James Michael McHale Literary Manager

Artist Profile

James recently directed the Regional Premiere of Green Day’s American Idiot at Chance Theater which received 6 Orange County Theater Guild Awards including Outstanding Direction of a Musical. Other Chance directing credits include: the OC Premiere of the Pasek and Paul musical Edges (OC Theater Guild nominations for Outstanding Direction of a Musical and Outstanding Musical Production), A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Wrinkle In Time, and The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. He has been commissioned to write and direct a number of storytelling concerts for Pacific Symphony, creating an original story and book to accompany a repertoire of music for their Family and Education Series’. These productions include Beethoven: Trials to Triumph, A Dream of Tchaikovsky, Intergalactic Adventures, Music from the Movies and More, and Pacific Symphony and the Curious Case of the Vanishing Violin, all presented at Segerstrom Concert Hall. Other directing credits include the World Premiere of Comedy of ERROR at American Coast Theater Company and Two Rooms at California State University, Long Beach. James is proud to be a Resident Artist and the Literary Manager at Chance Theater.

Productions at Chance Theater

Production Date Role
Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas December 2025 Director
Spring Awakening July 2025 Adult Male
Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas (2024) December 2024 Director
Boat Show: OTR New Play Reading October 2024 OTR Producing Associate
Tenderness and Gratitude Number Four: OTR New Play Reading August 2024 OTR Producing Associate
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street July 2024 Director
Boat Show: OTR New Play Reading June 2024 OTR Producing Associate
Call Your Mother: OTR New Play Reading April 2024 Director / OTR Producing Associate
Lipstick Lobotomy: OTR New Play Reading February 2024 OTR Producing Associate
Hedwig and the Angry Inch January 2024 Jacek
Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas (2023) December 2023 Director
Such Small Hands: OTR Reading October 2023 Director/ OTR Producing Associate
Norine & The King of Swatsville: OTR Reading September 2023 Music Director / OTR Producing Associate
Norine & The King of Swatsville: OTR Reading September 2023 Cole / Gangster / Musician
The Bed Trick: OTR Staged Reading August 2023 OTR Producing Associate
Exotic Deadly, or The MSG Play: OTR Staged Reading February 2023 OTR Producing Associate
Ride the Cyclone January 2023 Mischa Understudy
A Thousand Maids: OTR Reading October 2022 OTR Producing Associate
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity September 2022 Everett K. Olson
HONGO: OTR Reading August 2022 OTR Producing Associate
Green Day’s American Idiot July 2022 Director
Matinicus – A Lighthouse Play: OTR Reading June 2022 OTR Producing Associate
Crimson Lit – Scarlet Letter Setlist: OTR Reading April 2022 OTR Producing Associate
They Could Give No Name: OTR Reading February 2022 OTR Producing Associate
A Charlie Brown Christmas December 2021 Director
Crimson Lit – Scarlet Letter Setlist: OTR Staged Reading October 2021 OTR Producing Associate
The Queer Couch August 2021 OTR Producing Associate
Shooter!: OTR Staged Reading August 2021 OTR Producing Associate
Edges July 2021 Director
Hearts Like Planets: OTR Live Stream Reading June 2021 OTR Producing Associate
Lazy Kinda Free March 2021 OTR Producing Associate
Colonialism is Terrible, But Pho is Delicious February 2021 OTR Producing Associate
A Very, Very Chance Holiday Cabaret December 2020 Vocalist/Guitar
Untitled Commissioned Adam Szymkowicz Play October 2020 OTR Producing Associate
Untitled New Krista Knight Play July 2020 OTR Producing Associate
100 HEARTBREAKS March 2020 Mark Larson
100 HEARTBREAKS March 2020 OTR Producing Associate
A Wrinkle in Time February 2020 Director
A Charlie Brown Christmas (2019) December 2019 Director
Creep: OTR Staged Reading May 2019 Narrator
Transmissions in Advance of the Second Great Dying: OTR Staged Reading March 2019 Earth/Percussionist
A Charlie Brown Christmas (2018) December 2018 Director
Mommies Anonymous October 2018 Interim Producing Associate
The Orange Garden October 2018 Interim Producing Associate
Untitled New Work October 2018 Interim Producing Associate
Gutting July 2018 Interim Producing Associate
Hymon & Parfunkel May 2018 Interim Producing Associate
Bedlam February 2018 Interim Producing Associate
Bedlam February 2018 Sam
The Eight: Reindeer Monologues December 2017 Director
The Eight: Reindeer Monologues December 2017 Hollywood / Donner
Times Square Psychic: OTR Staged Reading October 2017 Neil
in a word September 2017 Man
Middletown April 2017 John Dodge
The Little Prince February 2017 The Little Prince
The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (2016) December 2016 Associate Director
The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (2016) December 2016 Donner
UNTITLED MUSIC PLAY by Lauren Yee: OTR Reading October 2016 Robbie
Rare Birds: OTR LAB Workshop August 2016 Ralph
Dogfight February 2016 Boland
Muckrakers: On The Radar Series October 2015 Stephen
Untitled Chinese Play: On The Radar Series July 2015 Chase
Samsara April 2015 Craig
A Celtic Holiday with Craic in the Stone December 2014 Guitar/Vocals/Sean/Bran/Helen/Others
On The Radar: Important Hats of the Twentieth Century October 2014 TB Doyle
Maple and Vine September 2014 Roger/Omar
On The Radar: Verite March 2014 Sven Kandetty
The Secret Garden, The Musical (2013) November 2013 Dr. Neville Craven
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson July 2013 James Monroe
The Laramie Project & Ten Years Later April 2013 Greg Pierotti