Brimming with theatrical talent

GROWING up in a single-parent home had its challenges for Sidney Henry, whose mom was a police officer and worked as many as 12-hour shifts. By no means, though, does he regret having to pass through those circumstances. He believes they made it easier for him to ‘stand on his own two feet’, at just the age of 17.

Sidney, now 22, was born and raised in Alberttown, by his now deceased mom, Sharon Adams.
“Usually, we don’t leave our children home alone at the age of three, but I was entertaining myself while my mom was at work,” Sidney recalled during an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine.

At the age of six, he was already preparing his own meals, and by eight, was getting himself ready for school and taking himself there. “I was brought up with conventional values and norms, but they were inculcated unconventionally,” Sidney recalls with a smile, adding, “My mom was a police officer and at that point in time, the eight-hour shift had been 12 hours.”

But Sidney said he doesn’t regret those circumstances. “They made me who I am today. That’s one of the reasons I am happy I went through those things because they have allowed me to stand on my own two feet since the age of 17.”
Sidney started off at Kingston Nursery School before moving to North Georgetown Primary and Bishops High, where he completed Sixth Form.

Although having an interest in law, social sciences and politics, Sidney made his way into the teaching profession and plans on starting studies at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) this year.
Ultimately, though, Sidney said he wants to become an ambassador for his country. “It doesn’t matter in what field I am. I wish to be able to put my country on the map for something worthwhile,” he expressed.

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Sidney recalled that he enjoyed dancing while in nursery school and started acting in plays while in primary school. It was here that he found a love for writing short stories. “I started to love acting; to love the spotlight. As I got into secondary school and started learning the proper skills, it developed into playwriting.”

Because of his love for acting, Sidney said he was enrolled into a Theatre Guild workshop as the youngest member. “Originally, they didn’t want to allow me because I was 14 years old, and of course, at the theatre, we use a lot of adult content. But I pleaded and begged my way into the workshop, to which I was accepted. I became everyone’s baby until my skills developed into the productions that I put on today,” Sidney recalled.

He wrote such plays as ‘Black Rainbow,’ ‘I would, I could,’ ‘Next Door Neighbour’ and ‘Political Diversion.’ The material for the plays originates with Sidney’s personal experiences in life. “The one thing that is common in all of them though, is that I do a lot of dark humour. My plays almost always have a unique spin and you almost never see the ending coming.”

Growing up and seeing persons like Simone Dowding, Margaret Lawrence and Ron Robinson on stage, also helped Sidney to gravitate more towards the arts. “I always wanted to be like them; to be on that stage,” he said.

But Sidney feels that not a lot is being done at the moment for local artistes. “We have many actors out there and we see certain actors have the monopoly on the arts; certain persons will be called to do certain productions. But there are many actors out there who are not being recognised, and their skills and talents are not being fully utilised. So I think much more can be done.”

“Currently they’re doing theatre arts for CSEC and CAPE and they have specialised teachers for that subject. The artists can be used to teach that subject. After all, we have first-hand experience. We might not have a teaching degree so to speak, but we have experience,” Sidney encouraged.

He feels, too, that more resources ought to be invested into culture. “We have that fallacy out there that a lot is being done for culture, but that is not necessarily true. More should be invested in the performing arts.”

Sidney said it is necessary for persons to make their own decisions and not allow others to dictate how their lives must be. “The society we live in today dictates how you must be, what you must become. But no, blaze your own trails. Do what you want as long as it’s with good values and morals. Make your own destiny and don’t let anyone craft that for you.”