Patrick has had a life-long "love affair" with theater. As a child, he would marvel at the performances of his heroes on the big screen and TV, reconstructing them in puppet show productions in his neighbor's basement. Seeing his uncle play Starbucks in a community theater production of "The Rainmaker" deepened his desire to perform. It wasn't until his senior year that he summoned the courage to audition for Arthur in his high school's production of "Camelot.” Although his best friend got that role, he was cast as Pellinore, and his "love affair" was consummated. His passion continued through college, where he studied English and theater and wrote one-act plays based on his family, into his career as a teacher, directed plays and a musical, then to his hometown community theater productions. During this period, he developed his desire to start his own theater, and he continually imagined indoor and outdoor sites as potential venues to stage his "dream shows."

Patrick's professional career took a turn (for the better) when he entered the New York State Police, but his theater career took a 30-year hiatus. It wasn't until after his retirement and move to Aiken that his passion for theater was revived when one of his golf buddies, Bob Franklin, coaxed him to audition for a role in "Inherit The Wind."