Ben Griffin
Ben Griffin (Will Shakespeare)
Shakespeare in Love
FEBRUARY 11 — MARCH 20
What excites you about Shakespeare in Love and the role you are playing?
I am over the moon to be playing Will Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love! This particular show is exciting because of the pace of the show. Since the script was adapted from a film, the pace matches a fast-paced movie that is taking place on stage. It’s a whirlwind story that invites audiences into what it means to be in the world of theatre professionals. Playing Will Shakespeare strikes a different chord in my acting experience. I’m more accustomed to being billed as a character actor. As time has progressed, I’ve been offered more “leading” type roles and this is the most challenging yet. I am elated to inject my own charming interpretation into what it means to be a “leading man.”
What’s your process like in preparing for a show like this, and how does that process change (if at all) from other shows?
Two things. The first step to successfully becoming part of a production lies in the script. Not just memorization either. In order to fully immerse yourself in the life of your character, you have to evaluate why that character, consciously or unconsciously, chooses certain words or phrases over others. The second layer in that analysis is why did the playwright choose these words. It’s about understanding the characters perspective in order to create the emotional arc through the story while also checking to see if that lines up with what the playwright is providing the actor. One last step is aligning your physical expressions to match with your character. This takes diligence in recognizing how you express yourself physically and how you can adjust to match the character you are portraying.
What’s your biggest challenge about taking on this role?
My biggest challenge for this show is staying focused on the moment that is happening on stage. There are so many different factors to this show. We have dialects, hand to hand combat, rapier combat, singing, dancing, and Shakespearean verse! We’ve got it all and I can do it all. It’s simply making sure that I’m living in that moment to moment, otherwise something will be lost.
How did you get started performing?
When I was in fifth grade two of my classmates told me about a new program starting at the Royal Theatre in downtown Benton, Arkansas. The program was for children called the Young Players. The first show I did was called Blue Horses. All I did was walk across the stage in the first scene, then walk downstage in the last scene. Somehow that was enough for me to audition for Anne of Green Gables and continue my career in theatre.
Why do you still perform?
I still perform in theatre because it is an art form that is highly interdisciplinary. Theatre performers study acting, singing, dancing, movement, script analysis, history, language, and the list goes on. There are very few limits when it comes to what can be performed. I keep performing because I have the desire to experience it all.
What’s your dream role, and what do you feel you would bring to it?
Oh gosh. The question most actors ask each other! I don’t have any dream roles per se, but there are two roles that I’ve held onto because of the influences in my life. The first is John Proctor in The Crucible, thank you Mr. Daly’s English Literature class and dubbing our out loud reading as the presentation of the Saline County School for Bad Acting. The other role is Dan in Next to Normal.
What’s a fun fact people may not know about you?
I was one of the top pole vaulters in the state of Arkansas during my high school days. My personal record was fourteen feet and one inch. I also work as a theatre educator in Windsor at NoCo Theatrix. It’s so exciting to be a part of the growth of a theatre/arts center that has a high impact on the community around the theatre.
Follow Ben:
Instagram: @its.ben.griffin
