Join LOCAL Author and actor, Dave Payton, as he reads from his book: Through Eyes of Grace. Dave will also answer questions about his writing process, the film that was recently made about his book (in Sheboygan!), and what it was like to play the lead! You can bring your own copy of his book or buy them at WordHaven for him to sign.
Through Eyes of Grace is Dave Payton’s debut novel, which came out in Nov 2020. The story has been therapeutic for him as he struggles with the question of “why do bad things happen to good people?” It wasn’t an easy story to write, but it’s real. Real pain and suffering and how to get through it, or at least attempt to make sense of it. Dave has had many friends (and to a lesser degree, himself) go through tragedy after tragedy and hence, Grace was born. Dave just finished filming Through Eyes of Grace, where he plays protagonist Pastor Seth Adams.
Dave hails from New York City and began his professional acting career in 1999 as “Airplane Passenger #402” in the Harrison Ford movie “Random Hearts.” After graduating college with a BA in English (What do you do with a BA in English?), Dave spent two years on tour with the Christian acting company Covenant Players, where he got to perform in 14 states and once in Canada. In 2005, he was honored in California with his first professional acting award for his portrayal of a young bartender longing to be sheriff in the comedy “I’d Like A Star, Too.”
Returning to New York, he was cast as Pee Wee the Seagull, mascot of the Brooklyn Cyclones, a minor league affiliate of the New York Mets from 2006-2008. Favorite plays/roles include: Noises Off (Garry/Roger), Beauty and the Beast (Lumiere), The Music Man (Harold Hill) and his most notable film role, the psychologically challenged neighbor in “Thy Neighbor” for which he has garnered 7 film festival awards in 11 nominations across the world, including 3 Best Actor awards (New York, Indiana, Michigan), 2 Best Supporting Actor (Indiana, Vermont), Best Villain (Kentucky) and Best Ensemble (Michigan). His proudest moment as an actor happened in September 2020 when Dave was nominated in France at the Paris Arts and Movie Awards.