who is benjamin walton (me) ?
benjamin walton is a georgia-raised, new york city–based theatre maker, composer, and writer. his work includes playground (region 1 finalist and national semifinalist, john cauble outstanding short play award, kennedy center american college theatre festival 2024), the hands that planted (libretto by zoe ray prawda; presented with the american opera project, hudson guild, and nyu opera lab), and dive in (book & lyrics by timothy thomas leech; premiered at the university of central florida). he was also a finalist for cry havoc’s playlist project in 2025. other projects include tame the noise, i’m in love with bigfoot, and an untitled basement piece.
benjamin grew up the oldest of five kids and eight untrained dogs, with a south carolinian mom who’s never met a stranger and a dad who taught him james taylor and bob dylan on guitar. noise—whether from family chaos, concerts, or community—has always felt like home. later, he learned to make peace with the quiet too: eating dinner alone on the floor of a furniture-less apartment, or walking through state parks with his wife during the pandemic.
his shows explore the hum of connection while leaving space for the hush of reflection. they’re about people trying to learn something true about each other, often through magical or “out-there” circumstances that stay rooted in the real. he writes to invite audiences into the world of the piece—sometimes to get cozy, sometimes to pitch in.
he’s the founder and artistic director of sandboxmusicals, a development home for new musicals and the artists making them. he has a bfa in musical theatre performance (with minors in creative writing and music) from the university of central florida and an mfa from nyu’s graduate musical theatre writing program. he’s also a member of the dramatists guild, the society of american fight directors, and the literary managers and dramaturgs of the americas.
offstage, benjamin is a cat dad to artemis and coco, a very lucky husband to eranthis, a lover of board and video games, and a steadily improving cook. he tells fun, weird, and accessible stories that always have heart and sincerity at their core.