Benjamin Rexroad

“I am from this great land of liberty
From pirates’ sunken glory days
From a guy signing for our independence
From red-faced natives
And from whatever happened to be cheapest at the liquor store

I am from blackberry brandy kissey faces
And dill pickle memories”

In all seriousness though, and with a little more polish than pizazz, I am a theatre artist with a passion for poetry, travel and community. Through teaching, volunteering, hosting events and creating performances designed to actively engage my community, I am driven to be a source of positive energy in the world.

I have trained with John O’Neal of Junebug Productions (Color Line Project), SITI Company (2010 Skidmore Summer Intensive) and was one of 25 international directors selected to participate in the 2014 Directors Lab North in Toronto.

Since establishing Heads Up Productions six years ago (which evolved into Wandering Aesthetics), I have produced or directed 65 performances/events. In 2011, I was presented with the Akron Arts Alive Award in the Rising Young Star/Leadership category. The same year, I helped found Akron’s only African-American theatre company and received a grant to tour a role-playing workshop about racism, poverty, class and social status. In 2013, my partner and I completed a thru-hike of the 2,185.9-mile Appalachian Trail.

In the last year, I’ve begun collaborating with several businesses across Akron to transform their unused spaces into low-cost arts venues.