The Man with the Blade: Interview with SWEENEY TODD's Thom Sesma
- Z. Ennis
- Aug 21, 2018
- 3 min read
Thom Sesma has been in many notable Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. Currently, he is playing the role of Benjamin Barker/Sweeney Todd in the Off-Broadway production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Barrow Street Theater.
Q: How long has theatre been a part of your life?
A: My dad introduced me to theatre early - I think I was 8 - it was on a beautiful Sunday afternoon when I saw The Sound of Music at the Circle Arts Music Theatre in San Diego, and I was never the same after that. Even so, I didn’t actively begin to participate in theatre until I was in high school.
Q: Do you have any special pre-show rituals or warmups?
A: I like to arrive at the theatre early, about an hour before half hour. This is something I’ve done for a very long time - I like to connect with the house. I’m not just talking about the performance space, but the auditorium, and it’s very special in the case of Sweeney because the house - the Pie Shop is the performance space. It helps me to shake off the world outside the theatre and immerse myself into the world I’m going to inhabit for the next few hours. And of course, then there’s the vocal and physical warm up that varies from show to show, but I always try to make sure it’s associated with the character, and not just a general warm up: each role you play has specific physical and vocal needs; for me, those specific things are what need to be oiled, massaged, warmed up.
Q: How do you take care of your voice and yourself while doing a show?
A: Oh my gosh - I’m quiet a lot. At least I try to be. Sweeney is as taxing as you can imagine. So my off time is spent in relative quiet, and is more solitary than I’d like. And of course, I drink lots of tea (Yogi Tea - a combination of Throat Comfort and Lemon Ginger), and eat clean foods, you know - no sugar, limited simple carbs, lots of greens, lots of protein. And lots and lots of rest.
Q: How would you describe the character of Sweeney Todd?
A: Oh, Benjamin Barker - he’s lost so much. I start from there. There’s so much sadness, grieving. And at a certain point, that’s what he’s running from. The rest follows.
Q: What have you learned from getting to play Sweeney?
A: That’s a really, really tough question - because the answer is HUGE. There are several answers, though - things Thom the Actor has learned, technically, and things Thom the Person has learned, emotionally and spiritually. But overall, the simple answer is that I’ve learned a lot on both levels about being patient, being in the moment, checking the ego - personally and artistically - at the door, and letting the play and the production do most of the work. Thom is just one singular part of it.
Q: How is performing in a 360 space different than performing on a traditional stage?
A: Truth be told, this goes far beyond being merely a 360-degree space, and I think it’s made so by the proximity of the audience, or I should say, intimacy that the actor and the audience share. It’s like calling a living room or a bedroom a 360-degree space. It’s not just something that surrounds you, but something that you immerse yourself in, and share with others. It isn’t so much that you play “around” the space as you go deeper into it as the story progresses.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring performers?
A: Never give up. Never. Never ask for permission to work. If no one’s hiring you to perform, then create your own work. Ask yourself hard questions, never stop being critical of yourself. Always, always, always remind yourself that no one ever asked you to become an actor. It’s a calling from deep inside you that you alone decided to answer. Always listen to that voice.
@Thsesma on Social Media.
Many thanks to Thom for being so kind and answering my questions! I cannot wait to see what he does in the future! He is a brilliant actor onstage and is going far.
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