As the lights begin to dim on his high school career, Matty Baglio ’23 reflects on his acting journey that started in middle school. Attending a camp at McCarter Theatre sparked his initial interest in theater, and he has spent his time performing ever since. Recently, you may have seen him performing as Aaron Fox in last year’s spring musical, “Curtains,” Chip Tolentino in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”, or Lucas Beineke in “The Addams Family.” Being involved in theater opened up many opportunities for Baglio such as competing in the STANJ (Speech & Theatre Association of New Jersey) competition, which involved competing in categories such as improv pairs and musical solo. Theater has also given Baglio the opportunity to work with the tech crew on various school productions. His long-standing involvement in theater has also resulted in the creation of many long lasting friendships, and he enjoys getting to participate in an environment that allows everyone to support and encourage one another.

Which of your acting performances are you the most proud of?

I would probably say Aaron Fox in “Curtains,” just because I had to put the most work into that one, but in “I Love You Because” sophomore year, I had a lead and it was really tough because the actors really couldn’t see each other until close to the filming of the show. I would say those two.

What do you look forward to acting in most for your senior year?

Whatever the musical is, because that’s gonna be a really important show for me. Everybody says “Don’t miss your senior musical!” That’s the one I’m most looking forward to, just because everything has been leading up to this point.

Who have you performed with that has influenced your acting the most?

If I had to choose one, I’d say Dean Morgan, because we were in the same cast last year in “Curtains,” we had a bunch of scenes together, we worked very well together, and at the end of the day he helped me out with a lot. It was a very beneficial working relationship, and also we’re friends, so that’s good.

What have you learned in the last few years that has helped you become a better performer?

Perform it like you’re doing it for the very first time. Never perform anything like you’ve been practicing it for months even though you have, because you want the audience to feel like it’s their first time experiencing it, and if you look bored onstage, they’re not gonna get the same experience. One more, which is kind of cliché, is that if you get onstage and you’re nervous, you have to just trust yourself. That’s it. Those two words, it kind of works every time.

What do you enjoy the most about the experience of onstage acting?

It’s kind of thrilling because it has to be perfect, but at the same time you can let your experience kind of soar throughout the whole show. I think you have opportunities whenever you’re onstage to be someone that people remember, which is pretty cool.

Do you think your younger self would have imagined that you’d perform as much as you do now?

Yes and no. I feel like I’ve always wanted to do these shows, but I’ve never thought about doing tech crew, which I do for the plays. I always thought that I would be able to do everything so seamlessly, but I’ve had to whittle it down to three big things that I do in high school: singing, acting, and baseball.

What has the experience of getting to work on tech crew for shows been like?

It’s pretty cool because I’ve never seen the backstage side, and now I know how everything runs and operates. I have a bigger respect for it now when I’m performing, because I know what needs to be done and I’m not gonna try to get in their way.

What has the experience of getting to compete in the STANJ competition been like?

To be able to represent not only yourself, but also your school and the other talented people that you’re there with, is very special. Everybody challenges one another to be the best they can be, but also encourages one another in order to be a great team.

Was there anyone you looked up to that made you feel encouraged to get into acting?

I watched Disney Channel a lot as a kid, [so] I always wanted to do that. I was like, “Oh my god, I’m gonna be on a show.” Watching those kids do that, and thinking, “I could do that!”

What do you think is most important when trying to emulate a character?

Everybody in the world has an intricate life with a backstory for years, and every single day there’s been something in that person’s life that has affected who they are as a person. I think you have to remember that when you’re playing a character, because you’re not only just playing that character in that amount of time and that setting, but you’re playing that character after all this stuff has happened in their life, and before everything that is going to happen in their life. You kind of have to remember that they’re also a human, they’re not just an enigma. They’re a real person, and I think you have to remember that so it comes off as authentic.

What is so special about acting that non-performers may not realize?

It gives you an outlook into another world. It’s a different place from here, and you get to experience it as well as learn how to put it all into perspective: If you’re learning about this other person, how does that affect your life here? How does becoming this person for two hours on a Saturday night help you in your life?

What is your favorite memory from past performances?

My freshman year, the musical was “Freaky Friday,” and it never happened, but the rehearsal process for that show was so fun. All these dance numbers, a bunch of moving set pieces, everyone was going crazy. At the end of the day, that was something that I was never able to do before in middle school, and coming into this experience was super new and exciting.

What do you find important when it comes to acting through song?

In a musical, you only ever sing when there’s a need to sing, when there’s a need to express emotion in a different way. I don’t think you get that through normal acting all the time. When you’re singing, and there’s music behind it, and there’s an emotion behind it that you can really show through your voice, I think there’s something really different and really special about it.

What has been the most difficult part of performing for you?

It’s a learning curve, because there are going to be some people that are more or less talented than you are, and it’s all about working as a group and finding the strengths within everybody to become a cohesive unit.

Is there anything about your performance that you think has improved since freshman year?

It’s kind of stupid if I say dancing, because I never danced before high school and then all of a sudden, I was told to do it all the time, but that’s gotten way better. I was not a dancer at all, but that’s a big part of musical theatre, you have to have all three. My acting in general has gotten better by being around people that are just crazy talented.

What do you think makes a good actor?

Somebody who’s willing to think outside the box. Somebody who’s willing to make some choices that may not be totally normal, but at the end of the day they help bring the character to life.

Have there been any mentors that have helped you find yourself the most as an actor?

The seniors from last year, Avery, Hannah, Teddy, Dean, and Lydia.