Ben Kawaller

Ben is the author of the full-length plays "Us and Them," which was workshopped by Los Angeles' Rogue Machine Theatre in March 2022, and "Misconduct," as well as various short plays.

Ben also hosted the sociopolitical interview series "Ben Meets America" and the 2024 election series "Swing State Debates" for The Free Press. His writing and video reporting have also appeared in Los Angeles Magazine. Ben has contributed to The American Bystander, The Advocate, and Salon, among others.

Ben is the creator and star of the award-winning independent comedy pilot "This Isn't Me," a SXSW 2020 official selection. In 2016, The Black List included Ben in their TV Staffing Book for his dark-comedy pilot "The Next Best Thing."

Ben holds a B.A. in sociology from Harvard University and is a proud...

Ben is the author of the full-length plays "Us and Them," which was workshopped by Los Angeles' Rogue Machine Theatre in March 2022, and "Misconduct," as well as various short plays.

Ben also hosted the sociopolitical interview series "Ben Meets America" and the 2024 election series "Swing State Debates" for The Free Press. His writing and video reporting have also appeared in Los Angeles Magazine. Ben has contributed to The American Bystander, The Advocate, and Salon, among others.

Ben is the creator and star of the award-winning independent comedy pilot "This Isn't Me," a SXSW 2020 official selection. In 2016, The Black List included Ben in their TV Staffing Book for his dark-comedy pilot "The Next Best Thing."

Ben holds a B.A. in sociology from Harvard University and is a proud alumnus of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals.

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Scripts

Misconduct

by Ben Kawaller

Cast Size
4
Genre
comedy,
drama,
political

A California city councilman's affair with his (male) aide threatens to derail his political career.

A California city councilman's affair with his (male) aide threatens to derail his political career.

Us and Them

by Ben Kawaller

Cast Size
9
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy,
drama,
political,
satire

John Benson is a successful writer, passionate mentor, and beloved professor at a small public university in Indiana. After John reveals his feelings about the nature of gender during a meeting with H, a non-binary student, he becomes the target of a campaign by the queer-students association to force him to apologize, and to pressure the university into adopting reforms. When John's efforts to defend himself...

John Benson is a successful writer, passionate mentor, and beloved professor at a small public university in Indiana. After John reveals his feelings about the nature of gender during a meeting with H, a non-binary student, he becomes the target of a campaign by the queer-students association to force him to apologize, and to pressure the university into adopting reforms. When John's efforts to defend himself bring national attention to the school and lead to a Title IX hearing, he must decide how much he is willing to risk for the sake of his own sense of truth. Meanwhile, H falls in love with an iconoclastic classmate who makes them examine difficult questions about activism and what it takes to change people. When H extends an olive branch to John, they begin to find a path forward, but events set in motion can’t so easily be stopped.

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Striking Up

by Ben Kawaller

1
Cast Size
2
Genre
dark comedy,
drama

A creatively blocked writer strikes it up with a mysterious stranger who pushes him to his ethical limits.

A creatively blocked writer strikes it up with a mysterious stranger who pushes him to his ethical limits.