Ben Ribler

Experience the magic of Appalachian folklore with Adventure Theatre MTC's SING DOWN THE MOON, running from April 26 to May 26, 2024. A captivating journey into wonder tales for all ages.

Experience the Creative Cauldron premiere of CHICKS IN HEAVEN under the Bold New Voices series.

Explore the battle of witches against the patriarchy in the new musical CHICKS IN HEAVEN by author, professor, and performance artist Carol Lee Campbell.

Tonight, at a celebration honoring outstanding theatre on stages across the Washington area, theatre artists, administrators, patrons, and special guests gathered at the ATLAS Performing Arts Center for Theatre Washington's announcement of nominees for the 40th Helen Hayes Awards.

On January 20th, NextStop Theatre Company premiered their production of Nunsense A-Men!, directed by Andrew Regiec.

Adventure Theatre MTC presents a wintery fantasy with the 2016 revival of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Discover the enchanting world of Narnia in this magical production.

Designed for fans of musicals, SOMETHING ROTTEN! is a Queen's farthingdale full of fun. It’s lighthearted, full of color and movement, funny, packed with references to amuse Broadway lovers and Shakespeare scholars, with familiar four-second musical riffs scattered through the show. Toby’s Dinner Theater delivers again with SOMETHING ROTTEN!

You not only have to have the talent to do the technical side of costume drama well, and have actors who can emote convincingly and then (in this case) reverse gears convincingly, and then reverse gears again as many times as the script calls for. You need a script that doesn’t make them do it so often it makes the audience stop following and stop caring. That is a bar this script doesn't clear.

All is fair in love and war, as Everyman Theatre presents James Goldman's modern-day classic, THE LION IN WINTER.

A corpse, dogs, a heart-shaped box, and diamonds are just a few of the plot ingredients in the merry mix of mayhem and misadventure in the zany musical Lucky Stiff now being presented at the NextStop Theatre Company.  An audaciously frenetic and chaotic sense of impending disaster fills the air as a series of coincidences, mistaken identities and misconstrued intentions all collide and converge in this witty and hilarious book by Lynn Ahrens. The race to see who collects millions is the incentive for an engaging group of whacky yet endearing characters.

Imagination Stage has revived their Helen Hayes Award-winning 2012 production of 'The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe' for the 2019 holiday season. With stunning sets and engaging musical elements, it's not hard to see why this production is a local favorite. The show takes a well-known tale and retells with the fun creativity of a children's production, but with the sensibilities that play to adults' nostalgia.

Washington Stage Guild's production of Candida gave life to an extremely charming George Bernard Shaw comedic classic. Bernard Shaw's story follows a tangled romance between a preacher, Reverend Morell, his wife, Candida, and a young poet who wishes to win her heart, Eugene Marchbanks. Nathan Whitmer as Reverend Morell, presents a clergyman as a Christian Socialist dedicated to his work and intending to do right by everyone in his life. Whitmer's interpretation of the character is ruled by the balance between his patience and his passion. Whitmer as Morell also shows a touching fondness for his on and off stage wife, Emilie Faith Thompson as Candida, which added an especially sweet quality to the production. Thompson presents a preacher's wife, mother, and house-maker who navigates such with grace and charm. Thompson approaches the text with tact and careful consideration, successfully portraying the most sensible character in the show. Ben Ribler as Eugene Marchbanks, creates a very anxious, and occasionally manic young poet, drunk in love with the Reverend's wife. Much like his on-stage competitor, Ribler also builds this amazing juxtaposition between his passion and his sensibility, up until his passion overruns all logical thought and he descends into his overwhelming obsession for Candida. The cast is also joined by supporting characters, Ms. Prosperine Garnett, the Reverend's secretary, Reverend Lexy Mill, Morell's curate, and Candida's father, Mr. Burgess. Danielle Scott as Ms. Garnett created a classic busybody secretary, both disciplined and dedicated, and consistently amusing. Danny Beason as Reverend Lexy managed with the little stage time he had to make an impression as a lackadaisical yet dutiful curate to the Reverend Morell, further fortifying the respect people have for the Reverend. The cast is rounded out by seasoned David Bryan Jackson, who portrayed Candida's money-on-the-mind father, Mr. Burgess. Jackson had a particularly acute talent of delivering his performance with comedic ease. The direction of Lauren Ghiradelli, a company member of the Washington Stage Guild, has navigated a dexterous script, chock full of lyricism and the beautiful, clever language of Shaw. And in doing so, raised questions about marriage, the expectations placed on it, and the dynamic between husband and wife in the Victorian era. Overall, the production is lively, wildly amusing, and nothing less than charming.

The Washington Stage Guild returns to the Nobel Prize-winning George Bernard Shaw, with a new production of the first play by GBS ever presented by the Stage Guild, Candida. Subtitled a?oeA Mystery,a?? in it, a preacher and a poet are in love with the same woman. The former is her husband, the latter wants to woo her away, and both are shocked by her ultimate choice and the reasons for it. 

Monumental Theatre Company will be adding two additional shows to its critically acclaimed production of Be More Chill a?"a?oeperformed as it was always meant to bea??a?"according to The Washington Post, extending its run through August 2, 2019. Extension shows will play on August 1st at 8pm and August 2nd at 10pm. The August 2nd show will be a a?oeLate Nighta?? engagement including a drinking game with alcoholic beverages available for purchase.

The viral hit musical Be More Chill, with a book by Joe Tracz and music and lyrics by Joe Iconis, plays July 11 through 29, 2019, at Monumental Theatre Company. Be More Chill follows nerdy loner Jeremy, played by Ben Ribler, who ingests a supercomputer called a 'SQUIP' in order to become cool and popular. Jeremy's best friend Michael is played by Christian Montgomery. His love interest, Christine, is played by Monumental newcomer Jyline Carranza. The 'SQUIP' will be played by Caroline Dubberly. Check out the video!

Be More Chill only runs a few short weeks - don't miss it. The company has scheduled several special performances including a late night on July 19, a 'chill and grill' picnic on July 21, and two industry nights. Check out photos of the production below!

Be More Chill is playing at Monumental Theatre Company through July 29. Let's see what the critics had to say!

Jeremy Heere is a socially-awkward, hopelessly uncool student languishing at the bottom rung of the high school's social ladder. "I don't want to be special, I just want to survive," he sings in the opening number of Be More Chill, a show that makes its Washington-area premiere in a wonderfully effervescent and wholehearted Monumental Theatre Company production.

The viral hit musical Be More Chill, with a book by Joe Tracz and music and lyrics by Joe Iconis, will play July 11 through 29, 2019, at Monumental Theatre Company.

After multiple Helen Hayes nominations for their 2015 production of SWEENEY TODD [PROG METAL VERSION], Landless Theatre Company is back with their second MetalTheatre adaptation: THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD [SYMPHONIC METAL VERSION]. A captivating cast and three-piece rock orchestra guide us through the choose-your-own-adventure story with a blend of spot-on comedy and seamless rock arrangements.