Press

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"While the cast is phenomenal, much credit has to go to the production team for creating such an incredible field on which to play. Derek McLane’s set design jumps out from the moment you walk into the theatre. It gives you the familiar feel of Durham Athletic Park (as it was known at the time) complete with the smoking bull in the outfield. The use of moving set pieces that double as bleachers and team bus are genius and elevate the numbers in which they are involved."

'Bull Durham: a New Musical' - Theatre Raleigh - Chatham Life and Style Magazine

"Durham audiences will recognize the Lucky Strike water tower on the stage backdrop, along with the famous bull sign with its smoke-puffing nostrils and glowing red eyes."

'Bull Durham: a New Musical' - Theatre Raleigh - The News and Observer

""This roomy but surprisingly intimate space is just a stone’s throw away from Duke’s gorgeous chapel, and just walking into the venue is a treat. It’s also a nice, ingenious reminder of the story’s setting . . . a way to bring the musical to life before the curtains even open. And, when those curtains do open, viewers are instantly transported to a baseball-centered world, one where the stadium lights are always on and always visible in the background, a subtle, effective nod, courtesy of set designer Derek McLane, to the sport at the heart of the story."

'Bull Durham: a New Musical' - Theatre Raleigh - Triangle Arts Review

"The Lucky Strike tower rising up in the set’s background means more when you’ve spent time under it enjoying concerts on the American Tobacco Campus. The set incorporates the iconic bull billboard with “Hit the bull; win a steak. Hit the grass; win a salad” that came to Durham with the movie set. For most of America, that sign is a minor-league-baseball movie detail. For locals, it’s such an indelible part of the Durham Bulls baseball experience that the sign followed the team to its new ballpark in 1995, though its current incarnation is slightly different from the original depicted in the musical. References clearly incorporated as a nod to locals pop up throughout the show."

'Bull Durham: a New Musical' - Theatre Raleigh - Midtown Magazine

"Viewers never know exactly what they’ll find. In the case of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, written by Christopher Durang and directed by Tim Seib, the space has been completely transformed into a quaint country house, beautifully brought to life by Ben Fancy’s detailed scenic design!"

'Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike' - Theatre Raleigh - Triangle Arts Review

"The end results here are a play that is both funny and heartfelt at the same time. Under Tim Seib’s direction, he has all of the action staged on an impressively elegant set designed by Ben Fancy. The show is very well paced."

'Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike' - Theatre Raleigh - BroadwayWorld

"There are no curtains to open on this show. Instead, viewers are ushered into a room and set all around Benedict R. Fancy’s panoramic set. Inspired both by smoky clubs and the streets of 1800s Moscow, it’s a functional masterpiece that allows audience members to look everywhere all at once .  . . and look they will. From the moment the first character steps on stage, this show roars to life and never lets up. Seib’s direction is purposefully busy, creating a unique experience for every viewer, every time. There is always somewhere to look or someone’s expression to scope out, which creates an immersive experience on multiple levels."

'Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812' - Theatre Raleigh - Triangle Arts Review

"Scenic designer Benedict R. Fancy has brilliantly placed the orchestra pits (there are two of them) in the middle of the action. The acting area surrounds them almost like a figure eight with one "pocket" that contains a woodwind and string section and another with two pianos, an upright bass, and drums. Individual actors often augment the orchestra with such instruments, such as guitars, accordion, violin, clarinet, and even a melodica."

'Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812' - Theatre Raleigh - Triangle Review

"David Toole’s first words as the dour Pierre and a poignant, silent, cirque-tinged tableau set up the central separation of sweethearts Natasha and Andrey during the French Invasion of 1812. Immediately after that, a boisterous company of characters from various strata of Russian society spills from the promenades and platforms of Benedict Fancy’s Cyrillic-inscribed cabaret set. Under Tim Seib’s irrepressible direction, they not only front-load 10 of the show’s characters but help us remember them through stacked one-line descriptions. The result is raucous and fun."

'Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812' - Theatre Raleigh - IndyWeek

“With Seib at the helm of this unparalleled, cabaret-like theatrical experience, the audience is immersed in Benedict Fancy’s set, which allows performers and musicians to roam freely and keeps the action fluid and interactive. An eclectic score masterfully conducted by Joanna Li, along with some fanciful costuming by Malissa Borden and creative lighting by Jenni Becker, completes the spectacle.”

'Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812' - Theatre Raleigh - Beltline to Broadway

"The setting is a public park somewhere in mid-America, splendidly designed for this stage by Benedict Fancy, complete with a chain link fence, metal picnic benches and leafy trees."

'Barbecue' - Theatre Raleigh - Beltline to Broadway

"The stage (scenic design by Benedict Fancy) is set for a barbecue day in the park – a few lawn chairs, some bottles of beer, and all the park staples we’ve come to know, like benches, grills, and picnic tables. Surrounded by trees, the setting is serene. That doesn’t last long."

'Barbecue' - Theatre Raleigh - Intermission Blog

"Across both versions of this family, the members curse, smoke, and squabble in the middle of a park, brilliantly designed by Benedict Fancy. There are picnic tables, trees, and even chirping birds in the background, all of which combine to make the setting feel as real as the fighting families."

