Today we’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Ptashinsky-Skinner. They and their team shared their story with us below:
@equityben is an Orlando-based actor, singer, and comedian who stepped away from performing to be a full-time “gay-at-home dad!” He’s a proud resident of Windermere, FL – where he wrote, produced, and starred in his sold-out One Man Comedy Special “How Ya Ben?” for all its showings. A twenty-year Actor’s Equity Association Member, Ben has kept himself busy. Favorite roles include William Barfeé (American Stage’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Nicely Nicely Johnson (Show Palace Dinner Theatre’s Guys and Dolls), Jean Valjean/Tevye/The Phantom of the Opera (Winter Park Playhouses’ Forbidden Broadway: Greatest Hits ), and Edna Turnblad (Dr. Phillip’s Performing Art Center) which won him the Broadway World Award for Best Actor! Ben has performed at Walt Disney World under an equity contract since 2005 (retiring in 2020), having created and starred in several shows, including “For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-A-Long.” Ben has been allowed to perform in commercials, television, and convention shows with many of the “greats!” Most notably, performing with some of the Original Broadway cast of Mary Poppins on live television, sharing the stage with John Davidson at the State Fair, and writing and starred in a comedy sketch with Vanna White for Wheel of Fortune, to name a few. Mr. Ptashinsky has most recently been voted Orlando’s Best Actor (2018 and 2019) and Comedian (2021 & 2022) {Orlando Weekly}! The theatre will always be home, but a small piece of Ben’s heart will remain a size 16 clown shoe, as he was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 2014. Ben has, quite literally, done it all. He stepped away from full-time performing during Covid to focus on being a dad and a full-time “social media influencer.”
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Thousands of people traverse social media much better than I do. However, if something is for you, your gut will tell you.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
Benjamin’s journey took a turn during Covid. He built up a small following through his years at Walt Disney World. His ‘fans’ then started coming to his sold-out stand-up and improv shows. But when the pandemic hit, he didn’t let it stop him. His audience shifted to the online platform via social media. Zoom shows. Instagram and TikTok live streams. Some of his content went viral, and leaving Disney allowed him to triple his audience. This is a testament to his resilience and adaptability.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Happiness. Period.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://a.co/d/epEnMye
- Instagram: @equityben
