Now based in Chicago, Illinois, James Napoleon Stone is a multi-disciplined artist and educator with a diverse range of experiences. Formerly serving as the Artistic Director of Theatre Coup d'Etat in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Stone has directed numerous acclaimed productions, including the Ivey Award-winning Hamlet, One Flea Spare, and Equus, which also earned him the "Best Director 2016" recognition from City Pages. He has also showcased his talents as a writer and director, receiving accolades for his original adaptation of Moby Dick, which was honored with "Exceptional New Work" at the Minnesota Theatre Awards and earned him the titles of "Best Production" and "Outstanding Playwright" in Lavender Magazine.

Theatre Coup d'Etat, under Stone's leadership, was recognized as "Best Theater Troupe" in 2019 by City Pages. Stone's educational background includes a Master's degree in education from Metropolitan State University and an MFA in Theatre Arts, specializing in Directing and Theatre Pedagogy, from the University of Idaho. Alongside a stage acting career spanning nearly two decades, Stone has also excelled as a dialect coach, stage combat choreographer, playwright, producer, educator, and judge and workshop leader for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

Additionally, he has contributed to the world of film and television, taking on roles as both director and actor in various short films and series. Not one to be limited creatively, Stone has also explored roles as a grant writer, frontman for a Led Zeppelin cover band, freight train hopper, and an enthusiastic corruptor of the public good, continually pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo in the pursuit of artistic excellence.