Richard Montfort Cary, born in 1942 in Medford MA, was raised in Northern Virginia, spent nearly three years in occupied Japan as a youngster, attended Carnegie Mellon University and graduated in 1964 with a BFA in Theatre Arts. He then spent six years in regional theatres (Antioch Area Theatre Yellow Springs OH, Hartford Stage Company CT, Arena Stage Washington DC, and StageWest Springfield MA) as a master carpenter, technical director, resident designer, and actor.
In 1970, he moved year-round to Nantucket Island MA, where he became a designer/builder of custom homes. In 1980, the community theatre asked him to be Artistic Director, which he did for four years, bringing year-round theatre to the Island. In 1985, he founded Actors Theatre of Nantucket as the Island’s professional theatre company and served as Artistic Director for twenty years, retiring in 2004. During his years with ATN, he performed his one-man show, And Now, Mark Twain!— a popular staple for 12 years. In 2001, Richard and his wife Cheryl bought an old house in Asheville, did a major restoration, sold it, and moved over to the “crazy world” of West Asheville, where they bought a small house and doubled its size. They sold that house in 2017 and moved to Hayesville NC. They are still completing the renovation of their new older home.
Richard began writing poetry during high school and continues to this day. Currently, he is completing the editing of almost 60 years of his output. Publication is his next goal. His claim to fame is that his Great Aunt, Olive Dame Campbell, founded of The John C Campbell Folk School.
Alternate bio:
Richard Montfort Cary began writing poetry in high school and continues to this day. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1964 with a BFA in Theatre Arts. He spent six years in regional theatres, before moving year-round to Nantucket Island MA, as a designer & builder of custom homes. In 1985, he founded Actors Theatre of Nantucket and served as Artistic Director for twenty years. Richard and his wife Cheryl moved from Asheville NC to Hayesville NC in 2017. His claim to fame is that his Great Aunt, Olive Dame Campbell, founded The John C Campbell Folk School.