BEN BUTLER at Carpenter Square Theatre

When an escaped slave shows up at Fort Monroe demanding sanctuary, General Benjamin 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? This little known pivotal historical event is deftly dramatized by playwright Strand

“[BEN BUTLER is] part comedy, part historical drama and part biography, often all at once…Just call it splendid…The beauty of the script…is how it approaches thorny topics. In short, it’s a hoot. Rather than dry exposition or long-winded discussions, these men use wordplay that is by turns sarcastic, droll and witty…[Strand’s] comic voice is…clever without being glib, meaningful without being pretentious. It’s a funny and impressive mixture.” —The New York Times. “…an extraordinary, artful script…spirited, intense, often humorous dialogue makes this show completely captivating…a significant piece of theater and a timeless exploration of social conscience and individual responsibility.” —BroadwayWorld.com.

     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. 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.