Today in the 30 Day Challenge we share Preston Dyar. Preston thought he was finished with his acting career until the bug bit him again. Now he enjoys sharing his talents with our Playhouse family. Preston just finished appearing in The Spitfire Grill.
Flat Rock Playhouse essentially gave me my career back.
I had been living overseas in a number of different places and continents over the year. I had lapsed as an Equity member and was generally just lacking a direction in my life. Just sort of… floating. Doing fulfilling things, but missing something ineffable.
In 2005, I took a trip back to NYC to see a friend and some plays. I hadn’t been back “home” in a decade. A weekend trip, became a week, then two and I realized–quite to my surprise, that I was not finished with an acting career. I still had some things to say.
I returned full time to NYC in 2006, acquired an agent and realized that I had to pretty much start over again as far as recovering my Equity card was concerned. I was very nervous about this as it is an ARDUOUS process and daunting when you start over again at the age I was (ahem…). In the usual mad scramble for work, I received a call to come and be in the cast of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at FRP for the 2009 season. This started my love affair with this place and it continued as I returned in 2010 for The Producers and The Drowsy Chaperone… As luck would have it, I came back again for The Tuna Saga and Hairspray in 2011 and at the end of that contract–what had been a nostalgic longing to come back as soon as possible, had turned into the feeling that I now wanted to more or less “return the favor” to FRP.
This theatre and organization gave me my confidence back as an actor and deepened my respect for this art. Being here now in the capacity I am in, allows that to continue as an actor, but gives me the chance to help this place that I love so much grow and evolve. Two vocations where most people come for VA-cation.
I couldn’t be luckier.
