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Jim Caputo, Long-Time Scripps Ranch Theatre
Executive Director, Playwright, Actor and Director,
Receives Honor for Achievements

Jim Caputo, former executive director and a long-time actor and director at Scripps Ranch Theatre, and an award-winning playwright and highly respected director for his work in theater throughout the county, has been designated a director emeritus in honor of his years of service to the organization and to theater. He becomes only the fifth person in SRT’s 32-year history to be so honored.

Caputo was presented his award at a recent SRT Board of Directors meeting. “I was deeply honored,” he said of the director emeritus designation. “It is quite an honor to be named alongside people who did so much and worked so hard to make Scripps Ranch Theatre the success it is today.”

Other SRT directors emeritus include John and Nancy Simonds, Sharon Hays and Rick Parke. John Simonds was the theater’s first artistic director.

“Jim played a significant role in our development into the kind of theater we are today,” said Ronald Jon Lennert, SRT executive director. “He helped us take major steps forward toward the quality we have reached today and help build the platform for what we will strive to become in the future.”

In the past two years, Caputo has directed two highly successful plays at SRT, including “The Shadow Box” and “Not Now, Darling.”  Jim directed “Greetings” in 2004 and “Scapino” in 2005.

Among his favorite roles as an actor in regional theater are the leads in “Othello,” “A Man for All Seasons” and as Salieri in “Amadeus.” At SRT, he  played Marley in the 2006 production of  “Inspecting Carol.”   He has designed several of SRT’s sets, including “TheLion in Winter” and “The Shadow Box.” .Jim is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Actors Alliance of San Diego.

Caputo also has won numerous playwriting awards, including the prestigious Ashland New Play Festival.  Other awards include The Curan Rep NYC Festival, First Stage LA Contest, Theatre Oxford, Fusion Theatre Audience Choice and The Palm Springs International. His hilarious comedy, “Maternal Sprits,” “opened SRT’s 2004 season and received critical acclaim and box office success. His plays have been produced from coast to coast.

Allan Salkin, SRT producing director, said that in addition to the leadership Caputo provided SRT, “Jim is regarded by most of the actors he has directed as an ‘actor’s director.’  Jim has this unique ability to communicate with actors on a personal level, while exhibiting the highest degree of professionalism at all times. During rehearsals, he will seek out the perspectives of actors and experiment with variables until it is ‘just right.’ I can’t think of any actor who’s ever worked with Jim who would not do so again in a heartbeat,” Salkin said.

Caputo and his wife, Judy, live in Tierrasanta.

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