Justin’s dedication to his craft is evident in every performance he gives. He approaches each role with meticulous attention to detail, delving deeply into the character’s psyche to create an authentic and convincing portrayal, and even in small roles, his characters are attention-grabbing. In addition to acting, Justin Locklear designs and realizes theatrical puppets and costumes, writes and directs shows, sings and plays piano, guitar, accordion and trumpet. Learn more about Justin Locklear’s talents on dallas-trend.
BEGINNING OF HIS ACTING CAREER
Justin Locklear was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. The young man’s thirst for art began in childhood. He loved listening to various stories through a record player. He could listen to the recordings of children’s comedy writer Andy Griffith or Bob Newhart until the night was over. At school, he did not have the best academic performance, but he actively participated in all extracurricular activities. Thus, his first acting role was as the Turtle in the story of the Tortoise and the Hare, which was staged at a summer church school.
After completing his high school education, he enrolled in theater at Baylor University.
MOVING TO DALLAS
In 2009, Justin decided to move to Dallas. Although he was worried that the new city would not have the same creative atmosphere as Atlanta, everything turned out to be perfect. The young actor played in such theaters as Ochre House, Undermain, and Dead White Zombies.
The Ochre House is a small theater with 50 seats that is known for its unique productions. Justin Locklear came here in 2010. He was invited by the theater’s artistic director Matt Posey as a puppeteer for the performance of Bill by William S. Burroughs. He saw a natural talent in the young man, and since then Justin Locklear has stayed with the theater for many years. Furthermore, he appeared in such Ochre House shows as Mean, a violent drama about Charles Manson, where Locklear was cast as a singing cowboy named Dale Evans. In Dreams of Slaughtered Sheep, Justin played a Spencerville slaughterhouse worker who cuts sheep by day and has nightmares about his bloody job at night. His costume consisted of a large head, which, by the way, he designed and made himself.
A scene from the play Dreams of Slaughtered Sheep
Justin Locklear loves working with theater because of its bold approaches and the presence of many creative people who realize unique ideas. In 2011, the Dallas-Fort Worth Theater Critics Forum recognized Justin as the most dynamic emerging artist.
In general, the Ochre House Theater has been repeatedly recognized by Dallas critics for its original approach to work, and was even named the best theater in Dallas in 2012.
OWN MUSICAL
At the Ochre House Theater, Justin Locklear was given the opportunity to direct his own musical, called Dreamless. He had been creating sketches for several years and, with the help of the creative team, was able to combine everything into one performance. The story is set in the Clean Plate diner, run by a girl named Claire after her father’s death, and her brother John comes to her aid. Along with other characters working at the diner (waiters, cooks, bartender), the characters wear clown makeup.
The siblings have different views not only on the management of the establishment but also on life in general. Claire has an optimistic and cheerful attitude, while John is gloomy and constantly quarrels. Their positions are similar only in one way: each believes that their personal version of life is closer to the truth. However, the play does not make any ambiguity between pessimism and reality, depicting that a pessimistic attitude towards the world can be just as illusory as a dream.
