Sean Donovan is an actor, dancer, writer, choreographer, and director. He creates theater and dance performances that challenge the boundaries and intersections of both mediums. His most recent work, Cabin, premiered in 2019 at The Bushwick Starr (NYC) to critical acclaim. Ben Brantley of The New York Times called it “darkly lyrical and exquisitely rendered.” Other works include The Reception at HERE Arts (NYC), and 18 1/2 Minutes at JACK (NYC), both in collaboration with Sebastián Calderón Bentin. His work has also been presented in The Under the Radar Festival (NYC), CUNY’s Prelude Festival (NYC), Incubator Arts Project (NYC), FAE Festival in Panama, Stanford University (CA), New York University (NYC), and others.
Sean won a 2022 Lortel Award for his performance in Heather Christian’s Oratorio for Living Things at Ars Nova. He was nominated in 2014 and again in 2017 for a BESSIE award for Outstanding Performer for his work with several artists over the past decade. He’s worked with Taylor Mac, Lee Sunday Evans, Heather Christian, Faye Driscoll, Miguel Gutierrez, Jane Comfort, The Builders Association, Witness Relocation, Jennie Marytai Liu, John Jesurun, and many others. In New York, he has performed at such places as BAM, Ars Nova, The Public, The Kitchen, Danspace Project, PS122, HERE Arts Center, The Joyce Theater, The Baryshnikov Arts Center, NYLA, La MaMa E.T.C., The Chocolate Factory, and others. Recent credits include Bark of Millions at The Sydney Opera House, The Trees at Playwrights Horizons, Oratorio for Living Things at Ars Nova, Thank You for Coming: PLAY at BAM Fisher and national tour, Thank You For Coming: Attendance at Danspace Project and an international tour, Age & Beauty Part 2 at NYLA, and House/Divided at BAM (NY) along with a national tour.
In 2018 he co-wrote Morning Chardonnay, a new web series with Hannah Heller. Other film and television credits include Law and Order: Organized Crime, Feast of the Epiphany directed by Oscar winning director Jeff Reichert, Laurence, and others. He has also danced in multiple music videos.
He received his BFA in Theatre from New York University’s Experimental Theatre Wing. He has trained and performed internationally in France, Holland, Romania, Poland, Russia, Panama, Argentina, Croatia, Greece, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Thailand and Japan working with the highly acclaimed Ildi! Eldi of France and Sankai Juku Butoh company of Japan. He has also performed at theaters and universities throughout the U.S. He currently teaches movement and choreography at NYU.
