Ben Butler Play

Carpenter Square Theatre to Present Remarkable Civil War Era Comedy “Ben Butler” by Richard Strand continues Carpenter Square Theatre’s 40th Season May 18 – June 8, 2024. Set in the early days of the Civil War, Strand mines comedy and witty banter out of a very serious subject—an escaped slave seeking asylum at a Union Army fort. All performances are on the Inasmuch Foundation Stage at the theater’s new venue located at 1009 W. Reno, just east of the intersection of Western and Reno. Attorney Ben Butler is just settling into his war-time assignment as a Union Major General at Fort Monroe when Lieutenant Kelly hesitantly informs him that Shepard Mallory, a runaway enslaved man is demanding asylum. This being a time prior to the Emancipation Proclamation, General Butler is faced with an impossible moral dilemma—follow the letter of the law or make a game-changing move that could alter the course of U.S. history. A New York Times critic called it “part comedy, part historical drama and part biography, often all at once…Just call it splendid…[Strand’s] comic voice is…clever without being glib, meaningful without being pretentious. It’s a funny and impressive mixture.” Director Albert Bostick leads a cast of four metro area actors in telling the unique story. Chris Crane stars as the infamous Ben Butler who was as controversial in real life as in this dramatized tale. Making his Carpenter Square debut is Britton Adams as the fearless Shepard Mallory, the runaway who faces off with Butler. Sean Spencer portrays Lieutenant Kelly, Butler’s assistant, and David Burkhart is Major Cary, a Confederate officer who comes to retrieve Mallory. The production team includes stage manager Janey Gunter, with set design by Ben Hall, light design by Brayden Pogson, and costumes by Rhonda Clark. Specific performance dates and times span four weekends: 8 p.m. shows are May 17-18, 24-25, May 31- June 1 and June 7-8. 7:30 p.m. Thursday shows are May 23 and 30 and the one 2:00 p.m. matinee is June 2. The production is supported in part by the Oklahoma Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Inasmuch Foundation, Kirkpatrick Family Fund, and Allied Arts. Other supporters for “Ben Butler” include Schwab Meat Company, Mel and Cindy Ables, Hank and Joanie Batty, and John Schenberg. Flexible passes are on sale throughout Season 40 and good through July 2024, offering a variety of options. Individual adult tickets are $30 with $25 tickets available for seniors aged 62 or more, military, and groups of ten or more. Educator tickets are $10 and students are only $5. Half-price adult tickets may be purchased when presenting the Allied Arts OKCityCard or when attending Thursday evening performances. Reservations are highly recommended for the intimate theater. For more information, visit www.carpentersquare.com. For tickets, visit carpentersquare.com or call 405-232-6500. The public may also download the new Carpenter Square Theatre app from their app store and make purchases from there.

Event Links

Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/2397313-0

Booking: https://go.evvnt.com/2397313-2

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