Crushing Malware by Day, Donning Greasepaint by Night, Part Two
Showcase interviews Ben Bockhahn
Continued from last month’s Part One….
Occasionally ranked with other double-identify superheroes, Indian Wells Valley CLOTA Award-winning actor and professional IT whiz Ben Bockhahn manages his days equally at ease whether onstage or sorting out computer programming malfunctions. His theatrical roles have ranged from Col. Mustard in “Clue: The Musical” to witch scholar Redlitch in “Bell, Book, and Candle.” We asked him about his bifurcated life.
Showcase: You said acting has cathartic properties. Do you mean on a personal level?
Bockhan: The best shows and the best characters are the ones that draw on emotions. If a person who has lost a loved one is playing a character with a similar story, the actor can bring their grief to bear in the portrayal of their character and the character can give some insight on the depth of their grief and how to process it to the actor. The same goes for every other emotion. You can find the good and the bad in yourself in nearly every character. After that, you just need to decide what you are going to do about it. I try to take the best traits of every character I play and incorporate them into my life.
Showcase: How would you compare the advantage of live theatre to TV, movies, and social media?
Bockhahn: TV and movies have the advantage of everything being under the control of someone who is essentially an editor. Colors, lighting, viewing angles are all adjustable to create the best final product. Social Media is able to reach many and specific people with relative ease with the same benefits of movies and TV. These all help in providing a reliable product to the paying customer. There is, however, nothing to compare to the energy, the anticipation, the shared experience that can come from a live show, both for the performers and for the audience.
Showcase: What about “hanging out with the tribe” – fellow actors and a creative community?
Bockhahn: Being with others of like mind and working together to achieve a common goal is always a rewarding experience. Spending time with people both onstage and off, getting to know what you have in common and how to better work with them is enjoyable work. Observing and reflecting on how other people think and act, and what comes from that, helps me to reaffirm or adjust my own thoughts and actions.
Showcase: Have you ever considered writing a play?
Bockhahn: I have not. As far as creative writing goes, the best I can usually muster is a couple of good-natured parodied lines from some song or other, which makes me no more creative than any given teenage boy. I believe that my energies and talents are best applied to bringing the character to life.
Showcase: Time will tell. Please keep us posted.