Spotlight On...Ben Clawson

Name: Ben Clawson

Hometown: Born in Williamsburg Virginia

Education: BFA in Theatre, Montclair State University

Favorite Credits: Omnivores with StrangeDog Theatre and Playwright's Theatre of New Jersey, The Dangers of Electric Lighting commissioned by Luna Stage

Why theater?: I love theater because it's story-telling that cuts to the chase. It's about how people talk, how people push each other and what they need from each other, it's about moments that unfold in a real space in real time. And when the audience laughs, you can hear it.

Tell us about Enchanted Arms?: Enchanted Arms has been a fascinating project because we've been able to blend the adaptations of four different writers into an evening that speaks to why people keep re-telling these age-old fairy tales.

What inspired you to write Fits?: I was posed with a writing exercise of adapting Cinderella, and my play Fits materialized very fast, kind of as a dark answer to "what happens after happily ever after?"

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I'm inspired by all kinds of stuff, as long as it's honest and scary and thoughtful and funny. I love theater that uses words as weapons.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Abe Lincoln. I dig his style.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: I tried to get everyone I talked to to see the Broadway production of Jerusalem a few seasons ago.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I'd like to be played by an adolescent yellow lab. The title would involve some very clever wordplay about the fact that I'm being portrayed by a dog.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Does scotch count?

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: A Dinosaur. Or an Astronaut. Or a Dinosaur Astronaut. Who also played the acoustic guitar.

What’s up next?: A new play for Luna Stage co-produced by StrangeDog cause Tilt the Unlit Candle.  All that's left is to write it.