Benji Carr

Journalist. Critic. Editor. Playwright. Copywriter. Author. Storyteller.

United States

Benji Carr's career as a writer began when he was 16. The managing editor of his hometown newspaper sat him down for a talk, gave him a camera and a notepad. She told him to just ask everyone questions and record whatever they say. Since then, he's been a collector of stories, someone who shares information and attempts to connect people through the joy and empathy that language can inspire.

Benji's work has taken him in a variety of directions. He's worked as an editor for newspapers, CNN and the Department of Defense. He's taken the stage at national storytelling shows like The Moth and Listen to Your Mother. His plays have been staged in Atlanta and Off Off Broadway. He's performed improv comedy and taken the stage as Tiny Tim. He has written opinion pieces for The Guardian. He runs a literary journal intent on showcasing diverse voices. And he's written copy for national clothing brands, bail bonds companies and nonprofits seeking to help communities.

If a common thread can be found within his work, he wants audiences to connect and be inspired to act. Our stories connect us. Benji Carr wants to help you share yours.

Portfolio

Creative Writing/Personal Storytelling/Journalism

ajc
08/22/2023
Atlanta artists to watch: Actor-director-choreographer Candy McLellan

Candy McLellan plans to have a very busy fall. She performs in Theatrical Outfit's "Passing Strange," a musical about a journey toward self-discovery, while co-directing the blind-woman-in-danger thriller "Wait Until Dark," Georgia Ensemble Theatre's first show at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre in Marietta.

ajc
05/30/2023
Expect the unexpected at Atlanta Fringe Fest

Early every year, the organizers of the Atlanta Fringe Festival, held June 5-11 at multiple venues, use a lottery to choose their lineup of performers, which gives the event a wild array of flavors that they hope will surprise audiences.

ajc
05/01/2023
Horizon Theatre subverts the usual men's group dynamic

Playwright Ellen Fairey's "Support Group for Men," onstage at Horizon Theatre through May 28, explores the familiar dramatic territory of masculine angst, yet this is no powder keg. This is more fun than that.

ajc
02/11/2023
An improvisational Valentine's Day treat

For those looking for last-minute date ideas for Valentine's weekend, a group of local improv comedians have decided to make Atlantic Station a 'Good Place' to go by inviting special talent to perform.

ARTS ATL
11/30/2022
"Y'allmark" brings comedy gold, Hallmark storytelling and a wall full of wigs - ARTS ATL

Those Christmas-obsessed heroes and heroines from made-for-TV romances get to choose their own unscripted adventure in , onstage at Y'allmark Christmas: An Improvised Holiday "Movie" Horizon Theatre through December 23. Though audiences can still expect that wholesome holiday spirit during every performance, each has a touch of wacky subversiveness as well.

ARTS ATL
11/16/2022
Suzi Awards honors Jon Ludwig; top prizes go to "Dream House," "Ain't Misbehavin" - ARTS ATL

The 2021-22 Suzi Awards presentation spread the wealth among its nominated shows, with the top prizes of Best Play and Best Musical going to the Alliance Theatre's Dream House and Georgia Ensemble Theatre's Ain't Misbehavin'. Highlights of the evening included a heartfelt presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to Jon Ludwig, artistic director, longtime puppeteer and show creator at the Center for Puppetry Arts.

ARTS ATL
11/11/2022
Review: Mix of elements in Tavern's "Tempest" creates less-than-perfect storm - ARTS ATL

Though its cast is committed to the strangeness of the material, , onstage at The Tempest Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse through November 27, lacks much of the magic of the Atlanta Shakespeare Company's best productions. The Tavern is most interesting these days when its shows lean into inventive casting and new ideas, embracing the diversity and experimental nature of its talented ensemble company.

ARTS ATL
11/10/2022
Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre celebrates 20 years of excellent Black art - ARTS ATL

Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre marks its 20th anniversary this weekend with a series of special events that organizers hope will feel more like a theater experience than a traditional fundraising gala. Founded in 2002 by Tony Award-winning director Kenny Leon and Jane Bishop, True Colors Theatre Company's mission is to celebrate the tradition of Black storytelling and the work of bold artists.

