Award-winning actress and dancer Nathaya Whaul, who currently plays the benevolent character Susan in the hilarious and intriguing “Days Like Dese” television sitcom, has been in the entertainment industry since 2005.
The actress shared that although she began dancing at the age of four, she was never fascinated with theatre, except for being in the audience. However, that all changed in 2005, when she accompanied a friend who was signing up for a course in theatre arts. Nathaya recalled sitting in the audience while two of Guyana’s seasoned actors: Henry Rodney and Jennifer Thomas, did a skit. She enjoyed it so much that she was inspired to get involved.
The next year, following Carifesta, she said, Jennifer called inviting her to join the Theatre Guild and she did. It was one of the best decisions she has made, she said, as it has moulded her to be more disciplined and courageous.
The actress recalled her very first plays were nerve-wracking and even as she spoke, Nathaya confessed that she still gets nervous from time to time hoping that she does not forget her lines. Working alongside the “right” actors, she said, helps with this. By “right”, she means an actor or actress who embodies his or her character so well that one feeds off the positive energy exuded.
In 15 years in theatre, she has won the Best Actress Award once in 2011 for her performance in the folk play Makantali, written by Harold Bascom. She won Best Supporting Actress at the National Drama Festival in 2015 for her role in Final Chapter. Some years before, she also found herself among the nominees for Shoe’s Blues in 2010.
Stating that acting is never easy, she noted that often roles and how much time and effort are put into them seem to be taken for granted. Since most arts careers in Guyana do not come with attractive remuneration, most, if not all, actors have full-time jobs elsewhere. Because of this, any free time is used up perfecting roles. Many times, Nathaya shared, actors spend the late afternoon into late night rehearsing.
Among the challenges is getting roles which require a departure from one’s comfort zone; having to play characters that are vastly different from one’s real life persona. On occasion, Nathaya found herself playing roles that required her to use obscene language or smoke. She noted that while some actors actually light a cigarette, she has tried her best to pretend by puffing away at powder wrapped in paper; after all, it is acting. When playing difficult roles, Nathaya tries even harder to be in tune with the character presented.
The actress believes that people in Guyana who choose to get into theatre only do so because it is a passion for them, as it could never be for the money. While she has not personally experienced it, she shared that others involved in theatre have spoken of receiving next-to-nothing payments. Citing an example, Nathaya said it is not right for an actress to be paid $25,000 to do a commercial, when that ad brings in much more money. Actors and actresses need to be valued, she reiterated.
But even though acting has its challenges, there are still benefits. “Getting recognized is one of the benefits. Once you are recognized, persons would recommend you for commercials which is an extra income, though not much…,” she said.
“I do it for the love of it and knowing somebody watching has had a long day and looks forward to a time where they can relax and enjoy a show.”
Another benefit, Nathaya said, is amazing travel experiences. Hers include visiting Antigua twice along with several other actors through Bean Entertainment. The first time was in 2014 where she performed in the play Snapped. She returned the next year, taking on a role in Woman-in-Law. In 2017, through the Ministry of Tourism, Nathaya was part of a group which visited Kazakhstan for the World Energy Expo where she showcased Guyana’s culture through dance and poetry. “It was quite an experience. I was able to see the many different cultures through their performances,” she reminisced.
Over the years, Nathaya has had roles in: Watch De Ride, Watch De Ride (Part 3), In Prison (a one act play in 2012), The Ritual, The Tempest, Before Her Parting (one act play), Cracked Jokes (written by Odessa Primus), Summer Breeze (written by Linden Isles), The Ex (2016, written by Sheron Cadogan-Taylor), Green Card Marriage, Planned to Perfection (written by Mark Luke-Edwards), and Shoe’s Blues (2009) among others. Her first role on stage was in 2009 when she was cast in Ladislas Fodor’s The Vigil.
And, while she enjoyed them all, Nathaya shared that her favourite play to date was the Guyanese adaptation of To Sir With Love which was written by Mosa Telford. The actress said it was an honour to not only land a role in the beloved play, but also to perform for the author, late Guyanese, E R Braithwaite, whose book was adapted into the hit 1967 film.
As mentioned previously, Nathaya plays the character of Susan, the wife of Dave in “Days Like Dese”. Her character is good-natured, approachable, and someone people rely on for advice. Susan is mother to Kylie, a character played by Nathaya’s seven-year-old daughter Shanadia Ferrier. For those who follow the sitcom, it can be noticed that the little lady has inherited her mother’s talent for acting. And this is not Shanadia’s first foray into acting. She made her debut not-so-much appearance in Snapped while Nathaya was pregnant with her; the character was also a pregnant woman. When she was a year and a half, the little actress made appearances in two Father’s Day productions at the Theatre Guild put on by Horizon Arts Productions.
By now, Shanadia knows that it is important to remember her lines and sometimes when she shoots the child the wrong lines, Nathaya said, Shanadia lets her know they are not correct.
Nathaya has a full-time job but has been working from home because of the pandemic. This is a blessing as she gets to look over Shanadia who attends school virtually. Sharing a tip for mothers helping children to be better
prepared for school, Nathaya said that at first Shanadia attended her online classes wearing casual clothing. But once she began to notice her lackadaisical attitude toward school, Nathaya started waking her up earlier to prepare for school by getting her dressed in her uniform. This, she noted, has improved her child’s attitude and is worth a try for mothers having the same trouble.
Currently, in her limited free time, Nathaya is learning both French and Spanish. She is also studying for a diploma in Computerized Accounting and hopes to be at the University of Guyana next year where she will begin studies for a degree in either Communications or Business Management. She intends to spend the next decade improving herself in whatever way she can, as well as being a mentor to others. Just recently, Nathaya assisted students with their SBAs for theatre arts.
Nathaya and Shanadia are members of the Creative Arts Dance School. Nathaya is versed in contemporary, ballet and Latin dance, and spent her earlier years in dance dabbling in Hip Hop.
Describing her personality, the Sagittarius-born woman shared that she is God-fearing, genuine, open, and down-to-earth.
An avid reader, Nathaya is currently into two books, The Power of a Praying Woman and When Faith Happens. Her favourite novel so far, which she has read five times already, is Flowers in the Attic. She also enjoys Lifetime movies or any film with an interesting storyline, travelling, going on adventures, and sleeping.
The actress loves to eat bunjal chicken curry with dhal, rice with coconut choka, and cook-up.
Nathaya is also part of the Merundoi Street Theatre, which visits communities on puts on plays outdoors that highlight various social issues. However, owing to the pandemic, the Merundoi Street Theatre has been put on hold for now.
