James T. Washburn
About Me
James T. Washburn (he/him) is a Queer, dynamically disabled Storyteller-Activist born and raised in Seattle, Washington.
James was raised in a multi-disciplinary artistic environment, with a traditional Waldorf education that sparked his love for folklore and community storytelling. He began his theatrical journey at the Bellevue Youth Theatre, where he became passionate about accessibility for theatre artists. His first theatre company, Bellevue Teen Productions, was founded to provide opportunities for other marginalized teens in all aspects of musical theatre.
James earned his degree in Theatre Original Works at Cornish College of the Arts in 2020. While studying at Cornish, he developed an ensemble devising process rooted in Viewpoints methodology, drawing on traditional folkloric canons. This process eventually became the foundation for intersectional Queer artistic collective Magpie Artists' Ensemble, where he serves as Artistic Director and resident playwright-director.
James’ pandemic project, an epistolary novel sent through the mail to international readers in real-time, was named a "Kickstarter Project We Love." As a member of the inaugural cohort for Seattle Opera’s Jane Lang Davis Creation Lab, James wrote the libretto for Queer chamber opera Achilles + Patroclus, currently being adapted into a graphic novel with local artist Chess Amade. He later wrote its "sister project," experimental chapbook/script Persephonai: An Analysis in Verse and Movement, during his time as a Hugo House Fellow. He is currently a Resident at the Seattle Library Writer's Room.
James is a soloist with Syrena Seattle Polish Folk Dance Ensemble, where he embodies his love of folklore and represents his heritage on stages across the country.
Playwright
When writing I take inspiration from folklore, mythology, and queer history; my work focuses on discovering queerness in traditional stories and reimagining familiar tropes and archetypes through a queer lens. I have written fairytales about transition and myths about Queer solidarity; tragedies centered on toxic masculinity; and stories sent to readers in letters that capture the isolation of chronic pain. Writing is a way to explore deeply personal facets of myself, while connecting with others who can see themselves in what I’ve written - even if we may seem very different at first glance.
I constantly strive to challenge myself, especially when it comes to craft. My signature is dialogue written in iambic pentameter (or, occasionally, dactylic hexameter), and I often adapt or blend traditional formats to better suit the content of a story.
All of my scripts are available for licensing, and I am also open to commissions and work as head deviser/playwright for ensemble-generated projects.
Director
As a director and deviser, I find great joy in collaboration. I firmly believe that actors are the smartest people I know; I use my unique variation on Viewpoints methodology to allow them complete freedom to explore how their characters physically inhabit their bodies and the world of the play more broadly - then use these discoveries to craft the unique physical language of the show.
I am also drawn to minimalist design aesthetics, allowing movement to take the spotlight aided by essential props, sets, and costumes to suggest a full world without drawing focus from the performance.
I am open to work directing traditional plays and musicals, or as head deviser for ensemble-generated projects.
Folk Dancer
My work has always drawn on traditional canons for inspiration; but my passion for the preservation and sharing of folklore crystalized when I joined Syrena Seattle Polish folk dance ensemble and first experienced the joy of fully embodying my own heritage. This has opened up a new world as I learn about dance and folklore directly from peers and elders, becoming the next link in the chain of a centuries-old oral tradition.