Biography
James Lapine is an American stage director, playwright, screenwriter and librettist. Born on 10 January 1949 in Mansfield, Ohio, he graduated from Franklin and Marshall College and later earned an MFA from CalArts.
He is best known for his frequent collaborations with composer Stephen Sondheim. Lapine wrote the book and directed the original Broadway production of the musical Into the Woods (1987), for which he won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. He received the same award for Falsettos (1992, with William Finn) and Passion (1994). He also won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Sunday in the Park with George (1984).
Lapine adapted his own stage libretto for the screenplay of the 2014 film Into the Woods. His other film credits include directing Impromptu (1991) and Life with Mikey (1993), and writing and directing Custody (2016).
