James R. Tompkins (Associate Professor)
Associate Professor of Theatre Arts at the University of Louisville. He received his MA from the University of Washington in Seattle and then went on to Paris, France on a two year French Government Grant where he received the coveted "diplome" from the Ecole Jacques LeCoq. From there he went to Rochester, Michigan, where he taught at the Academy of Dramatic Art while acting professionally at MeadowBrook Theatre. The British Government then invited him to teach in London, England at such leading theatre schools as: The Webber Douglas Academy; The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art; The Central School of Speech and Drama; Arts Educational; The City Literary Institute; and The Drama Studio of London. Upon returning to the U.S. he taught at Ohio State University.
He has acted professionally at: Stage One: the Louisville Children's'Theatre; The Oregon Shakespeare Festival; A Contemporary Theatre in Seattle; The Provincetown Playhouse on the Wharf; and MeadowBrook Theatre. He has choreographed for the Louisville Ballet apprentices as well as for other troupes in the area. He has written and directed for the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival and has taught at the National School of Drama in New Delhi, India.
For Louisville Repertory Company he directed The Importance of Being Earnest and choreographed the fights and movement for Fool for Love. Most recently he choreographed the dances for Kentucky Opera's Don Giovanni, directed All in the Timing and 'night Mother, and performed the role of the Beggar in The Beggar's Opera for UofL Opera Program.
He serves on the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, the third largest state arts funding council in the U.S.