James Odin Wade is a playwright and screenwriter based in Calgary, Alberta. His plays have been produced in cities across North America, including Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Regina, Toronto, and Chicago. As a playwright, he has collaborated with theatre organizations including Lunchbox Theatre, Theatre Calgary, multiple Canadian Fringe Festivals, The University of Lethbridge, The University of Calgary, Sage Theatre’s Ignite! Festival, Death & Pretzels, Steel River Playhouse, and The Road Theater Company.

He has garnered awards from across Canada and the United States including The Alberta Playwriting Competition (Helmut’s Big Day), The National One-Act Playwriting Competition (In Case of Fire), the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival’s One-Act Play Contest (By the Book) and has been a finalist and semi-finalist for many more, recently including New Dramatists’ Princess Grace Award (In Tongues). James is the co-founder of the Calgary indie company Red Phone Theatre and is a member of the 52nd Street Project in New York City. He holds a BFA from the University of Lethbridge and an MFA in Playwriting from the University of Calgary.

His work explores the role and power of narrative in people’s lives. They’re often funny, but not always, don’t hold him to that.

Some of James' work is available to read via the New Play Exchange.

Photographer: Gianna Isabella