By Jess Sloan, Contributor
Peter Martino is a sophomore finance major, but he steps away from numbers as a dedicated member of the Manhattan College Players. Although he is now a very active actor, he once had no idea what he was getting into.
“I started acting freshman year of high school. I almost didn’t do it because I was really nervous. I had never done anything like that,” says Martino. However, he overcame those nerves and ended up acting for all four years of high school.
“I wanted to continue to do theater here,” said Martino in regards to why he chose to join the Players in the first place.
In his freshman and sophomore years of college, Martino has spent a great deal of time with the Players, performing roles from Warner in “Legally Blonde: The Musical” to Glenn in the Players’ most recent show, “Rumors”.
“Legally Blonde: The Musical” had Martino performing songs such as “Serious” and “There Right There!” while portraying Elle Woods’ ex-boyfriend Warner, who she chases to Harvard University in Boston from Los Angeles, California. His performance, as a freshman in a major role of a musical, was entertaining and hilarious.
He also performed in the Player’s annual murder mystery of last month, “The Crimson House Murder”, as Colonel Chutney, a wild man who seemingly believed he was still in India in the 1880s fighting in a war. His convincing accent, along with his vivacious movements, showed off his physical comedy skills, even in a minor role within the show.
Or there was “Rumors”, where Martino portrayed Glenn Cooper, a man who spends majority of the dinner party arguing with his wife Cassie (played by Michelle Lapreay) over special crystals and making rushed monologues to sway the police. Yet again, another hilarious performance.
Additionally, Martino claims that “Rumors” is his favorite show yet that he has performed in with the Players.
He also included about the club, “I like it. Most of my friends are there, and I’ve met some good people.” Aside from the acting aspect, Martino has built lasting friendships with his fellow Players.
The student-run aspect of the program is one of Martino’s favorite factors, because it gives what he describes as a “fulfilling” feeling.
“I like how the program is similar to what I had in high school,” says Martino, “it’s small, everybody knows each other.”
He includes that the Players’ productions are “student run,” and that “students build the sets, students do the promotions, and students play the music for the musical.” Martino is very proud of the fact that students, including he and his friends, do such a great deal of the work that is involved with putting up a show.
Although his studies are completely unrelated to acting, Martino has had a long-term passion for performing. He shows that he is able to balance his hobby with his schoolwork, all while having a fun time on stage.
“The excitement you get on stage… there’s really nothing quite like it,” Martino concluded with a smile.