FringeHIGH Artist Profile: Ben Whiting, Writer/Performer
Meet Ben Whiting
Ben Whiting is the writer and performer of American Gypsy, a dazzling new show that combines theatre and slight-of-hand. Ben also co-founded the MagicMouth Theatre and has performed magic on streets around the world.
The Stats
What’s next on your Netflix queue?
I don’t own a television, but I have the entire series of Slings &
Arrows saved on my computer.
What’s playing on your iPod right now?
Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen
Last good book you read was…
I’m generally reading 4 or 5 books at a time. I recently gave myself the task of rereading all the books from High School I was too dumb or too immature to appreciate at the time. It’s hard to beat Brave New World or 1984.
Favorite restaurant in the city?
This is the first time I’ve spent more than a few days in NYC so the city is still pretty new to me. I had Ray’s Pizza the other night and can’t complain :)
All-time, hands-down favorite piece of theater?
That’s like asking me what my favorite body part is. I can’t be complete without all of them. I’ve learned just as much from the theatre I’ve hated as the theatre I’ve loved.
Why Ben Loves Fringe and the Arts
What’s the best thing about Fringe?
It’s great seeing so many people working together for something they’re passionate about and love. I’ve yet to come across a single ego.
What’s the #1 reason people should come see your show?
I truly feel American Gypsy is unique. It’s not a magic show; magic is the main narrative tool used to tell a compelling story. If you like good theatre, you’ll like American Gypsy. If you like good magic, you’ll like American Gypsy. MagicMouth Theatre has taken some of the stereotypical “cheese” (Gob from Arrested Development anybody?) out of magic and turned it into an incendiary medium for telling a great story.
Do you have any opening-night rituals?
Yes. I have a top-secret play list my best friend and I have been listening to since 2003 before every show and I will usually eat something that is not good for me.
What are the craziest performance conditions you’ve had to work under?
Ha! Every time I street perform! Try walking onto an empty sidewalk where no one is expecting to see anything, gather a crowd, and be entertaining enough to keep them there until the grand finale when you ask them to pay you what they think the show was worth. It’s how I paid my rent the first 6 months I was in Chicago.
How did you get involved with the arts?
I was about to graduate from Wake Forest University a year early with a degree in Psychology when I met Jim Cellini, my mentor in magic and street performance (American Gypsy is inspired by and dedicated to him). He took me around the world teaching me how to busk by performing magic for strangers on the sidewalk. Then one day, my best friend Matt Gutschick had the idea to produce a play that would combine magic with theatre. It was an idea that eventually turned into the MagicMouth Theatre Company and I changed major second semester my junior year from Psych to Theatre and never looked back (although I must say it was an interesting conversation to have with my parents!).
Learn more at FringeHIGH and buy your tickets to American Gypsy today!
