Eagle Era

An overview of how the arts have shaped the identity of Benjamin Chen (12)

By Suhani Thakkar

The stands go silent as Benjamin Chen (12) raises his hands—and within moments, the field fills with music as hundreds of musicians move around in perfect unison. Just hours later, he’ll be under the stage lights, unrecognizable and taking on an entirely different character. Yet somehow, both versions are the truest reflections of himself. 

Chen was always fascinated by the musical world—from taking singing lessons to learning piano at a very young age, music has always shaped his life. As his love for music grew, so did his interest in theater. His sister, Olivia Chen (10), said, “He truly fell in love right before COVID when we watched Hamilton in the theater. That experience was mesmerizing for us, and I remember him coming back home and just binge-watching more musicals. He has been hooked ever since.”

Chen said, “Seeing so many people of color like me on stage really inspired me and made me realize that this was something I could do. That was the moment when I realized the whole goal of theater is to create beautiful things with beautiful people, which was something I wanted to be a part of.”

As he chose to pursue theater in high school, this passion became a part of who he is. As Ms. Benedetti, the AHSPA director, said, “Whenever Benjamin acts, you can tell that his whole soul is really going into it and that he puts in a lot of effort to make his characters strong.” 

Throughout his theater journey, Chen has participated in multiple shows including Urinetown and Anastasia and many more, including Little Shop of Horrors outside of AHS. He said, “I love theater because it allows me to explore different sides of myself. In embodying all these roles I get to explore what it’s like to be somebody else.”

Chen performed his show Little Shop of Horrors at Starstruck Theatre. Ms. Benedetti said, “Seeing Ben perform in Little Shop of Horrors was insane because he plays such an abusive character so well while being such a nice person overall. His talent really shone through with this performance” (Photo Credit: Benjamin Chen (12)).

Theater is more than just acting, however. It is being a part of a community, which he values deeply. His theater friend Ishaan Wakhande (11), said, “Whenever he is off the stage, he still carries that same passionate energy into interacting with our theater group, and he always finds one way or another to bring us all together and make us laugh.”

However, Chen has also found his people within the school band as well. His band friend, Avish Zindal (12), said, “Band has definitely become somewhat of a second home to him as whenever he is not doing band or maybe theater, he is hanging out with his band friends.”

While Chen was head drum major this past season, it took him a lot of dedication and practice to get there. His mom, Elizabeth Ong, has seen his effort these past few years. “When I say the arts are his whole life, I’m not lying,” she said. “For example, there will be times when he will be washing the dishes, and he will put his show’s music on to go through it in his head. And then sometimes he’ll stop in the middle of putting away dishes and start conducting in the middle of our kitchen.”

Although Chen never faltered in his love for the band, he noticed that unsupportive leadership made it difficult. “I remember in my second year my section leader would constantly bully me and make remarks about how I was not good enough, not focused enough, or simple digs that embarrassed me in front of the entire section,” he said. “Having that kind of experience made me want to make sure it never happened again to anyone else, which motivated me to try out for leadership positions and make sure the culture of our band got more fun and accepting.”

Chen conducted as assistant drum major at Sparta Ignite this past summer. “Conducting is a whole different experience for me,” Chen said. “When I am up on that stage, all that matters is the band in front of me, and all the rest of my worries fade away” (Photo Credit: Benjamin Chen (12)).

All of this hard work has paid off, as Chen has shined as a leader. “Benjamin really puts his all into leadership and is always willing to do what is best for our band,” said Mr. Wong, the band director. “For example this year, he created his own visuals for the band, which made our show so much better in so many ways. He is the best drum major we could have had last season, and his constant dedication towards the band never ceases to impress me.”