Author Profile:  Billy St. John

Billy St. John fell in love with theatre when he made his stage debut at 14 in a community theatre production of Medea.  His involvement began with acting, then shifted to directing, and — eventually — playwright.

The Clarksville, Tennessee, native earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education with majors in English and Speech/Theatre, then received a Master of Arts degree in TV/Film.  He taught school for 10 years before becoming a community theatre director at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, for 17.

It was while working at Ft. Campbell that Billy wrote his first play an audience-participation murder mystery, which he directed at the Soldier Show Center on post.  The audience response was so enthusiastic, he decided to submit the play to publishers.  It was accepted, and with its publication in 1990, Billy became a professional playwright.

Billy St. John wrote more than 50 plays, many of which are available through Pioneer Drama Service.  They include comedies, mystery-comedies, and melodramas.

Billy St. John passed away in 2017.