From reading Shakespeare and watching plays to playing the lead role in high school productions, Peter Niforatos ’25 has developed a passion for acting through years of dedication and hard work. His love began acting in middle school when he and his sister frequently put on productions at home. This led Niforatos to pursue theater throughout high school, most recently playing Phil Connors, the lead role in “Groundhog Day.” With every musical production, he continues to gain valuable experiences and develop a better understanding of acting, which he intends to pursue at New York University.

What was your favorite moment and role in high school acting?

The most fun I’ve had is between two [different plays]. I really enjoyed playing Lenny in “Rumors” because he’s a very high energetic character and ... I ended with this massive monologue, and he was such an intense character to play. [In contrast], I think the exact opposite when I played Nick Carraway back in “The Great Gatsby.” I remember that was such a meticulous character and one that I really had to focus on every single detail. [Lenny] was the exact opposite experience and it was fun to play and really [interesting] to figure out how I was going to do that.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an actor?

The most challenging one is “Groundhog Day” because I’ve always been more of an actor than a singer and dancer ... “Groundhog Day” in particular is a show about a change in a person. A lot of the characters change from the beginning [to the end], and that’s one of the most important things. I think to have somebody completely go from a depressed and pessimistic character and change to somebody who is more positive and an optimistic person is really hard to nail, especially because in a lot of shows you change with other characters. But in “Groundhog Day,” because everybody is repeating the exact same day, except for Phil, it’s really important to find that change within yourself, instead of from outside forces.

What lessons have you learn about acting?

The biggest thing I’ve learned is to think of less specific elements. I used to always think about how every single word could mean a specific thing ... and while that can be useful, I think what I really learned to do is to [bring the right amount] of energy into a scene based on how I feel. So every single time I do things now, it’s always different. I think letting yourself be that vulnerable and convince yourself that you’re the character in that moment, that I think is really what acting is.

What advice would you give to someone who wants or plans to become a lead role in a play, or someone who wants to go into acting in the future?

The number one thing is dedication. You have to be ready to embrace it all. It’s a big commitment and it’s similar to people who do sports and want to be captain. I would say you have to be prepared to put a lot of your time and effort into it. You have to be able to memorize your lines, your blocking, and you really have to be able to commit yourself to not just practice when you’re in school, but make sure you understand things when you’re out of school ... but maybe if you love it, then I think it’s just gonna come naturally if you keep doing it.

What do you do if you ever feel nervous before a performance and how do you overcome that feeling?

I always feel nervous before a performance, but it has calmed over the years ... the problem with those feelings are probably exacerbated, but I think you just have to learn to embrace them. I think trying to make them go away really will mess you up. I remember I used to try to push them out and not feel nervous anymore, but then they would just show up anyway. The biggest thing with nervous energy is the fact that there’s energy there. You need to use that energy and apply it to everything, and then it quickly turns into excitement. But, once you start doing everything and start feeling it and then all of sudden things start happening.