Ben Thorpe is the man behind the final Bare Essentials reading in this summer’s festival, Baby Shower for the Anti-Christ, happening this Wednesday August 22 at 7:30pm.
Hi Ben! We’re looking forward to your upcoming reading. Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a local Atlanta actor and playwright, originally from Snellville, GA. I went to Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA and lived in New York City before moving back to Atlanta in 2015. I’ve acted in productions around town including ‘Hand to God’ and ‘Candide (Alliance)’, ‘Titanic’ (Serenbe), ‘Nobody Loves You’ (Horizon), and ‘Big Fish’ (Theatrical Outfit). I’ll be in the Actor’s Express production of Steve Yockey’s ‘Reykjavik’ this fall. I recently wrote the book for ‘Red: A Crayon’s Musical’ with music and lyrics by John Burke (based on the book by Michael Hall) that had its premiere reading at Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival earlier this August.
I’ve always written in private, and only in the last few years have I let anyone see my stuff. I took a course with local playwright Neeley Gossett in 2015 and have been writing pretty steadily since.
It’s INCREDIBLY important for any new work, but especially this one. It’s a comedy that delves into some pretty dark subject matter. It’s invaluable to get feedback from artists that can view the play with fresh eyes and give honest feedback. I did an informal reading of this play a couple of years ago and got to working on it with new eyes. I’m excited to have the opportunity to do this next reading with Essential.
I’m hoping to learn from what others see in the play. I’m an actor most of the time, and feedback is invaluable in that field. I view writing the same way. It’s a vital part of the journey.
Natalie Fox (who’s sooo awesome!) has been working and talking with me about the play, which has been fantastic. We did an informal table read in late July with the cast for this Essential reading and I got some great feedback. The cast of women that will be reading on the 22nd is reason enough to come out- trust me!
As of now, ‘Red: A Crayon’s Musical’ is looking at a full production for this upcoming Spring.
I saw a bunch of shows (while in high school) that were produced by Essential and I loved seeing stuff Essential produced in town. When I moved back to Atlanta, I wanted to try my hand at letting others read my writing and Essential is such a great platform for the incredibly rich talent pool of writers in Georgia.
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Baby Shower for the Anti-Christ will be read at the West End Performing Arts Center this Wednesday night at 7:30pm. Directed by Natalie Fox. All readings are free and open to the public, donations gladly accepted.
Ashley Anderson, last seen on Essential’s stage in the title role of the box office hit Ada and the Memory Engine by Lauren Gunderson, can currently be seen in an entirely different kind of performance at The Space in Smyrna. Just four performances remain of the exciting show Curious Reverie, created by Havoc Movement Company, “…a self-described ‘action-circus theatre’ group whose upcoming gallery show is as likely to appeal to lovers of fairy tales as to fans of death-defying stunts.” You won’t want to miss it!
