Winner of the Theatre Guild Award for the Best Actor in 2013 in a One-Act Play, Sean Thompson, is a web of surprises. Given that he only became involved in drama five years ago at the age of 14 and at the amateur level; it’s clear where his passion lies.
But be careful when labelling Sean, he is not only an award-winning actor, but also a poet, writer and director. Those who know Sean personally describe him as a down-to-earth, calm and patient individual; a far cry from what he is on stage.
Sean grew up in the city, residing at Meadow Brook Gardens. He is the second of four children and shares an unbreakable bond with his siblings.
He said his mother was very protective and kept them monitored and on a tight schedule. He believes it was his sheltered upbringing that made him patient and calm by nature, but he is also very assertive and down to earth when he needs to be. “Very few people ever saw me upset,” he said, “but I am not afraid to say something right then and there.”
And in spite of his mother’s efforts Sean was mischievous. In school and at home he caused all sorts of trouble. “I was and still am the most disgusting child…,” he said wryly.
He began sketching at the age of ten and amateur drawing by 12. Drawing is still a preferable hobby for Sean, but his interest in theatre has taken hold of him. At the age of 14, he discovered he had a knack for acting when he performed in a little competition hosted by the Lifeline Counselling Centre’s Youth Group where he subsequently won the ‘Drama King Award.’
“My mother always encouraged me to try out drama. She said that I would be good at it,” he told The Scene. “I owe a lot to her.
“After the play I performed in the youth group, I joined the Theatre Guild. From then on my mom has always been pushing me to continue in the arts. I get a lot of encouragement from people in my theatre family like: Margaret Lawrence, LaVonne George, Jennifer Thomas, Malcolm Defreitas, Henry Rodney and Ron Robinson. They all pushed me and inspired me to be a better artist; to improve my technique. I learned a lot from just watching them perform. When it comes to inspiration I praise God for blessing me with the talent, my down to earth spirit and the opportunities in life – I would have been nowhere without Him.”
Sean also draws inspiration from Hollywood superstars, Denzel Washington and Will Smith – two of his favourite actors for their ability to always overcome their previous roles and fit in well with new characters in any setting.
Sean said he is willing to take any part given to him and be the best at it. He hopes that one day he will be given a role where he would play a schizophrenic, because according to him, “In acting you always look for a challenge, you always look for something new and something that can push you over the edge. I want to know that when I put my mind to something and I work hard towards it, I will achieve it.”
He mostly prefers the roles of ‘sweet’ boys and bad boys since they are the upbeat and exciting roles.
Currently reading for a degree in Communication Studies at the University of Guyana, Sean said that among his biggest roles to date was the 2012 production of ER Braithwaite’s To Sir with Love, which was edited into a local version by Mosa Telford and directed by Ron Robinson. He played the role of Derwin, a notorious young man who was always seen as a bully and a pest in the school he attended.
He also played the part of Damian in The Verdict, which was directed by Tivia Collins. Damian was a lover boy and sweet man and a convict who wanted to get close to a pastor’s daughter.
Sean has directed the play Precious Commodity which was written by Esprene Liddell. He said, “It was awesome! It was great working with the five cast members. Most notably everything I did and achiev-ed I gave half the credit to Stage Manager Melika Edmonds because she was very helpful, very good at it and is one of the best managers now coming up. Without her and the cast I couldn’t have done it.”
One of his other memorable performances was his lead role in the 2012 production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream, directed by DeFreitas. Sean played the role of Lysander, a man from Athens who was in love with a girl that he could not have, because the girl’s father did not find him suitable for his daughter.
Taking home the Best Actor Award for his performance in the One-Act play, Between the Covers which was written by Timolyn Barclay and directed by Randolph Critchlow, was shocking, Sean said. Just being nominated was overwhelming, he said and he never expected to win. He was highly appreciative of the accolade.
Sean played the role of Darius, the son of a businessman who has relations with his female employee, who later turns out to be Darius’ girlfriend.
He believes drama needs to be marketed properly before it can become a viable industry. “Everything is a collaborative effort, without sponsors we cannot pull off a very good play. It is all about the marketing and promotions to produce top class theatre,” he said.
If he is not sitting through a university lecture, he is at the guild for rehearsals but this does not slow down his social life. He is very friendly and sociable; he does a little dancing in his spare time and likes making people laugh, but when it comes to playing pools he puts all of that aside.
Sean wishes to try stand-up comedy in the future knowing that it is very hard to pull off. He is working on his poetry; writing new pieces and directing as often as he can. Another venture he is really interested in is photography, which he said will soon be on his agenda.
