Ben has been playing with electronics since he started programming in Basic on his Commodore 64 at the age of 4 (and then took it apart when it died to suss out the problem). His love of theatre began a little later, with his stage debut as The Tallest Munchkin in his elementary school production of The Wizard of Oz. In the years since, Ben gave up the limelight to study lighting design and technical direction, leading to 10 years of work in the theatre consulting industry. He also (mostly) stopped taking apart household appliances in favor of learning embedded electronics and building his own gadgets – everything from camera controllers to electrical test equipment for theatre consultants. He began exploring the possibilities of embedded electronics for theatre use in early 2011 and founded Trinculo’s Attic with the goal of making embedded technology more accessible to his friends and colleagues in the theatre world. Trinculo’s Attic grew and spun off several sister companies and a variety of new products, all of which came together again in 2015 as Ben Peoples Industries.
Ben has a rich background in professional theatre and the construction industry, with frequent excursions into other fields such as web development, embedded electronics, and photography. He’s spent over 20 years in the entertainment industry and has consulted with Disney Creative Entertainment, Cirque du Soleil, Paramount Theme Parks and Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Since founding Trinculo’s Attic in 2011, Ben has taught workshops in the basics of electronics for theatre, consulted on the creation of electronically-enhanced props for professional theatre productions, and developed custom control systems for dozens of projects, from public art installations to product launches to sporting events.
Sign up to view 3 direct reports
Get started