Performing in uncharted territory

Shivantha Wijesinha who’s making a name for himself in the theatre scene in New York says he always knew he wanted to be an artist.

“You don't really choose it, it chooses you,” he says when asked why he ditched a career in law to take up a career in acting. “I wrote my first song on the piano when I was 8 and acted as the lead in my first play when I was 10 (at Wycherley),” Shivantha said in an e mail interview with the Sunday Times Mirror Magazine.

Having schooled at Royal College, CIS and a brief stint at Wycherley, he studied at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York but that was after he had completed his law degree in Australia.

“I studied Law, since I got the marks. I was close to quitting law school at one point but my parents advised me to finish it and then do whatever I want,” he said. But moving into unchartered territory was not an easy decision to make especially because it meant giving up a stable as well as a lucrative career in law. “You have to be pretty brave or stupid, to give up a steady salary and stability while you chase something that potentially may never happen,” says Shivantha but fortunately for him his decision to change careers has paid off

Since moving to New York, he worked with renowned playwright and recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors, Ismail Khalidi in his most recent play ‘Tennis in Nablus’ as well as Derek Ahonen, director and founder of the famed Amoralists Theater Company. He has also had the opportunity to read with Catherine Scorsese, the daughter of Hollywood award winning film maker Martin Scorsese. ‘I was a bundle of nerves when I met

her. I

. mean you’re dealing with someone who’s been in the industry for a long time, and who deals with some serious actors and has done a lot in the business. You just have to stay focused, do your job and be professional,” he said. Shivantha has drawn inspirations from a wide spectrum of and musically it has ranged from Beethoven and Mozart, form Richard Marx to Bryan Adams and from Metallica to Megadeth. Acting wise his favorites are e Marlon Brando, Robert Deniro, Viggo Mortensen, Brad Pitt and Christian Bale to name a few. “These guys are putting their lives on the line in every scene. You believe everything they say - It's not fake.” Shivantha has had little experience in the local theater scene, however says he would love to be in a production down the road.

Currently Shivantha is engaged in working on two full length feature films. “It’s a lot of work as most of the preparation is done before you get in front of a camera. I hope to keep learning, growing, and exploring my boundaries in New York. It's a great playground to hone in your skills.” He hopes that his work will also help put Sri Lanka on the international map in his field of work