Sean Dioneda Rivera

Sean Dioneda Rivera is a queer Filipino-Pākehā actor, writer and director based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Working primarily in solo theatre, he also has an interest in creating space for work that decentres trauma, co-running initiatives like The Rawdog Gaysian Playwright Challenge.

Rivera is a second-generation migrant and credits growing up in Tokoroa as formative to his arts practice and personhood. In an interview with Satellites, Rivera shared:

A lot of my creative influence and inclination for performing comes from my mum being a piano teacher, and being classically trained in piano and saxophone. Around the same time, my brother chose to follow his passion for jazz piano instead of becoming a nurse, despite our mother’s wishes. His decision showed me that I could also pursue my own dreams, no matter what others expected.

Rivera moved to Pōneke to pursue his passion for performing and, in 2021, earned a Bachelor of Performing & Screen Arts from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School. During his studies, he was deeply involved with Soy People Productions, a collective of young creatives who funded their own theatre shows and short films. These experiences strengthened his passion for theatre and allowed him to build lasting friendships. He continues to collaborate with members of the group like Mark Chayanat Whittet (The Perfect Image, 2024), Gypsy-Mae Harihona (Flames: Hip-Hop Musical, 2023) and Jacinta Compton (May Mga Uod and Utak Mo, 2022). It was also during this time that he found his passion for solo shows:

There are a lot of things that I enjoy when doing solo shows. It is easier to do than a conventional scripted show with a larger than one cast and no scheduling issues with other actors. Your show can be extremely chaotic and outlandish, and you can trust that the audience will be open to receiving the work and suspending their disbelief - it is a liberating creative playground.

In 2022, 2024 and 2025, Rivera facilitated the Toi Whakaari Solos season, where students make a 15 to 20-minute solo show under the tutelage of three to four directors:

Working on the Toi Whakaari Solos is always such a privilege, and I consider it one of the most formative projects that I've been part of. As a director, this is where I get to observe other directors in action and learn together in real time. The students bring passion and dedication to their storytelling, and it’s rewarding to guide their energy and help them discover their unique voice. I feel most accomplished when I'm able to help and inspire artists to self-determine.

This interest in solo theatre has also expanded to directing. Concerning the UFO Sighting Outside Mt Roskill, Auckland premiered as part of Auckland Pride's Pride Elevates programme in 2023. Co-written with and performed by Reon Bell, it is a “comedic, heartwarming and dynamic show” about a closeted young man named Dana who has a chance encounter with aliens while cruising at a local park in the 1980s. Rivera calls it “a beautiful collaboration between the sentimental and referential work of Bell mixed with my form-breaking chaos and camp”.

As a queer Asian artist, Rivera understands the pressure to focus on culture and identity and pushes back on work that centres trauma. One example of how he seeks to create space to do this is The Rawdog Gaysian Playwright Challenge, a regular event he co-leads with Chye-Ling Huang that encourages queer joy and chaos. The challenge invites six queer Asian writers to each create a one-act play in a genre or style they dislike. These plays are then performed as cold readings for their premiere. The event was repurposed for the Basement Theatre's Christmas show in 2024 and renamed The Rawdog Gaysian Playwright Sleigh-balls Deep Xmas Challenge.

When asked about what drives him to create and pursue work, Rivera shares:

Do I love the concept? Do I love this person? Is this something that I'm willing to pour my being into? As a theatre practitioner, I'm always eager to explore different storytelling mediums and create abstract, unconventional art. I love breaking form and pushing creative boundaries. Ultimately, I want to make theatre that offers audiences a fun and memorable night out.

2025 – My Clowns My Circus (writer and director), Basement Theatre, Tāmaki Makaurau

2024 – Scenes from the Climate Era (actor), Q Theatre, Tāmaki Makaurau

2024 – The Perfect Image (actor), LOT23, Tāmaki Makaurau

2024 – Yeah Pare (writer and director)

2024 – The Rawdog Gaysian Playwright Sleigh-balls Deep Xmas Challenge (writer and director), Basement Theatre, Tāmaki Makaurau

2024 – The Rawdog Gaysian Playwright Challenge (writer and director), Basement Theatre, Tāmaki Makaurau

2023 – Losing Face (cast and assistant director), Q Theatre, Tāmaki Makaurau

2023 – Concerning the UFO Sighting Outside Mt. Roskill, Auckland (director), Basement Theatre, Tāmaki Makaurau

2023 – May mga Uod and Utak Mo (There are Worms in Your Brain) (writer and director), Basement Theatre, Tāmaki Makaurau

2023 – Flames: A Hip-Hop Musical (actor and writer), Circa Theatre, Pōneke

2023 – Wellington Theatre Awards, New Playwright of the Year (Nominated), Concerning the UFO Sighting Outside Mt Roskill, Auckland (director)

2021 – NZ Fringe Awards, The Parkin Development Award (Winner), Flames: A Hip-Hop Musical (co-writer)

2021 – Wellington Theatre Awards, New Zealand Play Award (Winner), Another Mammal (actor)

2021 – Wellington Theatre Awards, Excellence Award for Choreography and Movement (Winner), Ciggy Butts in the Sand (dancer)