BEN
TOSTADO
"Kevin" IN THE HEIGHTS
"Dametas" HEAD OVER HEELS
"Dr. Boynton" THE GIANT HOAX
IN CHARACTER.
EXPLORE.
Ben began his career as an actor in Los Angeles. He made the rounds as a chorus boy in musicals at Glendale Centre Theatre, Music Theatre West and La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. In addition, he had a few spots on daytime drama General Hospital.
At age 20, he moved to New York to pursue theatre as a career. After graduating from Ithaca College with a BFA in Acting, Ben set forth professionally in regional theatre, touring companies, and off-off Broadway. In 2007, Ben landed the role of one of the Wickersham Brothers in the Off-Broadway production Seussical at the Lucille Lortel and can be heard on the original cast recording.
In between acting jobs, Ben began teaching theatre to children at companies like TADA! and the Lucy Moses School of Music at The Kaufman Center. In 2005, he started the childrens' musical theatre program at The Gallery Players in Brooklyn. Ben headed the drama program at Rodeph Sholom School in Manhattan for 10 years.
As Ben thrived in theatre education, his focus steered away from acting and onto directing for the stage. In 2012, he wrote and directed the melodramatic comedy The Great Pie Robbery...Or, We Really Need the Dough, which was featured in the New York Fringe Festival.
In that same year, he founded Playlight Theatre Company, which explores the creation, development, and exploration of theatrical work. He serves as the company's artistic director.