Sean A. Kaufman
Recent news
Oct. 2018
I am incredibly proud to announce the World Premiere of Maturing Youth will be hosted by The Cutting Room International Short Film Festival on Sunday October 21, 2018! Block J, 7pm. Award Ceremony to follow at 8:30pm.
Maturing Youth has been nominated for SIX awards:
1. Best Drama
2. Best Director - Divoni Simon
3. Best Actor in a Drama - Sean A. Kaufman
4. Best Actress in a Drama - Kim Paris
5. Best Supporting Actress in a Drama - Darleen Rae Fontaine
6. Best Supporting Actor in a Drama - Terrence Keene
The Cutting Room is located at 44 E 32nd St, New York, NY
Please contact me if you are interested in attending!
Screening/Q&A: $20
Celebratory Gala and Award Ceremony: $35
Just Cast!
Aug. 29, 2018
I'm very excited to announce that I've been cast in the dual roles of Jud Kelly and Dan Carney in the world premiere of Live Source Theatre Group's production of Suddenly, a new play based on the classic 1954 film starring Frank Sinatra, adapted by Gianfranco Settecasi after the screenplay by Richard Sale. Directed by Tyler Mercer, Suddenly will play a limited engagement at HERE (145 6th Avenue, NYC - Enter on Dominick, one block south of Spring St.). Performances begin Friday, October 5th and the engagement runs through Saturday, October 20th, 2018. The Opening is Sunday, October 7th at 4pm. For more info, check out this Broadway World announcement.
NEW SKILLS to Resume: Assistant Directing et al.
Aug. 6, 2018
The past few months have been a huge learning experience. Not only have I been acting, but I've now tried my hand at Assistant Directing!
Terrence Keene, fellow cast mate from Maturing Youth, and his artistic associate Nico Conde co-wrote/produced/directed an independent feature film Joaquin & Luke. From the beginning stages in January they were kind enough to include me as Script Consultant, Assistant Director, Acting Coach, and later on in some capacities as Production Coordinator. We shot in parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, from Wyckoff to Washington Heights, with our pals at Urban Mouse and Dean Love Films. The film is now officially wrapped and in post-production. Be on the lookout for more updates on J&L - you might even spot my cameo if you pay some close attention!
Equity Showcase of Noel Coward's hilarious Fallen Angels
Aug. 1, 2018
Last weekend, we previewed, opened, and closed a whole show: Noel Coward's farcical comedy Fallen Angels! Directed by the imaginative Ryan Emmons (Matilda, Groundhog Day), I played Willy, the sort of cuckolded husband of Jane, played by the inimitable Krystal Rowley, and friend/sparring partner of Julia, played powerfully by Flora McGill. Krystal and Flora co-produced this show from the ground up and we had a fantastic showcase. What I'd give to do that show one more time! Such a blast! For more photos from the show, click here.
More MATURING YOUTH: Full Trailer & Reviews
July 21, 2018
The short indie I starred in, Maturing Youth, has released its full length trailer and the film, as a whole, has been sent out for reviews by critics.
I'm glad to say they're pleased with my acting - I can't wait to share more footage with you. I encourage you to check out the trailer at left and the reviews attached to our IMDB.
TEASER for MATURING YOUTH
February 10, 2018
Good news! You can now view a short clip from Maturing Youth in the official teaser trailer. A longer trailer will drop this spring, as well. Enjoy!
Coming Soon: "Dwellers" Feature Film
July 20, 2017
Incredibly pleased to share with you that I will be leading DeShon Hardy's next independent feature horror film "Dwellers," a story of personal demons dwelling inside of their victims. We're already well into shooting, with a projected wrap time set in early August. This marks my second film, second lead role, first feature film, first horror film, and second time playing a church leader saddled with the task of performing exorcisms! Couldn't be more excited! Stay tuned for more, or check out some cool pics snapped from on set on my Instagram! @seanzie91 or click the icon below.
An Update Long Overdue
March 26, 2017
For my loyal readers out there, and I know there might be one of you (right?), I should apologize for the agonizing wait between news items! My life has been changed since the last update. Don't worry - for the better.
I'll give you the long and short of it.
Soon after closing the production of Hamlet mentioned earlier, I enrolled as a student at The Maggie Flanigan Studio, which teaches the Meisner Technique (The Meisner Technique? (Yes, the Meisner Technique) The Meisner Tech - Oh shush!). Pardon the inside joke, but I couldn't resist. I promise, beyond the first month or two, repetition is removed and things get a lot more complicated.
Over the course of my two years there, and I do encourage you to ask me about it since there’s too much to share right here, I completed the full Professional Actor Training Program, which meant taking everything there was to offer: Voice (Linklater Progression), Movement (Williamson/Flower Technique), Theatre History, Film History, Script Analysis, Monologues, Cold Reading, Acting for Film & TV, and some others, all in addition to the core of the program: Acting taught by Charlie Sandlan.
Learning acting taught me more about myself in two years than I had ever known all my life. I won’t say much more on that, other than, Damn. Acting is hard. And damn, so is anything you love, once you try to get better at it.
So to fast forward, the summer of 2016 was a transition from full-time student to actor-looking-for-a-day-job (check), and then student again in the Fall, taking some Business for Actors classes with Kate Lacey back at MFS. And finally after that, it was audition time.
And here we are today. Two weeks ago, I wrapped my first film, “Maturing Youth,” a short about a pot-addicted 32 year old, whose ex-gf shows up and surprises him with their three year old son. It was also my first lead role in film, so there was an extra layer of excitement, and now it's in post-production being edited. In a few months we can premiere it and send it off to the festivals! More to come on that!
I’ll leave off with a quote from one of my favorite songs, Elton John’s “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.” It holds personal meaning to me in reference to this post, articulating some of the feelings I have about my experience these past two years.
“Until you've seen this trash can dream come true
You stand at the edge while people run you through
And I thank the Lord
There's people out there like you
I thank the Lord there's people out there like you"
A Bit of The Bard
June 4, 2014
On the heels of the end of a fantastic extended run of "Who the Fuck Started All This?" (see below), I've been cast, in my first Shakespeare production, as Horatio in Hamlet. The performance is a three night engagement at 8pm July 24, 25, 26 in the John DeSotelle Studio Theater on West 43rd and 8th Ave. More details coming soon! I'm very much looking forward to working with the company members of Hamlet Unmasked!
You can read more about the production and help us raise funds here.
New York City Debut
Jan. 28, 2014
I am very excited to announce my next performance, which happens to be his first in New York City, double-cast as both Sheytan ("the demon in a cage") and The Third Man in Macedonian playwright Dejan Dukovski's absurdist play "Who the Fuck Started All This?" This is my first time working with The Whitelisted Theatre Company: an ecclectic group of artists who have a passion for sharing Balkan theatre with our American audience!
The play priemieres at The Producer's Club of NY and runs March 28 - April 6, 2014.
Update: Due to the success of the show, we're extending our run on weekends until May 31st, 2014!
Review of Twelve Angry!
Alex Brown, Seven Days Vermont Newpaper, 10.09.13
A wonderful review of our production by Alex Brown.
"The cast members interact with precision, conveying the sharp surprises of the play with gritty realism. The tension mounts because the characters are richly portrayed, without the shortcut of histrionics." See link below for the full review.
Cast as Juror Two in "Twelve Angry Men"
July 2013
I'm pleased to announce that I will be making my Northern Stage (White River Junction, VT) debut this coming fall to play Juror Two in "Twelve Angry Men." I'm very much looking forward to this experience.
Oct. 2-20, 2013