Tugging at the Heartstrings | James Vagias - Artistic Director, Producer

James Vagias | Producing Artistic Director, Producer, Educatorwww.americantheatregroup.orgJim Vagias (Producing Artistic Director) has been involved in theentertainment industry since 1983 and has had the pleasure of working withsome of the industry’s leading professionals, as well as discovering andnurturing up-and-coming talent who later have gone on to great success (e.g.Thomas Kail, Tony Award-winning director of Hamilton; Joe DiPietro, TonyAward-winning author of Memphis.) A former attorney, Vagias foundedAmerican Theater Group in 2012 with industry professionals Joe Mancuso andRick Sordelet. Prior to American Theater Group, Vagias produced over 40 newand classic plays and musicals, including 14 world premieres, 6 of whichsuccessfully transferred to Off-Broadway (such as I Love You, You’re Perfect,Now Change, and Swingtime Canteen). Jim has also worked for commercialproducers such as NAMCO (Chicago, Seussical, Waitress) and TimothyChilds (Annie revival). He has worked with Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin)to inaugurate the New American Musical Reading Series, a program designedto help emerging writers of theatrical musicals to develop their work. Inaddition to having served on several panels of the ASCAP Musical TheaterWorkshops, he has also served as the magic consultant for Broadwayproductions. Vagias has taught courses on Theatre Management andEntertainment Law at Montclair State University, and has also been a guestlecturer at Rutgers, Kean University and the New School.