'Barbecue' - Theatre Raleigh - Triangle Arts Review

"Theatre Raleigh’s small stage setting works well for The Prom, and Benedict Fancy’s scenic design does a great job of bringing a small town high school to life."

'The Prom' - Theatre Raleigh - Broadway World

"The believable set design (Benedict Fancy) is absolutely perfect for Theatre Raleigh's latest production, The Prom, a fun, fanciful musical that transports viewers right back to their high school days."

'The Prom' - Theatre Raleigh - Triangle Arts Review

“A beauty salon (which in this production, looks well detailed through the set designed by Benedict Fancy) proves to be a perfect setting for a stage play.”

'Steel Magnolias' - North Carolina Theatre - Broadway World

“The production moves smoothly from one scene to the next with only small, simple changes to signify the passing of time. These touches, like the production itself, are subtle but powerful. Nothing is cluttered or overdone. Instead, Harling’s gorgeous writing is allowed to take center stage, and honestly, this play is one of the few that works best without a lot of fancy touches. That’s not to say, however, that the production lacks thought or attention to detail. It has those things in spades. The gleaming set and 80s costumes transport viewers back to a time when people were more connected, when they swapped recipes and shared magazine clippings, and the actors nail both the comedy and the sentimentality that are the hallmarks of the story.”

'Steel Magnolias' - North Carolina Theatre - Triangle Arts Review

"Ghostly, fluttering black-and-white images flash on the screen at the center of Benedict Fancy’s austere, sturdy black set, both setting scenes and offering commentary on them, especially when Lizzie’s creepy dad enters the picture."

'Lizzie: The Musical' - Panache Theatrical Productions

"Technical director Benedict Fancy has created a cool, layered set of concentric, rounded rectangles, with the band visible in back and the scenes playing out downstage in front of movable set pieces, including a cool yellow contraption that serves as the family’s barely running Volkswagen van, which they have to push-start for most of the nine-hour road trip."

'Little Miss Sunshine: The Musical' - Thalian Association

"Fancy has to create “The Great American Road Trip.”......the detail in the kitchen at the beginning is really astounding....in addition to the family home, the hospital and motel sets are great. Still, everything is dwarfed by the pageant.  If you don’t love mylar streamer curtains hung from the yellow proscenium that lights up, there is a total lack of irony in your soul or comprehension of “kitsch” as it relates to American culture."

'Little Miss Sunshine: The Musical' - Thalian Association

"...the details put into Benedict R. Fancy’s scenes are a treat. Lining the theater’s back wall with the black framing of the Borden home, two plain doors operate as a way in and out of the onstage world. The blankness gives life to the lack of love within the home. A smaller, elevated stage features painted brick work—the only prop that looks real."

'Lizzie: The Musical' - Panache Theatrical Productions

'It’s a very well-staged show. The production design — Benedict Fancy’s set, Cole Marquis’ moody lighting and Stephanie Aman’s era-blending costumes are all spot-on — has a bit of a steampunk vibe, which isn’t new, but it totally works, playing to the show’s dark themes and giving some visuals to hang the songs on (not to mention some very good projections that help set multiple scenes).'

'Lizzie: The Musical' - Panache Theatrical Productions

'After the audience is adequately roused to root, root, root for the home team, they are met with Benedict Fancy’s scenic design. At first it appears quite simple, with just two standing walls wheeled in and out to form the Boyd’s home. A bland couch ties it together and the love which Holcomb fills this set with really makes it the home Joe is missing. The scope of Fancy’s work truly gets shown off when Joe Boyd’s life ends and Joe Hardy’s journey begins. The full stadium of the Washington Senators is shown, from the crowd seating stands, to the players’ locker room, all the way to the parking lot where loyal fans gather to gossip and listen to games on the radio. Each location has its own small touches, and both build the play’s world, but also the sense of community the fans have for their team. The speed at which all these sets and pieces move about impresses. More often than not, having an ever-changing set in a show this big could bring its pace to a standstill, yet the pieces flow with ease from spot to spot and never hinder the play’s flow. It’s a true sign of solid craftsmanship.'

'Damn Yankees' - Thalian Association - Encore Magazine

"Scenic designer Benedict R. Fancy has put together a hyper-realistic set that accentuates Truvy’s aesthetic in every inch. The exterior house siding and staircase that lead back into the house from the enclosed-carport-turned-beauty parlor are a particularly nice touch. Fancy has been making a name for himself as a designer with extreme attention to detail. All pieces of the beauty parlor come together seamlessly."

'Steel Magnolias' - Thalian Association - Encore Magazine

"Benedict Fancy has designed a fine, multi-level set that has the lived-in feel of a home business."

'Steel Magnolias' - Thalian Association - Star News

"...a fine set by Benedict Fancy packs a lot into the studio theater space, using risers to create multiple locations, squeezing in antique lamps and a coffin or two and even finding room for a small screen to project pages of the graphic novel on which “Fun Home” is based."

