ABOUT JAMES
I am currently Owner/President of CareyOn Creative, LLC in Atlanta, GA. which is made up of
Attic Studios - our production wing for film and theatre presentations &
Tripswithjames.com - a travel/lifestyle blog and future podcast (still in the works).
IMDB Link - https://imdb.com/name/nm9826663
LINKEDIN - linkedin.com/in/james-carey-74581a3/
I am fortunate to have received numerous awards for my contributions to films, theatre productions, screenwriting, and acting. In addition to my work in the entertainment industry, I have also served as a university professor at several colleges and worked overseas as a consultant and educator. After many years in the Los Angeles entertainment community, I relocated to Atlanta.
Since my arrival, I have been actively involved in various projects. My acting credits in Atlanta include films such as ‘Color Purple The Musical’, ‘God’s Not Dead’, and ‘Division’. As a director/producer I have worked on indie features like ‘Alternative Endings’ and ‘Madly’, as well as the short film ‘Love Potion’. I have also directed theatre productions, including the plays ‘4000 Miles’ and ‘Doubt’ for the Authenticity Theatre.
Recently, I published my first book, ‘Three Days in Hamburg & Other Stories’, which is now available on Amazon Kindle.
My latest film, ‘Love Potion’, was selected as an Official Selection at 6 film festivals and won 13 individual awards for the cast and crew, including 2024 Best Mystery/Thriller at the Southern Shorts Awards. My other short films such as, ‘Divorce During Pandemic’, won numerous awards and was an Official Selection for 13 film festivals around the world, ‘Fancy Meeting You Here’, was selected as Best Independent Short at the Independent Filmmakers Showcase in Los Angeles for 2019, and 'A Cost of Freedom’, was a Finalist at the Ethos Film Awards in Los Angeles, while also winning Best International Short Film at the Ellora Film Festival and Best Dramatic Short at the Reale Film Festival in Milan.
I have had the privilege of serving as the Artistic Director for two of Los Angeles’ most prestigious theatre companies. From 1987 to 2012, I was with The ATTIC Theatre Ensemble, located near Culver City. Then, starting in 2018, I joined the SkyPilot Theatre Company, which is renowned for its focus on new play development.
During my tenure at both thetres, I have overseen the production of over 400 plays. This includes the World Premiere of Sam Shepard’s ‘Suicide in B Flat’, the World Premiere of four previously unknown one-acts by Thornton Wilder, the West Coast Premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Frogs’, the LA small theatre debut of ‘Love, Valor, Compassion’, and the West Coast Premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s ‘Family of Mann’. My productions have been recognized with numerous awards, including 14 Drama-Logue awards and several ‘Picks of the Week'.
I co-founded Hollywood Theatre Row and served as its first President from 1992 to 1994, a tenure that earned me a LA Drama Critics Circle Award and a Hollywood Arts Council “Charlie” Award.
As a stage director, I have directed over 100 plays, including award-winning productions of ‘The Elephant Man’ and ‘All My Sons’, world premieres of one-acts by Lee Blessing and Jeffery Hatcher, and classics like ‘The Cherry Orchard’ for Oasis Theatre and ‘MacBeth’ for Kingsmen Shakespeare. I have also created original works like ‘Coming to Zimbabwe’ and ‘Come Together, A Beatles Cabaret’ that have toured the US, Africa, and the Middle East.
I hold an MFA in Theatre Management, Cum Laude, from California State University–Long Beach. I have taught at several institutions, including the New York Film Academy–LA Campus, California Lutheran University, Pepperdine University, American Musical and Dramatic Academy-LA, and California State University - Long Beach.
In 2012, I formed ATTIC STUDIOS to focus on more personal creative projects. This has led me to international directing and teaching in Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa, Italy, and the UAE. In 2013, my one-man show, ‘Coming to Zimbabwe’, debuted at the Harare International Festival of Arts and toured southern Africa. My musical revue, ‘Come Together’, has toured both North America and Africa. My second award-winning one-man show, ‘Mi Casa Su Casa’, debuted in 2018 and toured the fringe festival circuit in the USA. In 2016, I started a travel/lifestyle blog, www.tripswithjames.com.