---
name: "James Lapine"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/james-lapine"
fi1m_id: "james-lapine"
imdb_id: "nm0487567"
tmdb_id: 90037
wikidata_id: "Q6137781"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "10 January 1949"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-10-01T23:05:55.767422+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# James Lapine

## Identity

James Lapine

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/james-lapine
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** james-lapine
- **IMDb ID:** nm0487567
- **TMDB ID:** 90037
- **Wikidata ID:** Q6137781
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lapine, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6137781, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0487567/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/90037

Writer. Born 10 January 1949 in Mansfield.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 10 January 1949, Mansfield
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lapine, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6137781, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0487567/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/90037

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Into the Woods*](https://film.one/film/into-the-woods.md) (65)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## 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).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, playbill.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Into the Woods* (2014), Fi1m 65, Musical, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/into-the-woods.md)

## Complete filmography (21)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *In the Company of Rose* (2023), Director of Photography, Producer, Director
- *Falsettos* (2017), Stage Director, Musical, Director, Writer
- *Custody* (2016), Writer, Director
- *Act One: Live from Lincoln Center* (2015), Writer
- *Into the Woods* (2014), Screenplay, Musical — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/into-the-woods.md)
- *Six by Sondheim* (2013), Executive Producer, Director
- *Sunday In the Park with George* (2013), Musical
- *Into the Woods* (2011), Musical
- *Passion* (2005), Writer
- *Earthly Possessions* (1999), Director
- *Passion* (1996), Stage Director, Musical, Director, Writer
- *A Tribute to Stephen Sondheim* (1995), Actor
- *Life with Mikey* (1993), Director
- *Impromptu* (1991), Director
- *Into the Woods* (1991), Musical, Stage Director, Director, Writer
- *Into the Woods: A Conversationpiece* (1990), Writer
- *Sunday in the Park with... Stephen* (1990), Writer
- *Sunday in the Park with George* (1986), Stage Director, Musical, Writer, Director
- *Table Settings* (1982), Writer
- *American Playhouse* (1982), series, Writer, Theatre Play, Director
- *Live from Lincoln Center* (1976), series, Writer

## Gallery

- ![James Lapine](https://film.one/media/person/4166149/gallery-3edc8fa7bd64.jpg) James Lapine — Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/James_Lapine_%2814221648949%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Liz Stanton, Frank Rich, James Lapine and Miky Wolf at the 73rd Annual Peabody Awards for "Six by Sondheim". (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/4166149/gallery-12bd64645fc7.jpg) Liz Stanton, Frank Rich, James Lapine and Miky Wolf at the 73rd Annual Peabody Awards for "Six by Sondheim". (2014) — The Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/The_crew_of_Six_by_Somdheim_at_the_73rd_Annual_Peabody_Awards.jpg/1280px-The_crew_of_Six_by_Somdheim_at_the_73rd_Annual_Peabody_Awards.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Frank Rich and James Lapine accept the Peabody Award for "Six by Sondheim" (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/4166149/gallery-5fbce3685008.jpg) Frank Rich and James Lapine accept the Peabody Award for "Six by Sondheim" (2014) — Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Frank_Rich_-_James_Lapine_2_%2814260556217%29.jpg/1280px-Frank_Rich_-_James_Lapine_2_%2814260556217%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Frank Rich and James Lapine accept the Peabody Award for "Six by Sondheim" (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/4166149/gallery-810ce0bf3ed1.jpg) Frank Rich and James Lapine accept the Peabody Award for "Six by Sondheim" (2014) — Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Frank_Rich_-_James_Lapine_%2814445637252%29.jpg/1280px-Frank_Rich_-_James_Lapine_%2814445637252%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Liz Stanton, Miky Wolf, Frank Rich, and James Lapine accept the award for "Six by Sondheim" (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/4166149/gallery-4574bc8130f1.jpg) Liz Stanton, Miky Wolf, Frank Rich, and James Lapine accept the award for "Six by Sondheim" (2014) — Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Liz_Stanton_-_Miky_Wolf_-_Frank_Rich_-_James_Lapine_%2814260556677%29.jpg/1280px-Liz_Stanton_-_Miky_Wolf_-_Frank_Rich_-_James_Lapine_%2814260556677%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Liz Stanton, Miky Wolf, Frank Rich, and James Lapine accept the award for "Six by Sondheim" (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/4166149/gallery-06117fe3c122.jpg) Liz Stanton, Miky Wolf, Frank Rich, and James Lapine accept the award for "Six by Sondheim" (2014) — Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Liz_Stanton_-_Miky_Wolf_-_Frank_Rich_-_James_Lapine_2_%2814446999515%29.jpg/1280px-Liz_Stanton_-_Miky_Wolf_-_Frank_Rich_-_James_Lapine_2_%2814446999515%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Other awards — 13 won, 15 nominated

- Tony Award for Best Play 2014: Tony Award for Best Play (nominated), for *Act One*
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical 2005: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (won)
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical 2005: Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (nominated)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical 2002: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical 2002: Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (nominated)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play 2000: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play 2000: Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play (nominated)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical 1999: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical (nominated)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical 1999: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical (nominated)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical 1997: Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical (nominated)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical 1994: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical (won)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical 1994: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (nominated)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical 1994: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical (won)
- Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical 1994: Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical (won), for *Passion*
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical 1994: Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical 1992: Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical (won), for *Falsettos*
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical 1992: Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (nominated)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical 1991: Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical (won)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical 1988: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical (won)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical 1988: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (nominated)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical 1988: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical (won)
- Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical 1988: Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical (won), for *Into the Woods*
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical 1988: Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (nominated)
- Pulitzer Prize for Drama 1985: Pulitzer Prize for Drama (won), for *Sunday in the Park with George*
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical 1984: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical (won)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical 1984: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (won)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical 1984: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical (won)
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical 1984: Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (nominated)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/james-lapine