Benjamin Carr

Atlanta

Theater Journalist at ArtsATL

Contributing Writer at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Articles

‘Vavianna Island’ at Dad’s Garage immerses you in love, murder, shenanigans

2 weeks ago | ajc.com | Benjamin Carr

Dad’s Garage ventures into uncharted waters for its latest stage spectacle,“Murder on Vavianna Island,” the comedy theater’s first foray into an immersive audience experience. The new scripted show, running through June 28, stars Amber Nash as her sexy B-movie star character Vavianna Vardot. Though it’s scripted, the production still has a lot of unpredictable elements at play, including multiple possible endings to the story, director Amanda Lee Williams said.
Alliance’s promising premiere ‘Millions’ is not yet money in the bank

3 weeks ago | ajc.com | Benjamin Carr

Alliance Theatre’s latest world premiere musical “Millions,” running through June 15, comes to Atlanta stacked with dazzling names attached. But the children onstage enrich the material the most. The pedigree for “Millions” is unmatched out of the gate.
A Parable' tightrope over moral ambiguity at Actor's Express

4 weeks ago | ajc.com | Benjamin Carr

This story was originally published by ArtsATL. Since its opening in 2004 and its win of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt: A Parable” has been a stage staple for theater companies large and small. ExploreThings To Do In AtlantaIt has four characters, provides grand acting challenges for all the performers, requires minimal sets and deals with big themes. The script also defiantly leaves the audience with unanswered plot questions.
Review: Out Front’s world premiere gay musical ‘Trick!’ is a lighthearted joy

1 month ago | ajc.com | Benjamin Carr

This story was originally published by ArtsATL. People seek sex, sometimes with a variety of people and for a variety of motives. Sometimes, getting to the sex isn’t easy, though, even if willing folks are involved. “Trick! The Musical,”a world premiere at Out Front Theatre Company through May 17, is about two eager New York guys who keep getting their coitus interrupted by increasingly farcical circumstances.
Blueprint, short play and film festival at Windmill Arts in East Point features 12 works all 10-minutes long

2 months ago | ajc.com | Benjamin Carr

This story was originally published by ArtsATL. Hoping to create something unique for Atlanta theatergoers, aspiring festival director Jonna Leanne reached out to Sam Ross, founder of Windmill Arts in East Point, to pitch a weekend full of short plays and films involving Atlanta talent. She said she started with few preconceived notions about how it would come together.
'Topdog/Underdog' explores family ties at Atlanta's Actors Express

Mar 21, 2025 | ajc.com | Benjamin Carr |Suzan-Lori Parks

This story was originally published by ArtsATL. Suzan-Lori Parks’ “Topdog/Underdog,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2002 and a Tony Award for Best Play Revival in 2023, centers on two loving yet competitive brothers named Lincoln and Booth who are struggling with the cards that life and fate have dealt them. The two-person play, starring Aaron Goodson and Lamar K. Cheston and directed by Eric J. Little, continues at Actor’s Express through April 19.
Review: Out Front’s ‘Immediate Family’ like a fun ’90s sitcom that digs deeper

Mar 20, 2025 | ajc.com | Benjamin Carr

This story was originally published by ArtsATL. Though Paul Oakley Stovall’s“Immediate Family,” onstage at Out Front Theatre Company through March 29, has the strong, fun and nostalgic vibes of a 1990s sitcom like “Living Single” or “Martin,” there is something deeper at its core. It is a very good, funny and emotionally engaging show that deserves to be seen with a crowd.
Review: Dad’s Garage dishes up a tasty musical stew with ‘Hot Jambalaya’

Mar 12, 2025 | ajc.com | Benjamin Carr

All of the ingredients in “Hot Jambalaya,” the new original musical onstage at Dad’s Garage through March 29, make for a delicious Cajun-flavored show. Don’t miss it. Heck, go back for seconds. The show is a wacky comedy musical with a legitimately compelling, twisted murder mystery at its center, written by Atlanta talents Matt Hobbs and Travis Sharp and directed by Candy McLellan Davison. The cast is great. The jazzy songs are delightful.
Review: Daring ‘Bust’ a prescient look at Black life in contemporary culture

Feb 22, 2025 | ajc.com | Benjamin Carr

This story was originally published by ArtsATL. There are a lot of wildly inventive twists, strong performances and beautiful design elements in the Alliance Theatre’s world premiere of “Bust,” onstage through March 16. Its heart is in the right place, exploring surreal ways in which Black people might escape the crushing circumstances of this world. But the script by Zora Howard underdevelops many elements of the plot and characters that would make this show a richer, more rapturous experience.
Theatrical Outfit’s ‘Lehman Trilogy’ is a complex study of the American Dream

Feb 13, 2025 | ajc.com | Benjamin Carr

This story was originally published by ArtsATL. “The Lehman Trilogy,” a three-hour telling of the rise and fall of Lehman Brothers financial firm and its founding family, was selected for Theatrical Outfit’s season specifically because it is complex material, according to artistic director Matt Torney. “It’s really, really, really, really, really hard,” said Torney, who is directing the show.