Theater
Some theater work Ben has directed over the years.
The Sirens of Titan
From the novel by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Adapted by Stuart Gordon
"RECOMMENDED / TOP TEN... an impressive accomplishment... The Sirens of Titan is an accomplished and ultimately moving play, and this production is well worth seeing." -Terry Morgan, Stage Raw
"Sacred Fools' production of The Sirens of Titan is wildly imaginative... very clever staging that takes full advantage of the intimate theater space to bring you into the world Gordon and Vonnegut have created." -Beth Accomando, KPBS/Cinema Junkies
"It's a faithful adaptation with a terrific cast and impressive production value... get your tickets now." -Robert B. Weide, Kurt Vonnegut Documentary / Producer, Kurt Vonnegut's "Mother Night" (1996)
"...a wildly entertaining exploration of what it means to be human, as well as a deeply moving experience that I enjoyed immensely." -Heather Wixson, Daily Dead
"...a feast for the eyes and the intellect, with an excellent cast that goes for broke with heartfelt emotion..." -Paul Myrvold's Theatre Notes
"...an excellent production... a joy to watch..." -Daniel P. Faigin, Observations Along the Road
Occupation
"Satire can make unpalatable truths digestible. Sacred Fools Theatre Company has always been one to push the boundaries... With their latest show, the west-coast premiere of Ken Ferrigni’s Occupation, they successfully lure frivolity into something more unsavory... While all performances are rich and believable, the women here are particularly magnetic... DeAnne Millais’ set effectively transports the audience... When you apply the play’s supposedly absurd circumstances to current events, the comedic veil lifts, leaving one with an Orwellian unease." -Stage Raw (PICK OF THE WEEK)
"I was enthralled from the git-go... witty and profound... Don't wait to see this West Coast Premiere! Everybody will be talking about it." -Discover Hollywood
Baal
By Bertolt Brecht
Translated by Peter Mellencamp
Peter Mellencamp's adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's early, poetical drama is about the cruelty and demise of a Bacchanalian poet who recognizes, curses and is cursed by civilization's thin veneer. Ben Rock's staging is sometimes forced, more often intense and seductive, with Gregory Sims' growling title character bearing a physical resemblance to young Al Pacino, but with a voice like Tom Waits. — LA Weekly
Director Ben Rock gives the piece a bold but faithful production, finely assisted by his leading man. Sims offers a wonderfully rich, volatile performance as the Dionysian Baal, touching all his contradictory bases: poet, beast, child, and monster. Sims also wields enough charisma and animal magnetism to make Baal's sexual prowess credible. —Backstage
The reinterpretation of Brecht's story by Peter Mellencamp is bold, startling, and devastating. When the play finishes, you can sense the uneasiness in the audience as they file out - and it's not because they didn't like the play. You just feel the devastation that Baal inflicted on those around him to your very core. — Dread Central
Richard III
By William Shakespeare
"...an absorbing presentation with riveting performances from the uniformly excellent cast... fools or not, the people in this company know how to put on a great show." -ReviewPlays.com
