Benjamin T. Clark ’09

Some students look back on their college artistic careers and remember standing ovations after plays or accepting praise as they stood beside their art work during gallery receptions. Benjamin T. Clark ’09, however, has taken a more independent path through the Harvard arts scene as technical director of a large portion of the sets for Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club productions. He has spent countless hours in the Loeb shop crafting scenes, working in the grid, and ensuring the safety of all involved in plays. “Me and Bruce [Springsteen] in the shop, that’s the last four years in a nutshell,” Clark says. Beyond the rewards of hours spent listening to The Boss, technical theater has offered Clark a fulfilling creative medium.

Clark became the HRDC tech liaison—a member of the HRDC board that oversees all technical aspects of productions and ensures the safety of all involved—his sophomore year, when the former tech liaison dropped out. He continued as tech liaison through his junior year.

Clark’s love for carpentry, rigging, and lights began in middle school and continued through high school. His father and brother did stage crew throughout high school, but only he carried it on through college. “I did theater for the alcohol and the women,” Clark says, when asked where his interest came from. “And the smokes.”

When he came to Harvard, Clark found that few shared his passion. “Not many people are interested in carpentry at Harvard,” he says. “I like working with my hands. It’s unusual to be able to do that at Harvard.”

Despite this isolation, Clark rose to the enormous challenge of filling in the technical gaps in HRDC’s often ambitious projects. “Theater technicians are like water. Tech theater is like goldfish,” Clarks says. “You know how goldfish will grow to fit their bowl? So do we, kicking and screaming.”

Clark has gone beyond the basic requirements of “growing to fit the bowl.” He sacrificed a spring break his sophomore year to revitalize a flagging production and spent 30 hours during the week and 20 over the weekend in the theatre his sophomore and junior years.

“Looking back, I realized I spent more time in Loeb than anywhere else, even my dorm room,” Clark says.

Clark’s talents extend beyond his abilities to create sets. “I think the most remarkable thing about Ben is that he’s so talented at so many things,” says Sara E.A. Mills ’11, who worked with Clark on a variety of productions. Beyond his ability to build and organize a set, Clark is also a talented actor. Though he has acted in seven plays, which amounts to a fairly substantial Harvard acting career, Clark nonchalantly downplays his achievement. “I tend to always play the same character,” he says. “The strong, male character.”

Clark derives great satisfaction from his ability to help produce plays and sooth conflicts among members of the cast, and his abilities are well appreciated among members of the Harvard theater community. After graduation, Clark hopes to stay in Boston and find a job in the tech department of a theatre, where he can continue to utilize these talents. “Theater beats a normal job. Let’s put it that way,” Clark says. “And the people are crazy, in a good way.”