When I sat down to chat with Ben Slote about his new play, Goldengrove, I didn’t know I’d be discovering how our lives and interests can twist and turn, pause and grow. From family to friends, nature to nurture, what we end up contributing to society can be a surprise, including to ourselves.

One could say that Ben was born to write, growing up in a family of writers, including a prolific children’s book author for a father. So, no surprise, college found him writing fiction alongside his coursework. However, life took him in a different direction. Ben’s career has still been dedicated to the written word, being a professor in Allegheny College’s English department for over 30 years. And that itch to write was always in the background.

Calling Ida

About ten years ago, he started writing his first play, a one act that included Ida Tarbell as a character. Writing dialogue seemed to come naturally. Growing up in a house of “verbal drama,” Ben says he now realizes he has spent a lifetime paying attention to how people speak.

Having people in his life—his parents, his wife Susan, dear friends—to support his writing proved to be the key to success. And he wouldn’t have had the nerve to even imagine playwriting without the gentle and affirming sounding board of director Beth Watkins. Sharing his play with Beth ended up improving the script and gaining a place to see his work performed.

In 2014, Calling Ida was directed and performed by students at Allegheny College. I agree with Ben that watching people watch your work is quite the rewarding experience. And lucky for us, it was rewarding enough for him to try his hand at playwriting again.

Goldengrove

Seven years ago, Ben wrote the first draft of Goldengrove. He “wrote what he knew” and set the action at a small college. He took on the subject of climate change because he didn’t think it was being talked about enough. He wove in viewpoints from different walks of academic life, added a plotline of criminal mystery, and put poetry—another endangered species—in the middle of things. The play opens with the poet character reading to the audience, toying with the fourth wall.

Ben shared various drafts of Goldengrove with Beth, his wife Susan, his dad, and other generous friends as he revised away some aspects and elaborated others. Those closest to us can be our harshest critics, but the reactions were encouraging. Beth even told Ben she could see the play working well on stage. This boosted Ben’s motivation to keep going and make Goldengrove the best it could be.

The rehearsal process has also brought a new vantage point to Goldengrove for Ben. For one thing, Beth’s direction has found, in the script, implications small and large Ben hadn’t consciously considered. The rehearsal process and the talent of the cast has evolved the play into to what will be presented on the MCT stage in two weeks.

Lifelong passion, being open to new opportunities, and a community of people willing to put in the work has brought Ben to where he is now. I think that we all can learn something from that. I have also felt that the Meadville community is fortunate to have people like Ben bringing us exciting and unique theater, right here in our small town.