
David Loar
Actor, Performer of "An Iliad"
David has been working on his own production of An Iliad since May, 2015, when a childhood friend pointed him toward the play and Denis O'Hare's original performance of it. David was so intrigued by the daunting challenge of learning the complicated text and by the play's telling of the conflict between Achilles and Hector that he immediately decided to take on the project. In December, 2015, David and his long-time director friend, Richard Corley (who had directed David in his first professional role, Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew with the National Shakespeare Company in 1991) teamed up for a week of intense rehearsal to craft the physical storytelling of David's performance.
David's first two performances of the show were at the College of Charleston in November, 2016, under the sponsorship of Dr. Tim Johnson and the Classics Department. Further performances at College of Charleston followed in October, 2017, under the sponsorship of Ms. Cristy Landis and the Honors College. In February, 2018, David performed the show for 200 faculty members of the Great Hearts Academies in Phoenix, AZ.
David's dream for the show, from the beginning, has been to tour it to colleges and universities, military academies, and military bases. He believes strongly in the play's reinvention of Homer's Iliad and its message about heroism, decency, deceit, and folly in times of war.
David came to acting "late" in life, at the "advanced" age of 29. After graduating from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (NY), he toured the country for 6 years with 3 companies: National Shakespeare, Chamber Repertory Theatre of Boston, and Shenandoah Shakespeare Express. 2001-08, David was a member of the Blackfriars Resident Troupe of the American Shakespeare Center, performing over 90 roles including Shylock, Prospero, Richard II, Cassius, Claudius, Lord Capulet, and Ebenezer Scrooge. He is currently an Ensemble member with Charleston Stage Company in Charleston, SC, and lives on James Island with his wife, Rev. Kristen Barner, and their dogs, Monty and Viva.
