"Singin' in the rain! Just singin' in the rain! What a glorious feelin'! I'm happy again!" You could find Ben Hoffman singing those words on stage at Winston Churchill High School this past fall.
Ever since Ben was little, he always liked movies but beginning in seventh grade, theater started to interest him. Ben said, "I think middle school is one of the hardest times for kids. It is very hard to find a comfortable niche, a loyal group of friends and an understanding of who you are. I was one of those kids who didn't really know his place. My mom urged me to try out for a musical and, to my surprise, I got the lead in the show!"
During the past five years, Ben has been in many plays, including “Singin' in the Rain,” “West Side Story,” “You're a Good Man Charlie Brown” and “Pippin'.” His favorite part he's ever played is Don Lockwood in Singin' in the Rain. "He is a fun character to play — he's arrogant, but also has deep insecurities," Ben said.
Recently, Ben was accepted into Northwestern University's Theater Department. He hopes to be a preofessional actor one day. He said, "We'll see where it takes me."