Sabrina Thomas, one of the lead actors in As He Watches, said her Actor Boy Awards nomination serves as a major motivation for her.

“I was very surprised because I have done so many, so many other plays. This is a big accomplishment for me and motivation to continue writing. It really goes to show that little by little progress is being made,” she told the Jamaica Observer’s Splash yesterday.

Thomas is nominated for Best Actress in A Lead Role. Other nominees in the same category are: Neisha Yen Jones ( What Goes Around); Maylynne Lowe ( Maas Matt Comes to Town); Trishana Wright ( Sugar Daddy); and Aisha Ritchie ( One Blood).

The Actor Boy Awards, which recognises excellence in local theatre, is set for April 15 at the Knutsford Court Hotel in St Andrew.

Written by Thomas, As He Watches is directed by David Tulloch and produced by Probemaster Entertainment. In addition to Best Actress in a Lead Role, the theatre production is also nominated for Best Original Song — Rock My Body.

The 27-year-old, who hails from St Mary, said the play was penned during a challenging period.

“It was very difficult because during the time I was writing the script, my sister was beaten up really badly by robbers. If it wasn’t for my director (David Tulloch), I would have lost it. It was also hard because my uncle also died, so it was very overwhelming and stressful,” she said.

In As He Watches, Thomas plays a police detective named Kerry.

“Kerry became a detective because one of her half-sisters was raped and she was one of the few to survive the ordeal. Everything that happened kinda motivated her to go into that field. She’s also overprotective of her friend and very straightforward. She has relationships but is still very strict about her job and very focused. Kerry also hides her emotions because she does not want to come off as being soft,” she said.

“It was very difficult because some was fictional, and some was reality. I felt exposed to the world because I was showing my soft side. I was also forced by my director [to play the role] and Andre Barnes helped to push it out,” she continued.

The cast includes Ricardo McFarlane and Mona-Dean Suprior.

Thomas said her journey in theatre began at Islington High School in St Mary. She would later join the Ashe Company in 2011, before ending up under the tutelage of director Tulloch.

Her other projects include Wine and Roses, Across the Bridge, Threesome, and Mama Take Me Back To Church.

Any words for up-and-coming actors?

“Push forward if this is what you’re hungry for. It is also not something that can happen overnight; you have to keep on pushing and working. You also have to understand that it is not easy — it comes with a lot of hard work, so if you know you’re not built for it, then you know that you should stop. Always read a lot and build your character, and always remember that people are watching so you must be mindful of the type of role model you want to be,” she said.