Making theatre.
Building connections.

James McNamara is a lighting and sound designer, teaching artist, and theatre collaborator based in Massachusetts.

His professional work encompasses new plays, musicals, classical theatre, and world premieres. He is a company member and designer at Shakespeare & Company and an Associate Artist and resident designer at Chester Theatre Company.

At Westfield State University, he is Professor of Lighting and Sound Design and inaugural Chair of the Theatre Arts Department. His teaching connects professional practice with individual mentorship, helping students develop their own artistic voices and the confidence to contribute to a creative ensemble.

His academic leadership includes curriculum reform, production management, recruitment, and program review. He has also served in regional design, technology, and management leadership for the American College Theatre Festival.

James holds an MFA in Theatre, with a concentration in Lighting and Sound Design, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a BA in Theater from St. Michael’s College.

Outside the theatre, James is an avid skier and lover of nature who enjoys paddling, traveling, and exploring national parks in the United States and abroad. He lives in Belchertown, Massachusetts, with his wife, Sara, their two children, Miles and Quinn, and their dog, Millie.

Let’s make something together ↗