Actor Spotlight

Avant-garde Dallas actor divulges unique process and dream role

It would be pigeonholing to describe Justin Locklear as an artist-in-residence at Ochre House Theater. He is, but he's also a visual artist and a producer and conceptual artist with Danielle Georgiou Dance Group (DGDG). He also has popped up onstage and behind the scenes at theaters across Dallas.

But his work at Ochre House — as playwright, actor, costumer, musician, puppet designer, and more — is what people associate him with the most. Locklear's keeping his Ochre streak going as Nikola Tesla with the Expo Park company's next original work, Dreaming Electric.

Before the show opens on October 29 (it runs through November 19), Locklear took the time to fill out our survey of serious, fun, and sometimes ridiculous questions.

Name: Justin Locklear

Role in Dreaming Electric: Nikola Tesla, scientist and inventor

Previous work in the DFW area: Ochre House Theater, Shakespeare Dallas, WaterTower Theatre, Cara Mia Theatre Co., Undermain Theatre, Second Thought Theatre, Dead White Zombies

Hometown: Decatur, Georgia

Where you currently reside: White Rock Lake, in the water.

First theater role: The Turtle in a skit about the Turtle and the Hare, in vacation bible school.

First stage show you ever saw: No clue. Probably something at Georgia Shakespeare Festival.

Moment you decided to pursue a career in theater: I was walking through the park one day, and I saw a bright flash of light. "Be an actor!" was somehow spoken to me, without words, and I saw an image of myself standing on a stage. And then, like, I got some fro-yo.

Most challenging role you’ve played: Probably the Turtle.

Special skills: Unsolicited anecdotes, shoulder massage, puns.

Something you’re REALLY bad at: Listening to people eat.

Current pop culture obsession: Mindless, unyielding human conflict.

Last book you read: I was reading Illuminations, a collection of essays by Walter Benjamin, and then, like, stopped. But I liked it. It was cool.

Favorite movie(s): The Imposters, Big Night

Favorite musician(s): Eryka Badu, Ligeti, Stefan Gonzalez, Trey Pendergrass, BlackTaffy

Favorite song: "My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama" by Frank Zappa

Dream role: Krapp in Krapp's Last Tape by Samuell Beckett

Favorite stageworks: Mean and Dreams of Slaughtered Sheep by Matthew Posey; Einstein on the Beach and Shakespeare’s Sonnets by Robert Wilson and the Berliner Ensemble; Cafe Müller by Pina Bausch; Mother Courage and Her Children and How Much Is Your Iron? by Bertolt Brecht; Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett; La Veillee des Abysses by James Thiérée

Favorite actors/actresses: Stanley Tucci

Favorite food: Oreos

Must-see TV show(s): Oxymoron, but I suppose I can recommend Psych for fans of Encyclopedia Brown, bad jokes, and '80s references.

Something most people don’t know about you: I’m taller than I think I am.

Place in the world you’d most like to visit: Surprise me, I’m down.

Pre-show warm-up: Depending on the project: yoga, walking around in a state of irrationally stubborn concern, tongue twisters.

Favorite part about your current role: Tesla was an actual genius, and it’s fascinating to investigate how a genius lives his truth — what his internal life looks like.

Most challenging part about your current project: Getting to discover a new play in a matter of weeks is always the most challenging yet life-giving aspects of working at the Ochre House. It’s fun, it’s educational, it’s risky, it’s barreling headfirst down a hill of inspiration with an audience waiting at the bottom.

Most embarrassing onstage mishap: Random C-word out of nowhere. Just a bad moment for a breath.

Career you’d have if you weren’t in theater: Park ranger

Favorite post-show spot: The Couch. It’s super exclusive.

Favorite thing about Dallas-Forth Worth: The art and the people, not necessarily in that order.

Most memorable theater moment: Getting stabbed? Or yeah, casual sodomy with confetti cannons.

Justin Locklear as Nikola Tesla in Ochre House Theater's Dreaming Electric.

Photo by Kevin Grammer

Justin Locklear as Nikola Tesla in Ochre House Theater's Dreaming Electric.

qa theater interview

Music and Fashion

Miranda Lambert's 'Velvet Rodeo' wardrobe stars in new DFW exhibition

“Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo” at National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame

Photo by Tyler Conrad

“Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo” will open on November 7 at the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame.

Country star Miranda Lambert is bringing a bit of Las Vegas glamour and bling to North Texas. Her one-of-a-kind wardrobe from her "Velvet Rodeo" residency will go on display at the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame in Fort Worth when its new Icons Gallery opens November 7.

According to a release, the exhibition, called "Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo," was created in collaboration with Lambert, and will feature costumes from the singer's Las Vegas residency, which ran from September 2022 to April 2024.

Lambert said her inspiration came from an earlier visit to the Fort Worth museum, where she spotted historic Western pieces that she photographed and sent to her stylist, Tiffany Gifford. They combined those influences with the glitz of Elvis Presley's heyday to create the "Velvet Rodeo" wardrobe.

“Seeing these pieces now have a life beyond the stage as part of the Museum’s new Icons Gallery feels really full circle and special,” Lambert said in a statement.

Visitors will now have the opportunity to study garments usually seen in motion and under stage lights, appreciating the details that help transform clothing into an essential part of a performance.

The Icons Gallery is part of the Museum’s 16,000-square-foot expansion, which introduces new galleries and experiences that explore the accomplishments and influence of women of the West. The $19 million expansion features a new entrance facing Dickies Arena, new galleries including a photography gallery, an event space accommodating up to 250, and the new Cowgirl Carousel.

Miranda Lambert, right, with rodeo queens onstage at the 45th Cowgirl Hall of Fame Induction Luncheon at Dickies Arena. Photo by Ashley Gongora

Lambert, who was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 2021, is an active mounted shooting competitor and horsewoman, giving her a connection to the West that reaches beyond her music. "Velvet Rodeo" brings together Lambert's identity as a cowgirl and her creative expression as a performer.

“Miranda’s confidence, determination and independence make her a wonderful representative of the women we honor,” says Pat Riley, executive director of the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, in the release. “Opening our Icons Gallery with this collaboration celebrates her accomplishments while giving visitors a new way to connect with a cowgirl they know and admire.”

According to a museum spokesperson, the temporary exhibition will remain on display for at least one year; no specific end date was given.

In preparation for the expansion grand opening, the Cowgirl will be closed to the public beginning October 19 and will reopen November 7, with a members-only preview at 10 am and a public opening at noon.

celebrities country music exhibitions-visual-arts fashion miranda lambert museums music national cowgirl museum temporary exhibition

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Music and Fashion

Miranda Lambert's 'Velvet Rodeo' wardrobe stars in new DFW exhibition