Looking out to an audience filled room from under glaring spotlights is a daunting task. For Matthew Snyder, sophomore, however, this is a dream come true. Snyder has over a decade of singing and dancing experience under his belt, and he couldn’t imagine himself doing anything else.

“I’m a song and dance man for sure,” Snyder said.

In fourth grade, Snyder began his career as Benjamin in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Since then, he has been in countless productions within school and outside of school. His favorites are “In the Heights,” which presented a fun story for the cast, and “Anna Karenina,” which taught Snyder about Russian culture as he worked on playing a character adopted into a Russian family.

Coming up, Snyder will be performing in the “Rock of Ages” put on by Portland’5 Centers for the Arts. He will be playing Franz, the son of a German developer who has plans to tear down one of the oldest buildings on the Sunset Strip. With the town rallying against them and a love story in the midst of it all, this production will be one to remember.

“We only have four weeks to prepare, but I already know this will be one of my favorites,” Snyder said. “Since it is set in the 80s, it will be campy, raunchy and everything in between.”

Even though Snyder devotes his life to theater, he admits that it is definitely the hardest performing art. Not only does he have to combine his singing talents as well as his dancing talents, but when tech rehearsal comes up, Snyder can spend up to 12 hours at one rehearsal. It can be tiring, but he embraces the challenge and focuses on the bright side, influencing his fellow cast along the way.

“He knows what he’s doing and how to get things done,” Matthew Lewis, junior, said. “He’s a great person to be around.”

With little spare time, Snyder looks forward to those scarce moments he can spend with his family and friends. Snyder has a full plate, but he is excited to see how he can continue following his passion in the future. Whether on the Broadway stage or the Hollywood screens, Snyder is ready to do what it takes to get there.

“I’m open to possibilities, but I definitely want to do this as a career,” Snyder said.