ARTS ATL
10/14/2022
Review: Challenging, erotic "Hurricane Season" stretches audience boundaries - ARTS ATL

the new Hurricane Season Vernal & Sere Theatre production onstage at Windmill Arts Center in East Point through October 23, aims to attract and repulse its audience, often in the same moment, as a way of testing its limits. On one hand, it's a kinky and sexy show about a middle-aged couple rediscovering their connection and lost youth through pornography.

ARTS ATL
10/05/2022
Alliance Theatre leads the pack with 62 Suzi Bass Award nominations - ARTS ATL

The Alliance Theatre dominated the Suzi Bass Award nominations announced last week, scoring 62 total nods for seven shows from their 2021-22 season - including the most-nominated musical and play. Trading Places: The Musical , adapted from the classic 1983 comedy film, was the most recognized show, receiving 15 nominations, including Outstanding Production of a Musical and Outstanding World Premiere Production.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution
09/29/2022
It's back! Atlanta Pride returns with 3 days of revelry

She was 19 at the time and attending college. "The first thing I remember seeing was St. Mark's Methodist Church decked out in rainbows. My grandfather was a Methodist minister, and my best friend's mom was a Methodist minister. Neither of us had grown up with a welcoming church.

ARTS ATL
09/15/2022
Out of Hand's Equitable Dinners are back to start the conversation about race - ARTS ATL

Out of Hand Theater and its community partners will relaunch in-person Equitable Dinners on September 18, hoping to engage 5,000 people at 500 tables across Atlanta in moderated, mind-changing conversations about racism by beginning the meal with a short play. Dinners and performances will continue to be held throughout October, organizers said.

ARTS ATL
08/19/2022
PushPush Arts a key player in a beehive for the arts taking shape in College Park - ARTS ATL

Since 1997, PushPush Arts has made space for artists of all disciplines to find their own voices and discover their own paths. And now the group's leaders are working with multiple partners in College Park and the south metro city itself to create an arts cooperative with affordable housing and studio space for artists in its downtown, where PushPush moved in 2019.

ARTS ATL
08/04/2022
Review: All-female cast deftly navigates "Merchant of Venice's" rocky shores - ARTS ATL

The Merchant of Venice, onstage at Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse through August 14, is one of the Bard's romantic comedies, but some of its 16th-century "laughs" no longer resonate because they're based in anti-Semitic racism. Modern productions succeed, as this all-female one does, by addressing the problematic qualities of the show head-on and as humanely as possible.

ARTS ATL
07/14/2022
Review: Actor's Express' "Lizzie" rock musical at Oglethorpe hits with blunt force - ARTS ATL

Rigid, closed-minded members of the patriarchy might gripe and cover their ears when they watch Lizzie, the Actor's Express production onstage at Oglethorpe University's Conant Performing Arts Center through July 24. Screw those jokers! If they want a feel-good musical that doesn't disturb their vanilla tastes, they can go watch Rodgers and Hammerstein.

ARTS ATL
07/12/2022
True Colors' Community Conversation notes progress on equity, pushes for more - ARTS ATL

Though progress has been made regarding racial representation onstage in Atlanta, efforts should continue and expand until Atlanta theater better reflects the city's population in its shows and staffs. And plays created by writers of color, and brought to life by a diverse group of artists onstage and backstage, should become the rule at professional theaters, not the exception.

ARTS ATL
06/02/2022
All hail Atlanta actor Kerwin Thompson as the king on Disney+’s “The Quest”

As King Silas on the new Disney+ series The Quest, Atlanta actor Kerwin Thompson absolutely rules. Within the eight-episode series, a unique mix of reality competition show and a high-fantasy story that filmed at a castle in California, a group of eight real teenagers participate in an immersive adventure to save the kingdom of Everealm, which is under attack from an evil sorceress. The teens are surrounded by actors such as Thompson who play out a scripted story. Alongside King Silas,...

Atlanta Journal-Constitution
05/12/2022
Explore Xperimental Puppetry Theater, a showcase where cool ideas go to hang

For more than 35 years, XPT: Xperimental Puppetry Theater, one of the most artistically daring showcases in Atlanta, has largely flown under the radar of mainstream audiences. But its history and wacky legacy means a lot to the artists and volunteers who participate each year.

