During my first two and a half years at Harvard, I had set my sights on broadcast journalism. It seemed like the practical choice – a career that felt stable and achievable while still focusing on storytelling, which I was passionate about. But deep down, I knew that telling stories through acting had always been my true passion. I’ve been drawn to performing since high school, where I competed in Speech tournaments across the country. The exhilaration of performing 10-minute monologues, back-to-back, weekend after weekend, gave me a sense of exhilaration and drive that I never really found anywhere else.
However, reconnecting with acting in college was very challenging for me. With a lot of Harvard’s theatrical productions being musicals, I felt out of place because I was never really a song and dance type of person. I found myself wondering if my passion for acting was destined to remain a high school memory. But everything changed when I stumbled across an internship opportunity at the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) through the Mignone Center for Career Success (MCS).
When I saw the A.R.T. was putting on Romeo and Juliet and looking for acting interns, I felt
torn. I had never performed Shakespeare before and was not sure if I would like it. Nevertheless,
I auditioned, went through 2 rounds of callbacks, and I was cast as an understudy for the role of
Sampson. Little did I know how transformative the upcoming 12 weeks would be.
From Day 1, at our first table read, I couldn’t stop smiling. The amount of talent and
professionalism was astounding. Actors would come in with entire scenes memorized after being
given a couple days’ notice. They would work in tandem with the director, Diane Paulus, to
workshop and create beautiful moments that all flowed together. The modern twist on the play
made it seem like it was written in the 2000s not the 1500s. Not to mention the amount of layers
– from the set design, to the comedy, to fight scenes, to love scenes, to tragedy – made the story
so complex and riveting. Being involved in the entirety of such a huge production so early in my
career was really a once in a lifetime opportunity. I was surrounded by extraordinary talent every
day, and every day I was reminded that this is where I belong.
I was also able to show off my own talent as I got to perform as Sampson for four shows during the run. Each time I stepped on stage, it felt surreal – I haven’t even finished undergrad but I’m performing in a professional production alongside Broadway and TV actors. I couldn’t believe that my very first acting credit would come from working with such an esteemed company. Butthen again, being on that stage couldn’t have felt more right. Every second was a dream come true and the joy I felt was unparalleled.
Looking back, it’s wild to think that just a few months ago, I was fully committed to pursuing
journalism. Although I loved acting more than anything, the reality of becoming an actor felt so
distant, and I had absolutely no idea where to start. This internship changed everything. It
literally put me in the same room as people who were living the lives that I once thought were
out of reach. All the passion I had for acting, which had been dormant for so long, came back the
most vibrant that it has ever been. Those 48 hour weeks of rehearsal have by far been the most
fulfilling creative process I’ve ever been a part of.
This experience also opened doors that I couldn’t have imagined: in June, I signed with a talent agency and I’m now regularly auditioning for TV and film. Honestly, this still doesn’t feel real,
but I am very excited to see where this journey takes me next.
This internship gave me the confidence to fully embrace acting as my career. It reaffirmed that
nothing else will ever fulfill me the way acting does. I will forever be grateful to the A.R.T. for
giving me my first real chance to step into the professional acting world – and for teaching me
that with enough drive, even the wildest careers are practical.
Here’s to the next chapter.
Author: Michael Torto
