Playwright

Ben is a playwright who has full-length plays in a variety of styles and genres. Some of these include:

A Heaven of Hell (EPIC LITERARY ADAPTATION / POLITICAL DRAMA) - “John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost is reimagined for the 21st century, further pushing the themes and perspectives that made the original so controversial some 400 years ago.
This adaptation of a literary classic asks audiences to look at a well-known story in a brand new light and see if it might have anything new to say about morality, regimes, and where they get (and lose) their power.”

This play was featured as part of a staged reading in 2025 hosted by Playground and directed by Carrie Edick.

Tall Tale of a Wolfman (HEARTWARMING CHILDREN’S HORROR COMEDY) - “This play for all ages follows Mia, a happy and wildly imaginative eight-year old who delights in the exaggerated stories her mind creates. But when the local Town Criers come with news of a Wolfman in the nearby woods, Mia's imagination begins to run wild - but not in a good way. As the Criers, her brother and her peers continue to embellish the truth about this monster, Mia must learn the importance of being truthful and how to prevail over her fear. This play, filled with humor, heart and a few family-friendly scares, is a joyful and cathartic hour of theater that will charm and comfort audiences both young and old.”

This play had its world premiere at Washington DC’s District Fringe in Summer 2026, with direction by Youri Kim.

Middle Stage Evolutions (NERDY COMING-OF-AGE COMEDY) - “Annie is freshly off of her parents' health insurance and is trying to make her love for Pokémon a full time job. Mike is an opportunist who scalps and pawns Pokémon cards. Annie's mother Deb has never understood the whole Pokémon craze. And Raymond is debating whether or not to sell his childhood Pokémon memorabilia to pay for his upcoming wedding. Middle Stage Evolutions explores the minefield of growing up and asks if there is really a 'right way' to go about it.”

Lost Man (SPRAWLING BIOGRAPHICAL DRAMA) - “At age thirty-one, former child star Bobby Driscoll is writing Truman Capote in the hopes that he will get his life story told, from his acting career, to struggles with addiction and crime, to cherished friendships and romances, to the many avenues he pursued to find belonging, including Andy Warhol's Factory and the the counterculture circle of Allen Ginsberg.
Through the course of recounting his life, Robert must come to terms with his untimely and tragic death while learning to appreciate all that he accomplished in his short time, as well as perhaps that he wasn't so alone in feeling lonely.”

Ben’s scripts are available in full on his profile on New Play Exchange, where additional work will be listed.

TALL TALE OF A WOLFMAN - DISTRICT FRINGE 2026

Ben Ribler’s play-for-all-ages, Tall Tale of a Wolfman, was presented as a limited engagement at the second inaugural District Fringe festival in Washington, DC. Shows took place on July 11th and 25th, 2026 at UDC’s Phoenix Mainstage. The cast and crew were as follows:

Hannah Taylor as Mia Directed by Youri Kim
Dylan Toll as Donovan Stage Managed by Melanie Kurtz and Isabella Parkerson Amanda Komar as Sabrina Costume Design by Charlie Van Kirk
Thomas Howley as Oyez Lighting Design by Julian Cordova
Maria Wraback as Extry Choreography by Christen Svingos / Fights by Maria Wraback

THE STALLION EXPRESS
Presented by ATMTC and 4615 Theatre Company

Ben’s ten-minute play, The Stallion Express, was written as a part of QFest, hosted by Adventure Theatre MTC and 4615 Theatre Company at the height of the COVID lockdowns. This Wild West comedy, written over the course of two days with festival-specific requirements, had a live Zoom reading in Spring of 2020.

The cast included:

Amy Kellett as Janes
Alice Squeglia as Hilly
Angelica Miguel as Sheriff Culver
Andrew Quilpa as Stage Directions

MY PRINCESS
Presented by The Mason Players at George Mason University

My Princess - initially a ten-minute excerpt of a proposed full-length play - took on a life of its own as it premiered at the Mason Players’ Ten Minute Play Festival in 2016, directed by Heather Hicks. This fantasy/romance follows Jack, an elementary-schooler who dreams of romance with his classmate Emily and fantasizes them as a storybook Prince and Princess. But what happens when Jack and Emily’s wishes aren’t compatible? This play tackled themes of coming-of-age, fantasy versus reality, and societal pressure for romance.

The cast included:

John Mllward as Jack
Kati Joyner as Emily
Joshua Ewalt as The Prince
Ashley Jorgenson as The Princess
Gabriel Saunders as Bruce
Alexis Whitted as The Ruffian
Maxwell Snyder as Barney