Theater as Activism: Dr. Ben Hunt on Performance, Puppetry, and Animal Liberation

In this episode of the Our Hen House Interview, Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan sit down with performance researcher and theater maker Dr. Ben Hunt, founder of the Performing Animal Rights podcast and newsletter, to explore how theater, puppetry, drag, and creative practice can break through the psychological resistance that keeps people from engaging with animal rights. From vigils as unintentional theater to Watership Down, War Horse, and open rescue as performance, Ben unpacks how art can move audiences toward empathy — and where it still falls short.

• How street activism (vigils, open rescue) functions as a form of theater and performance
• Why creative works like Watership Down, War Horse, and Wicked resonate emotionally but often fail to connect audiences to real animal liberation
• The role of drag, puppetry, and mask work in helping people access “animality” and empathize with animals
• How fandom-driven activism (e.g., The Protego Foundation) turns fictional stories into real-world advocacy
• The ethical tension between using shock/disgust versus imagination and genuine intentionality in animal rights performance art

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dr Ben Hunt is a performance researcher, theatre maker and animal advocate working at the intersection of creative practice, activism and human–animal relations. He is the founder and host of Performing Animal Rights, a podcast and newsletter exploring how theatre, performance and art can contribute to animal advocacy. His research examines how creative practice can challenge conventional representations of animals and help imagine more ethical interspecies relationships.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Contributions of any amount are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.