GTCC drama instructor practices what he preaches with role in TheatreFEST 2024 production

“When I was an undergrad, most of my teachers were purely academic, then when I went to grad school they were all real actors or were working in the business. It gave me more respect and appreciation for what they taught,” Barbato said.

Nicholas Barbato figures the best way to make an impression on his young drama students is to lead by example.

That’s how the head of Guilford Technical Community College’s drama department wound up in a lead role during TheatreFEST 2024 at N.C. State University this summer.

 “When I was an undergrad, most of my teachers were purely academic, then when I went to grad school they were all real actors or were working in the business. It gave me more respect and appreciation for what they taught,” said Barbato, who was hired to lead the GTCC program late last summer.

“I thought it might be beneficial for our students to see their instructor active in the field.”

Several of his students did make the trip to Raleigh to see Barbato in the role of Rex during the 12-performance run of “The Great Beyond.” The endeavor, Barbato believes, will prove to be a positive one for the GTCC drama program.

“I think it’s been a nice opportunity for students, not just actors, but technicians, too,” said Barbato. “Some of my students came out to see me and I introduced them to some of the instructors there (N.C. State).”

Barbato’s goal is to grow the theater program at GTCC. His role in “The Great Beyond” was a huge step in that direction.

“I think it has led to me gaining a new board member from a state institution and it also opened up the communication channels between our program and N.C. State,” said Barbato, who hopes to be involved in a N.C. State TheatreFEST production again next summer and perhaps get some of his students involved.

The play also helped Barbato stretch his acting legs, something that had been lacking since the onset of the pandemic.

“It had been maybe three or four years since I did a live show,” said Barbato, adding that the show received solid reviews.

Before the pandemic, Barbato had been a very busy working actor. A member of the Actors Equity Association, Barbato’s acting credits include (film) “Boardwalk Empire,” “The Deuce,” “The Good Cop,” and “Monsters Inside Me” and stage performances throughout the northeast. Post pandemic, it was difficult finding work where he lived outside of New York City in neighboring New Jersey, he said.

“After the pandemic shut everything down, acting work dried up,” said Barbato. “It was tough to get a role in anything. My wife (his girlfriend at the time) and I thought about getting out of the area. It was expensive and a bit overwhelming.”

Barbato discovered the opening at GTCC, applied and landed the position. He and his wife Erika moved south last summer.

“It’s been nice,” he said of the move to the Piedmont Triad. “There’s a lot less traffic, it’s less crowded, less expensive, and people are friendly.”

Barbato says the first year as GTCC’s one-man theater department was “challenging but a lot of fun.”

In addition to teaching drama, Barbato also leads his students in a stage production each semester. He also works with anyone interested in staging and lighting for those productions.

Barbato primarily teaches acting, but also leads an introduction to theater class and theater history classes each semester along with a play production class.

With just one year under his belt, he already has witnessed a growth in the program and believes it will continue to blossom.

“I’ve already seen growth,” said Barbato. “Hopefully we can have bigger shows, better effects and bigger casts going forward.”