Ben’s plays, monologues, and readings have been produced by Great Plains Theatre Commons, Witching Hour Productions, Shelterbelt Theater, Encompass Productions, Douglas County Historical Society, Emerging Artists New Play Festival, Kumu Kahua Theatre and Omaha Community Playhouse. His play "CRASH! BOOM! POW!" received an OEA award for Best Premiere of a New and Original Script and his one-man solo piece "Chekhov's Gun" received a TAG award for Best One Act. Ben's new adaptation of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" has been nominated for Outstanding New Local Script. He is the inaugural recipient of the NOW Lab residency from the Omaha Community Playhouse culminating in the staged reading of his latest play, "Sergei and Tasha". Ben was granted the two-year New Commoners Cohort Residency from the Great Plains Theatre Commons in 2023. Ben has a BA in Theatre from the University of NE-Omaha. He lives in Omaha with his wife and two eccentric cats.
Plays
Inspired by Charles Mee's (re)making project, a man meets the woman of his dreams who happens to be a superhero. At the same time, robots terrorize cities, mothers make turtle sandwiches, women dance with ghost lights and children are abducted by boogeymen. In this onstage comic book we ask, "are you a good guy or a bad guy?".
An actor philosophizes with the audience upon Chekhov's narrative principle, while a real pistol sits on a nearby table causing greater and greater speculation.
A woman recalls her times working at a wild west show as a trick roper. Especially the day she met her future female lover and partner, Owen.
Live original music, foley effects, dance and puppetry bring this textually-stylized, ensemble-driven adaptation directly off the pages of Irving's story.
Sergei, a medical doctor in self-exile, is struggling to invent the first artificial heart and lung machine. His helper and only companion is Tasha (the severed head of a German shepherd kept alive by Sergei’s machinery). As Sergei strives for success, he desperately seeks appreciation of his work. As Tasha lives her bizarre existence, all she wants is acceptance for who she is. In Sergei and Tasha, magical realism, surreal humor and compelling tenderness tell a story of what it’s like to be special.
Successes
My latest play, "Sergei and Tasha" had its premiere reading at the Omaha Community Playhouse in Omaha, NE.