Daily Inspiration: Meet Rory Lawrence

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rory Lawrence.

Hi Rory, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My journey into the world of theater began in high school, where I fell in love with acting. After graduation, however, college led me away from the stage. Years later, a random decision to join Venue Acting Studio reignited that passion. As I honed my craft through local plays and independent films, I soon realized that roles fitting my description were scarce. Instead of waiting for an audition, I decided to create my own opportunities.

My first venture was a night of one-act short plays and skits with a few acting friends. The theater was packed! Initially thinking it was a fluke, I produced another play a few months later – one written by someone else – and again, we sold out. It became clear: if the doors weren’t opening for me, I’d build my own. This led me to establish RL Productions, my own small theater company. We began producing acclaimed shows like Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and Reginald Rose’s 12 Angry Men, steadily growing our dedicated following.

During this period, I also discovered a hidden talent for writing, a skill I’d last touched in high school. My first stage play, the comedy ‘Between Calls,’ was incredibly well-received by the local theater community. After its initial run, my mentor’s insightful question – ‘Do you know how hard it is to write a comedy?’ – confirmed her belief that I had a unique gift for the genre, explaining why many writers shy away from it. By the grace of God, I’ve since written 10 original full-length plays that have consistently sold out venues across Tampa.

My next venture, the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival (TBTF), was a serendipitous discovery. Witnessing hundreds of teenagers at the annual Thespian Festival downtown sparked an idea: while Tampa boasted numerous film festivals, a dedicated theater festival for adults was conspicuously absent. My research confirmed the concept existed elsewhere, so I attended similar festivals, even submitting my recently completed play, ‘Fighting God’ (now being converted into a film), which was accepted by both.

Upon returning to Tampa, I approached local theaters to gauge support for a festival here. The Straz Center immediately embraced the vision as our venue sponsor, and their commitment quickly brought other theaters on board. We designed a three-day event featuring original plays, workshops, meet-and-greets, short play competitions, and culminating in a grand awards dinner. A week before opening, with minimal ticket sales, we faced a tough decision: cancel or proceed? We didn’t cancel, and thankfully, we didn’t have to. Opening day saw crowds flood every theater; every single event sold out! We were stunned. The Tampa Bay Theatre Festival is now a staple in our city, even hosting celebrity guests like Tasha Smith and Harry Lennix for workshops. I am the founder of Tampa’s first-ever theatre festival.

Today, I continue to act, write, and audition for TV and film as opportunities arise through my agent.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t always been easy. As an actor, more opportunities for actors of color come more often than not, but it wasn’t always like that in film or TV. As a producer, the biggest challenge is always finances. It’s never easy raising money for the vision that you have.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Believe it or not, I still work a 9 to 5. I have a background in finances so. I work for a brokerage firm so when I’m not at my day job, I’m working on my dream job.

I would say that I’m most proud of building a theater company from the ground up. When we started, no one would even audition for us when we would put out casting call. I guess that’s fair because we were new and nobody knew who we were. Now, the city knows who we are, and most of the time we don’t even have to do a casting call. We just shoot and email to local actors that we’ve seen and think that they would be a good fit for the project that we are working on, and they say yes.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Creating. It makes me happy to create something from nothing. I think that is why I enjoy writing and acting so much.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rorylawrence.com
• Other: https://www.tampabaytheatrefestival.com