Hello Friends,
We’re pleased to introduce you to Ben Cikanek, one of the co-artistic directors of the Firework Theater in NYC. 
TWT: First things first, can you explain to our readers a how Firework Theater came about?
BC: Firework Theatre is the creation of myself and my creative partner Mike Klar. Our involvement with theater was serendipitous. In 2002, I studied Business in Illinois. Mike Studied design in Rhode Island. We met in NY. In Chicago, I had studied Improv at the Improv Olympics. I met this other gentlemen, Mike Ferrell, who wrote the first play we produced. Klar and I were involved in a film making collective. But, as fate would have it, we crossed paths again with Mike Ferrell and his friends. He had just put up his play at his alma mater, UNC Greensboro, and had wanted to produce it in NYC. And so we did, in St. Marks Theatre, which is part of the Horse Trade Theater group. And it was amazing. It was great fun. We put up that play never looked back. Originally we were called Kids With Guns, and I realized that this was not the name to match the work that we do. I directed our first two shows that we produced. In 2005, I wrote The Night Carter was Bad, which was by far one of my most favorite personal moments. It is amazing to see your own work to come alive onstage. What’s great about Firework Theatre is that I didn’t come from this world, and in that, I’ve learned to appreciate the process so much more. Nine or ten productions later, we’ve had some really nice reviews, some mediocre, some truly awful reviews. We’re still learning and growing.
TWT: How does a playwright get his or her work produced at Firework Theater?
BC: We generally produce work by women, which was not intended. We just happened to gravitate towards their shows more. We call for scripts on an annual basis. In 2012 alone, we received hundreds of scripts. It’s an utterly exhausting process. We have a tiny committee, four or five people, and we read excerpts (ten pages). Anyone can send a ten-page sample, it doesn’t matter who you are, and if we like it, we ask for me. You can’t make theaters sustainable without having a strong ongoing effort to fundraising. It’s a passion game, and you have to find the resources to make it happen. It takes motivation and dedication to make a theater company last. You cannot just have talent; you have to have drive.
TWT: What are the top three pieces you’ve received in regards to your career?
BC: First would be that theater is relationship based. They tell actors to attach themselves to directors. They tell directors to attach themselves to writers. I think they’re so much wisdom in that. Writers have so much clout in regards to which they want to work with, so it helps to be a part of that circle of people that a writer is choosing from. The same works for the actor’s pool. If you’re smart enough to form and maintain good relationships, and if you give your time and effort to people, if you make theater happen, people will remember you. It’s those relationships that last that will form better opportunities later on in their careers; this is what I’ve seen. Even in our own production processes, we’ve started to rely more on the relationships that we’ve built in the past nine years. Second piece of advice would be to just do it. Get out there and put up a play. Nobody is going to get the job for you. Lastly, John Gold Rubin teaches a scene study class through his company, The Private Theater, and it’s fantastic. I’d recommend that, no matter what discipline you’re coming from. It really is worth every penny. It teaches you what it’s like to be successful in a scene.
TWT: In today’s economy, arts programs in schools are being cut. What reasons would you give a politician for preserving the arts?
BC: There’s a reason NYC is the greatest city in the world, and it’s certainly not because we have so many investment bankers. It’s implicit. There’s so little money in the arts, but we do so much with it. Every dollar is cherished and cared for.
TWT: Here at The Write Teacher(s), we believe that art drives life, and theatre transforms lives. Would you agree or disagree with those statements? Why?
BC: Clearly, I agree with that sentiment. I don’t know what there is to add, it sounds like you all have the right idea.
TWT: Just for fun, what’s your favorite movie and play?
BC: Woody Allen films. I don’t think I could just pick one. Another Woman is awesome. His personal life aside, I think his scripts are fantastic. Within the first page of the script, you know what his story is going to be about. His command of narrative structure is unbelievable.
TWT: Who is/was your greatest teacher?
BC: My greatest teacher would have to be my former boss who I worked for four years, at Kidrobot, Paul Budnitz. I was involved with it from its early days, 05-09, I oversaw operations for a couple of years, I ran the retail end and built stores all around the world. It was the fastest period of growth in my life, and it was because my boss trusted me with way more responsibility than I deserved. I have no idea why he did that, but I will always be grateful. He really turned me into an adult in a lot of ways.
Thank you, Ben!
Be sure to check out Firework Theater for their latest events.
Live, Love, Learn,