‘We were created to create’ – Colleen Humphrey says the arts changed her life

Colleen Humphrey has been a performer for as long as she can remember, from dance to drama and recently playwriting she has dominated Guyanese theatre spaces.

“We were created to create,” Miss Humphrey stated passionately in reference to drama and the arts.

It is that innate calling that shaped her life, giving her both purpose and an outlet when she needed it. That was apparent in her teens when she dropped out of school and left the country to try to deal with the trauma of sexual abuse in her childhood.

“I never really reflected on the assault but it affected me as an adult and I realised I never had closure from that, I would lash out for no apparent reason so there was something that wasn’t fixed yet,” Humphrey told the News Room.

But there was drama, and the ability to channel all her pain and trauma. As an actor, she recalled, it was freeing to become a new character or adopt different personas.

To get into character, she first reads the script and figures out how her character is different from her real self. She highlighted that she is very strict about contrasting and leaving that character on stage when the curtain closes because it is dangerous crossing the two selves.

And that mindset has helped her become a celebrated creative in the local scene. Humphrey believes that she has risen from the depths of despair and spreads light across the stage.

“They would call us broken…people like me, I think I am broken but I have been into the milk pottery and became a beautiful canvas,” Humphrey said.

Beyond acting, she continues to grow.

Last year, she took off her acting cap and sat in the seat of the writer and director for the ‘Untold’ play. The Untold chronicles the experiences of an adolescent girl whose mother went to prison; that girl’s aunt helped raise her, but her innocent childhood was snatched by an abusive uncle. That harrowing tale of two parts that mirrored Humphrey’s real-life experiences.

More than a display of her growth and prowess, writing and directing the Untold was a cathartic experience for Humphrey.

Now, she encourages more Guyanese — especially Guyanese youth— to get involved in the arts.

“The Theatre Guild Playhouse is the Apollo of this country. You really want to learn to act? Come every Wednesday to our workshops” Humphrey said.