JTC 25: Saying Yes to the Spotlight

Maxwell Glasser has shaped his college years like a well-paced play, each act defined by risk, passion, creativity and possibilities.

As the University of Mississippi theatre arts major prepares to grace the Commencement stage and move to New York City, the curtain is rising on one of the most exciting acts of his life.

The Franklin, Tennessee, native’s college career includes performances at Ole Miss and with professional companies. It is built on a simple but powerful philosophy: Say yes to what excites you, even if it scares you.

“I just kept saying yes, and yes, and yes,” Glasser said. “It's gotten me to a point now where leaving this school, I feel so confident that I can go and tackle the real world as a performer.”

Act I: Defining His Role

From vaudeville shows to TV roles, the performing arts have been part of Glasser’s family DNA for generations. However, before he joined the university’s acting for stage and screen program, his journey to the spotlight didn’t follow a traditional script.

While he was growing up, his parents shared how demanding the life of an actor could be, encouraging him to consider other careers.

By middle school, Glasser couldn’t ignore the limelight. He was becoming a thespian, and each year that followed, he said yes to high school musicals and improvisation opportunities.

At 17, he agreed to fully embracing acting and ending his promising hockey career when a Broadway acting coach approached him following the school’s production of “The Music Man.”

“She was like, ‘If you want to do this, start now and you can do it but you have to dedicate the next six years of your life to do this type of work,’” Glasser said.

“I said, 'I totally want to do this.' I was tired of sports, hitting my head and getting concussions. Instead, I wanted to tap and dance and sing and all that fun stuff. So, by the start of senior year, I really started dedicating myself towards all things theater.”

Act II: Finding His People

When Glasser toured the Oxford campus for the first time, he wasn’t expecting a change of plans.

He’d already received acceptance into his top choice school in Connecticut and was ready to commit. But his visit with the UM Department of Theatre and Film made him pause.

“I toured here and met with the people in the department, and I just fell in love with it,” he said. “I was drawn to Ole Miss because of the community and the family that I saw here, especially in the theater department.”

Following that gut feeling led to a rare first-year student opportunity when he was cast in a department production of “Legally Blonde” at the start of his freshman year.

Glasser soon became known for his execution of roles, and also for his willingness to show up for his peers, prospective students and the growing improv scene on campus.

As the graduating president of the student-run improvisation group, UMprov, he helped the group grow in several ways, including organizing a statewide day of workshops and performances that brought in other improv teams from across the Southeast.

“He’s a rock-solid contributor,” said Joe Jackson, UM instructional assistant professor of musical theatre dance. “He’s taken improv to a whole new level with his leadership, and he’s the kind of student I always call on when we have a high school recruit visiting.

“He can connect with people instantly and that matters.”

Whether hosting aspiring students or cracking jokes on stage, Glasser has found meaning in building the kind of welcoming, inclusive environment he first experienced as a shy underclassman.

It’s the role he didn’t audition for but one that’s helped define his Ole Miss experience.

ACT III: Spotlight Roles

Many young performers may envy the resume Glasser built over the last four years. He starred in eight campus productions, served as an ambassador of the university’s performing arts culture and spent every summer working professionally in regional theaters across the nation.

Behind the stage lights, show posters, vocal lessons and jam-packed college course schedule was his unwavering commitment to saying yes.

That mindset opened the door to standout roles, including Seymour in “Little Shop of Horrors,” a performance that marked a turning point in his confidence as a lead.

“I’ll never forget seeing my parents and grandparents after that show,” said the self-proclaimed “charactery” actor. “They always believed in me, but that was the first time they saw me carry a whole production.”

It also led him to “Ride the Cyclone,” a lesser-known musical with only seven roles and a demanding rehearsal process. The cast had just four weeks, instead of the usual six or seven, to prepare the show, which ran for 12 performances in Meek Auditorium.

The role of Ricky, which Glasser played, presented new vocal challenges.

“It’s written for a rock tenor, written in this David Bowie, '80s glam rock, high falsetto kind of voice,” said Jackson, who directed the show. “Max has a nice, luscious

tenor range and watching him work with our music director to make sure he was doing what he needed to do to stay vocally healthy is a testament to his persistence.”

Even in the final weeks before graduation, Glasser was still pushing himself. Though he had never taken a tap class during his college years, he approached Jackson this spring to learn the basics before heading to New York.

“He knew it was a gap, and instead of avoiding it, he asked for help,” Jackson said. “He’s still learning and growing, and that’s what’s going to carry him far.”

Encore: Cast Advice

Glasser is grateful for the roles he has played and those that await him.

He already has an immediate post-graduation gig booked, a summer contract at Tibbits Opera House in Michigan.

His New York City apartment lease begins this August, where he plans to continue performing and chasing the dream that first sparked well before he became a Rebel.

Glasser’s advice to aspiring performers is simple.

“Keep saying yes,” Glasser said. “Even if it’s 3 a.m. and someone needs a self-tape, do it. What else are you going to do? This is what you want to do with your life. Why would you say no?”

It’s a mindset that carried him from a nervous freshman rehearsing lines in his dorm to a confident performer ready to tackle the professional world. For him, every opportunity was a chance to grow.

“The more opportunities you give yourself, the more chances someone else has to say yes to you."

Top: Matthew Glasser is set to perform this summer in Michigan following his graduation in May with a degree in theatre arts. The Ole Miss senior says the secret to his success is to always 'say yes to what excites you, even if it scares you.' Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

 See more photos from Maxwell Glasser's Journey to Commencement