In 1979, he was commissioned by Actors Theatre of Louisville to write the first of three plays for that company ("Spades", "Sidekick" and "Semper Fi"), and was twice a finalist in the theatre's national Great American Play Contest (for "Once Upon a Single Bound" and "Verdigris").
В 1979 году Джим написал три первых пьесы ("Spades", "Sidekick" и "Semper Fi") по заказу и дважды стал финалистом национального театрального конкурса "Great American Play Contest" (с пьесами "Once Upon a Single Bound" и "Verdigris").