'Fun Home' - Panache Theatrical Productions - Star News

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"Adult Alison, played by Cathy Street, watches all memories unfold before her as she draws panels for her memoir. Scenic-designer Benedict R. Fancy utilizes the intimate space of the studio theater to enhance the sense that family memories overwhelm in both the best and the worst ways. Street is onstage the entire time—mostly on a raised platform, upstage right, following the action—and she is completely in the moment, listening to and reacting to each of the characters constantly, including the two incarnations of her younger self."

'Fun Home' - Panache Theatrical Productions - Encore Magazine

"Set designer Benedict Fancy has created a wonderful world for all performers to explore, but the stylized contained world of the elevator is my favorite. Not only is it beautiful and stylish, like many public buildings in Manhattan at the time, it creates a contained space for the two gifted comedians to ply their craft. Boy do they ever. I laughed so hard I cried.........Actually, Fancy’s version of New York blends the elements of the play really well. The gritty, seamier underside of New York that Charity inhabits contrasts the beautiful, clean, light world he shows her—like the ferris wheel, which is quite cleverly depicted. Of course he maintains the signature streetlight everyone expects to see."

'Sweet Charity' - Thalian Association - Encore Magazine

"Benedict Fancy’s set is modest but has some flashy features, like a lightbulb-bedecked proscenium arch and a rail the Fandango girls can pose on, while easily moveable set pieces make for quick scene changes. Aaron Willings’ lighting does a nice job filling the gaps, creating a pool of water and adding dimension to the elevator shaft Charity gets stuck in with Oscar.'

'Sweet Charity' - Thalian Association - Star News

"Benedict Fancy’s set of the Magrath family home is stunning and detailed. A period gas stove, a bottle opener affixed to the kitchen counter, a fully stocked refrigerator, fabulous faux-finish paint, and trees with Spanish moss out of the windows make the environment ring true. Combined with lighting designer Jeff Loy’s practical-use fixtures to augment the environment, the effect is really stunning—even in such a small space."

'Crimes of the Heart' - Big Dawg Productions - Encore Magazine

"The proportions of the Cape Fear Playhouse stage are shallow, long and hard to work with. But set designer Benedict Fancy and lighting designer Jeff Loy manage to provide depth, shadow and a believable sense of place. Perhaps if I hadn’t been in that kind of old, Southern kitchen, I might not understand how entirely accurate the aesthetic they’ve created actually is."

'Crimes of the Heart' - Big Dawg productions - Star News

"Benedict Fancy's set, which is an artful arrangement of windows, makes me think of that line about windows to the soul, and of what lovers see, and what they miss, when they look in each others' eyes." - 'The Real Thing'- Thalian Association - Star News

"On a tidy, realistic set by Benedict Fancy ringed by shelves filled with books and booze..."

‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ – Thalian Association - Star News

"Ben Fancy has built a really lovely set for the show, complete with sconces and built-in bookcases. As befits a university professor’s home, the place is overflowing with books (even under the sofa and chairs). A genteel-down-at-heal-feel permeates the space—greater expectations that have not been achieved. It’s a good mirror for the inner world of George and Martha. And that is the heart of the show: the world these people manifest."

‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ – Thalian Association - Encore Magazine

“….the high points of the show are often the film segments, shot in black-in-white and edited by Benedict Fancy….Depicting Sam and Lina's film exploits, the segments, which have been run through some kind of old-timey video filter, look great and are really funny!”

‘Singin’ in the Rain’ – Thalian Association - Star News

“This is a show about the jump forward in cinema to the world of talkies. Director Mirla Criste’s collaboration with Benedict R. Fancy to utilize film projections during early story-telling elements of Lockwood’s life with Cosmo features “awww”-inducing performances….It also is utilized for the voice-dubbing scenes, which is absolutely superb. The integration is lovely and the scenes filmed for the film within the play “The Dueling Cavalier” work beautifully with the onstage banter….the visual elements come together beautifully.”

‘Singin’ in the Rain’ – Thalian Association - Encore Magazine

"With bright red paint spattered on cabinets and smeared across the floor, the set for John Logan's play "Red" (at Wilmington's coincidentally named Red Barn Studio) looks like nothing so much as the scene of a brutal killing.....Set in Rothko's Spartan New York studio circa 1958 and '59 – give credit to designer Benedict Fancy....for the set that's at once realistic and symbolic...."

‘RED’ – Thalian Association - Star News

"...(lighting) beautifully complements Benedict Fancy’s set design, which is functional and vivid at the same time. Director Sam Robison comments he wants the set to look like a crime scene. Considering that in 12 years time Rothko’s studio would be the site of his suicide, it is an arresting glimpse of the future. The image of Rothko kneeling downstage center sears as his hands and wrists drip red pain. Add to it Ken’s discovery and momentary confusion, and it’s literally heart-stopping....”

‘RED’ – Thalian Association - Star News

"...solid production values (and) the homey set by Benedict Fancy is particularly nice..."

'Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike' - Thalian Association - Star News