guides Amy through the process of saying goodbye and protects her from the predatory practices of funeral directors. Because Amy is poor, Mary agrees to having a common wake for the two...
    A young woman, Amy, whose father is on life support and an older widow, Mary, meet at a funeral parlor. The widow provides emotional support and life wisdom, while the young woman gives the widow new found purpose. Mary guides Amy through the process of saying goodbye and protects her from the predatory practices of funeral directors. Because Amy is poor, Mary agrees to having a common wake for the two deceased.

    It is an Irish wake with Jamesons and potato salad, attended by such characters as Mrs. Bastabagassi who hates her cheating dead husband and Widow Murray who never leaves home without Mr. Murray’s ashes. A misunderstanding causes a fallout between Amy and Mary, which causes Mary to reveal family secrets to Amy. United again, they say goodbye to their love ones as we fade to black.

    Note: No productions, no readings. Developed from a short (Scene 1) which won several awards incuding The Fusion Seven Audience Award, was made into an indy short and was accepted at several film fests.
  • The Onion of Existence (An Unintended Comedy)
    Act I: Two wannabe playwrights meet at a writing seminar – or so it seems. We learn that they are really two actors playing a scene – or so it seems. We then learn that they are actually the thoughts of the playwright writing this play.
    Act II: Those thoughts materialize to intervene in the playwrights marital problems. Finally we learn that the playwright and his wife are merely players on another...
    Act I: Two wannabe playwrights meet at a writing seminar – or so it seems. We learn that they are really two actors playing a scene – or so it seems. We then learn that they are actually the thoughts of the playwright writing this play.
    Act II: Those thoughts materialize to intervene in the playwrights marital problems. Finally we learn that the playwright and his wife are merely players on another plain.
    Like the layers of an onion - a play within a play within a play etc.
  • Freedumb
    At a time when technology has afforded us the means to become the most informed civilization, we have become the most misinformed. This is a play about talk radio. Do they believe in what they say, or is it all about the money?
    Scene 1 Victoria Chavez is a liberal talk-radio host at a small, failing station. The expense of care for Victoria’s mother is mounting and the station has just been sold to T.I....
    At a time when technology has afforded us the means to become the most informed civilization, we have become the most misinformed. This is a play about talk radio. Do they believe in what they say, or is it all about the money?
    Scene 1 Victoria Chavez is a liberal talk-radio host at a small, failing station. The expense of care for Victoria’s mother is mounting and the station has just been sold to T.I.B., a conservative network. Enter “GG”, head of T.I.B. He tells Victoria her show is boring, and her job is on the line. Back on the air, she gets a warning call from the wife of a disgruntled prior caller, Charlie — he’s on his way and he’s armed. The scene ends with banging on the studio door.
    Scene 2: The next day, we learn that Victoria stayed on the air during the threat, which made the news. GG likes the publicity and becomes interested in employing Victoria, but she will not change her politics. GG explains the business. “We give them what they want - bullshit.” Charlie supporters begin to gather outside the station. GG working the phones and Victoria on air hype the situation. The crowd grows. “Who’s boring now?”

    Scene 3: Later that day, the crowd continues to grow. GG mounts an all-out publicity blitz. The situation is getting national attention. GG offers to make Victoria a mega star if she “gets off her high horse.” GG explains the magic of the echo chamber (talk radio) that has changed the nation. Victoria gets a call. Her mother’s situation has worsened. Victoria agrees to give it a try.
    Scene 4: Later that day. Outside has become a political carnival. Charlie is released and is greeted by the crowd ala Caesar entering Rome
    .Scene 5: Victoria invites Charlie into the studio for an interview. The interview goes south. Victoria goads Charlie to the point of suicide. Victoria: “What have I done?” GG: We’re number one! Lights down.
  • Variations On A Theme
    Variations of the power of love. Each begins with a meeting of two people at a challenging time of their life. From the affluent to the indigent, they meet in restaurants, back alleys and funeral parlors. And as in life, each couple has their own story to tell. Two middle-aged people connect despite technology. Two intergenerational women connect to transit a rite of passage. A marriage strains its weathered...
    Variations of the power of love. Each begins with a meeting of two people at a challenging time of their life. From the affluent to the indigent, they meet in restaurants, back alleys and funeral parlors. And as in life, each couple has their own story to tell. Two middle-aged people connect despite technology. Two intergenerational women connect to transit a rite of passage. A marriage strains its weathered connections. A homeless couple are connected by the stars and a love of literature.