ARTS ATL
05/13/2022
Out there by definition, Atlanta Fringe Festival’s performers seek to connect

Fringe material exists on the edges of clothing, giving outfits an added touch that sets them off from the expected tidy hems. Much of the theatrical material coming to the Atlanta Fringe Festival from May 16 to 22 is also edgy. And organizers and performers hope that the fest will entertain audiences and maybe set them off.

ARTS ATL
05/06/2022
"Cassie's Ballad": A walk in the woods addresses impact, legacy of Child Murders - ARTS ATL

Just as learning about history should not be confined to a classroom, theater should not be confined to a curtained stage. With Cassie's Ballad, an immersive theatrical experience that takes place on a hike through the woods of the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance from May 7 to 22, Found Stages seeks to engage and educate its audience with an interactive story inspired by the Atlanta Child Murders that targeted African American children 40 years ago.

ARTS ATL
02/16/2022
Review: Easy laughs duel with tragedy in Shakespeare Tavern's "Romeo and Juliet" - ARTS ATL

Like the Montagues and Capulets, a variety of tones clash on the streets of fair Verona in the Atlanta Shakespeare Company's newest staging of Romeo and Juliet. Moments that should be heartbreaking are undercut by some weird comic choices, conflicting acting styles and anachronisms. As a result, the playful romance works, but the tragedy doesn't resonate as much as it should.

ARTS ATL
11/17/2021
New Alliance "Christmas Carol" explores how Scrooge "lost his societal link" - ARTS ATL

When Ebenezer Scrooge awakens from his dark Christmas night to a brighter morning full of possibility, audiences are reminded that it's never too late for second chances. The reason A Christmas Carol has been a staple at the Alliance Theatre for 32 years is because it offers people an annual opportunity to reflect and renew, said David H.

ARTS ATL
09/29/2021
Review: Theatrical Outfit's "An Iliad" a potent statement on the tragedy of war - ARTS ATL

The famed film director François Truffaut said that it was impossible to make an anti-war film because every feature depicting war makes explosions and battle fun to watch, that the storytellers inevitably give the audience a kind of hero. An Iliad, running through October 10 at Theatrical Outfit, tackles the noble challenge of creating an anti-war performance headfirst.

InSite Atlanta
01/29/2021
Best TV of 2020

Top 10 shows of 2020, including "The Queen's Gambit" and "I May Destroy You"

WUSSY MAG
10/02/2019
'Scream 2': I think I love you (but what am I so afraid of?) - WUSSY MAG

To recap Scream, in case you missed it, our heroine Sidney's ex-boyfriend Billy Loomis was a deranged serial killer who murdered her mother and was hacking up her friends, then he gaslit her into sleeping with him when she felt guilty for ever doubting his love and innocence.

InSite Atlanta
08/01/2008
Matthew Goode interview

Read INsite Atlanta August 2008 Issue by INsite Magazine on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!

the Guardian
09/18/2001
Stop flag waving and start being a good American

No American flags hang from my front porch or car windows. I've not been wearing red, white and blue everywhere I go. I've not attended vigils, wept during the national anthem. I've not tied a ribbon around an old oak tree, or anywhere else for that matter.

Write Club Atlanta
10/08/2014
Heads vs. Tails

WRITE CLUB Atlanta pits returning combatant Benjamin Carr against our Consigliere Myke Johns in a bout between Heads and Tails. Call it in the air.

Pembroke Magazine
01/01/2015
It Just Is

Essay about my mother's advice on growing up with cerebral palsy.

Listen to Your Mother
07/09/2014
It Just Is

Benjamin Carr performs "It Just Is," an essay about his mother raising him to combat the prejudices and challenges surrounding cerebral palsy.

WUSSY MAG
03/07/2018
Circle

WUSSY is proud to present "Circle," a deeply personal essay by Atlanta writer Benjamin Carr.

SoundCloud
06/08/2017
Benji Carr - 11/17/2014 by North Avenue Lounge

Guest: Benjamin Carr Storyteller and writer Benjamin Carr discusses his career as a writer and the Atlanta live lit(erary) scene. He also reads several pieces including the most hysterical Waffle House story you've ever heard. Host: Amanda Plumb

Carapace
01/22/2013
Last Chances

Carapace, a monthly storytelling event, consists of brief, true personal stories. Benjamin Carr tells of the first time he scored in basketball.

Carapace
01/24/2012
Endings

Benjamin Carr's first performance at Carapace, detailing a helicopter crash his parents witnessed once.

