Patrick King holds a Ph.D. in theatre history and performance studies from Tufts University, and an undergraduate degree in theatre from Northwestern University. His research has been published in the peer-reviewed journals Text & Presentation and Puppetry International, and presented at the Mid-America Theatre Conference, the Center for Humanities at Tufts, and the American Society for Theatre Research. He has contributed dramaturgical articles to publications by Seattle Repertory Theater and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Prior to teaching at LMC, he was a graduate instructor at Tufts University and guest lectured at Rutgers University. He is the recipient of the Kalman Burnim Prize for Scholarly Excellence in Drama.

As an artist, Patrick has worked in the literary offices of Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Victory Gardens, and Greasy Joan & Co., for whom he served as literary manager. He has worked extensively as an actor based in Chicago; among other theatres, he has performed with Griffin Theatre, New Leaf Theatre, Promethean Theatre, the Chicago Cultural Center, Oak Park Festival Theatre, The Building Stage, Circle Theatre, Caffeine Theatre, and the Genesis Ensemble at Steppenwolf's 1700 Stage. He can be heard as a regular cast member on Hartlife Media's podcast Unwell: A Midwestern Gothic Mystery, which was the 2021 recipient of the BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Podcast or Online Audio Drama.