Bio

Ben Gorodetsky (he/they) is a performance artist, improviser, filmmaker, storyteller, producer, writer, and arts educator based in Kitchener, ON. Originally from Vancouver, Ben began his improvised theatre work there in 2004 under the guidance of mentor Alistair Cook, and has since performed, directed, and taught improvisation in The Magnet Theatre (NYC), Out of Bounds Comedy (Austin), UCB (LA), Highwire Comedy (Atlanta), English Lovers (Vienna), IGLU (Ljubljana), Bad Dog (Toronto), and Blind Tiger (Vancouver) and FERIIR (on the French island of Reunion - near Madagascar!) In 2010 Ben moved to Edmonton to pursue a BFA in Acting at the University of Alberta, where they also joined Rapid Fire Theatre. It was in Edmonton where Ben created his comedy duo Folk Lordz with Todd Houseman, and they've been delighting audiences with their mix of physical comedy and folk storytelling all over the world. Folk Lordz also grew into a political sketch comedy video series, out now on YouTube. 

Edmonton was the community in which Ben developed their voice as a storyteller. Working actively as an actor, director, writer and creator, Ben developed a reputation as an interdisciplinary, provocative, and physically inventive young artist. From 2015-2017 Ben was the host and curator of Mile Zero Dance's experimental variety show The Dirt Buffet Cabaret, showcasing the best dance, music, poetry, comedy, and circus acts from across Canada. He is also the former Associate Artistic Director of Canadian Comedy Award-winning Rapid Fire Theatre (2013-2017). Ben was the recipient of the 2016 Edmonton Mayor's Celebration of the Arts Emerging Artist Award. In 2017 Ben relocated to Brooklyn, NY to pursue an MFA in Performance and Interactive Media Art from Brooklyn College - CUNY. From burlesque/nightclub performance to experimental physical theatre, the New York downtown scene had a great influence on Ben’s work. After graduating in 2019 Ben relocated to Ontario to be close to family and health care! Since then they’ve launched Pinch Arts, developed a video and film practice as a primary artistic focus, and began teaching at UWaterloo.