Thiszinewillchangeyourlife
08/21/2009
Ah Yes, You Are Attempting a New Way of Life... by Benjamin Carr

By the time I was four years old, I had developed this rather in-depth conviction that I was either an alien from outer space or the savior of mankind. Or both. I'd seen Superman and Spider-man in cartoons. I'd seen Luke Skywalker in the movies and sang songs about Jesus Christ in childran's choir.

Fiction/Drama

Grim & Mild
12/21/2022
12 Ghosts - Grim & Mild

My podcast episode ‘Pink Pig’ stars Malcolm McDowell, Gina Rickicki and Pat Young.

Georgia Gothic
11/15/2021
Marthasville

Story featured in Georgia Gothic anthology.

Amazon
07/12/2021
Impacted

My debut novel from Story Plant.

New Play Exchange
08/22/2019
Ground Chuck

Short play performed as part of the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival at the Vineyard Theater in Manhattan.

12 Authors 12 Stories 2018
12/12/2018
La Petite Mort

Inspired by the month of February, this compilation featured Benjamin Carr's short story La Petite Mort.

Copywriting/Development Writing

LawnCare.net
04/14/2022
The History of Hiding Easter Eggs in the Yard

Spring is a period of rebirth, and the best symbol for a season of renewal and rebirth is an egg. Historians say that an egg has been used to represent Easter since the 13 th century, yet there is some debate over the original meaning of the egg.

LawnCare.net
02/21/2022
Best Lawn Maintenance Tips

No matter where you stand, it's always said that the grass is always greener somewhere else. But, with the right amount of care and attention, your grass can be pleasing and green, above all comparisons. Implementing a variety of lawn maintenance efforts and getting assistance from professionals will make your grass a consistent point of pride.

LawnCare.net
02/09/2022
Why Do We Give Roses On Valentine's Day? - LawnCare.net

"Oh, my love's like a red, red rose that's newly sprung in June." The poet Robert Burns coined that verse in 1794, and it has been recited and sung among lovers ever since, a confession of enduring devotion and beauty. Burns continues to say that the love will last until all the seas go dry.

CreditGuard of America
02/04/2019
Credit Counseling

Advising customers whether consultation on their credit woes would improve their financial futures.

LawnCare.net
10/17/2018
Mosquito Control

Mosquito Control advice to customers of Lawn Care advisory service.

Care and Counseling Center of Georgia
06/18/2018
Social Media outreach campaign

Instructing people how to maintain focus and strength at times of adversity to promote available affordable counseling in Atlanta area.

Care and Counseling Center of Georgia
06/11/2018
Suicide prevention campaign

After the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, CCCG did an outreach upon social media to help any followers coping with feelings of despair.

1st Choice Bail Bonds
05/12/2015
Bail Bond Service Gwinnett County

When life just happens call 1st Choice Bail Bonds of Gwinnett County! If you are looking for a reputable and dependable bail bondsman in Gwinnett County then call us. We are here for you day and night, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

Carhartt
Force | Carhartt Company Gear

Flaming hot situations are only appealing when you're talking about a bag of chips or charcoal at a barbecue. Real-world heat is no fun. It burns. It sticks. It clings. Heat makes intense work unbearable. Spring and summer account for longer, hotter workdays outside. Increased temperatures make for shorter tempers, too.

Carhartt
Carhartt Force® | Carhartt Company Gear

It's difficult to appear effortlessly cool. It's a concept that our grandfathers likely perfected, leaning against a Jeep while sporting a military uniform. There's an ease to the notion of being cool. But being cool while putting in the effort isn't actually easy.

Carhartt
Custom Flame Resistant | Carhartt Company Gear

Some workers under pressure say they've put their feet to the fire. Others, when a situation gets worse, say they've gone out of the frying pan. But for your crew in need of FR clothing, it's not just a figure of speech. They face real heat, real flames and real dangers every shift on the job.

gutwrench.
Mission. - gutwrench.

What You'll Find: We seek danger. We want thrill. Give us blood, sex, passion, love, memory, mystery, a ballad that haunts your soul, complicated individuals, twisted plots, true stories, fiction stories, narrative poetry, plainclothes pulp, meat-and-potatoes stories. Come here for moments of horror. This is straightforward blood-and-guts.