James Macak

Professor Emeritus, School of Film, Television, and Media Arts

Emeritus

At Emerson since 2006

Campus

Boston

Education

  • B.A., University of Akron
  • M.F.A., Yale School of Drama

Jim Macak has served as a journalist, playwright, TV writer, and college professor.

As a journalist, he worked as a reporter and columnist for three newspapers in Ohio, and has written freelance articles for the <em>Los Angeles Times</em>, <em>Men’s Fitness</em>, and other publications. His plays have been produced at the Coast Playhouse in Los Angeles, the Caribbean American Repertory Theatre in New York City, the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Massachusetts, the Tennessee Williams Fine Arts Festival in Key West, FL, and the Yale School of Drama (recently renamed the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale) where he received an MFA in playwriting.

He has also written for a variety of television genres — drama (<em>NYPD Blue</em>), comedy (his produced pilot, <em>Beacon</em>, for CBS), syndicated drama (<em>Pensacola: Wings of Gold</em>), science fiction (<em>William Shatner’s TekWar</em>) and television movies (<em>Two Voices</em> for Lifetime), as well as daytime serials (<em>General Hospital</em>) and reality shows (<em>Totally Hidden Video</em>)

Macak taught film and TV writing at Emerson College’s Boston and Los Angeles campuses. As a volunteer, he also launched a writers’ workshop at Covenant House, a homeless shelter for young adults in Los Angeles.