James Venturini, Acting/Voice Acting Instructor and LPH Associate Artistic Director

James Venturini was born in Detroit, Michigan and has been involved in radio theatre and staged recreations of radio theatre for 38 years. He was a founding member of the Detroit Radio Workshop, and earned his first paycheck as an actor ($10!) for a recorded radio play. He produces, directs, and serves as the sound effects person for Lakewood Playhouse's annual Radio Gala, now in it's 11th year. He has a large collection of "old-time radio" sound effects equipment.

James holds a BA in theatre and film production from Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois, where he spent 8 years in its vibrant theatre scene before moving to Seattle in 1990. He co-founded and was co-artistic director for A Theatre Under the Influence, one of the many storefront theatres in the '90s-'00s Seattle "fringe" theatre scene. Influence lasted for ten years and 50 productions, until its shared theatre space (The Union Garage, which James also co-founded) had to close due to the need for an earthquake retrofit. In Seattle, he also served as President of the League of Fringe Theatres, on the board of The Seattle Fringe Festival, as a contributing editor of The Actors Handbook, and as Editor-in-Chief of Northwest on Stage magazine and its sister publication Intermission. He moved to Tacoma in 2002, and worked as Tacoma Actors Guild's Production Manager until that theatre closed, at which time he took on the same duties at Lakewood Playhouse, where he is now Associate Artistic Director.

James has an extensive resume as a theatrical actor, director, and playwright, as well as commercial/industrial film actor, and short film writer and director. He is a published playwright and magazine article author. He lives with his wife and teenage daughter in Tacoma's North Slope neighborhood.