Scholar Stories: Consuelos Using Lessons Learned from Wrestling to Thrive on Stage
1/29/2025 2:10:00 PM | Wrestling
Continuing the series that began in 2016-17, each week MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories, presented by Absopure.
By Sam Gold
Senior Joaquin Consuelos' experience at the University of Michigan could be considered unconventional as both a Wolverine wrestler and a student in its prestigious School of Music, Theatre and Dance. However, they are more similar than they might appear as his wrestling background has given him a distinct advantage as he hones his theatrical skills, helping him grow in both fields.
Preparation is critical for any great performance, whether on stage or the wrestling mat. Both require discipline, focus and an understanding of movement -- all skills that Consuelos has leveraged through his daily balance of wrestling and acting. He recognizes the strides he has made over the last four years.
"I actually understand the rules of the game a little bit better," Consuelos said. "I think my preparation has gotten better, that's one of the bigger differences."
But Consuelos did not initially seriously consider pursuing theater, instead he wanted to focus first on his wrestling career.
"As far as studying theater, I think it started with wrestling, and then the theater side was second." he said. "My wrestling coach in middle school, Jeff Marsh, also went to Michigan. So, I was automatically pushed in that direction a little bit."
Before his junior year, Consuelos' high school did not have a wrestling team, yet this helped him grow as a wrestler. He traveled after school and on the weekends to train and compete at Edge Wrestling, a well-known club in Hoboken, N.J. When his high school introduced a wrestling team, Consuelos was more than prepared.
"When I started wrestling New York-level competition, it was so funny, because I thought that these guys were so much worse," he said. "New York City is not on the same level wrestling-wise as New Jersey in any way."
Consuelos takes the lessons he has learned in wrestling, specifically the discipline and mental toughness he has had to develop on the mat, and applies them to other aspects of his life.
"One thing I did notice is that I'm able to mitigate any feelings of nervousness," he said. "When you're about to compete, it's a similar feeling, so you're just desensitized to it."
A similar influence is observed in his wrestling.
"I think the psychological side of theatre has helped my wrestling as far as knowing how your energy when you walk into a room affects the people around you," Consuelos said. "One thing that I love about the locker room is that it's never not a good vibe. It's pretty much always people cracking jokes and trash-talking to each other."
When it came time to audition for the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, he found that his wrestling background gave him a distinct advantage.
For Consuelos, the audition process for Michigan's theater program highlighted the supportive and talented environment he was looking for. It was more than a chance to demonstrate his skills, it was an opportunity to engage with the Michigan community.
After submitting two contrasting monologues, Consuelos was invited back to give a performance and participate in an interview, an experience that shaped his decision to attend.
"What I really liked about it was the interview portion. After you audition, they just talk to you, and I got a sense for the type of people that the faculty were," he said. "For Michigan, I felt at home during the interview portion. It just felt very natural talking to them, and it felt like a good group of people."
At first, Consuelos felt somewhat overwhelmed by the unique program offerings and intimidated by the high level of talent around him.
His first technical performance was a movement piece called "Movement Under the Microscope," performed on campus at the Museum of Natural History. The piece analyzed the movement and interaction of cells and Consuelos recalled, "I remember seeing an Instagram video of it and it felt like I didn't know what I was doing the whole time. I remember I called my parents after our first class, and I told them, 'OK, I would literally pay to watch some of these other performances.'"
Yet he was not deterred by that initial experience. Instead, it pushed him to improve his skills. Actively engaging with his classmates helped his outside preparation, where he used scene direction and physical props to constantly ask himself questions about his characters and their motivations.
"I think what made the difference from the first performance I did to now, is just being in the same room as other great actors for three years straight," Consuelos said. "The process just rubs off."
From left: Mark Consuelos, Joaquin Consuelos, Matt Maasdam, Sean Bormet, Josh Churella after a performance last semester.
Since his first technical performance, Consuelos has explored a wide range of unique theatrical techniques and genres, from stage combat to musical theater and opera. Last spring, he performed in the chamber opera "Elizabeth Cree" as one of the shadow play performers, a path he never imagined taking before coming to Michigan.
Consuelos credits his talented classmates for helping to challenge him and elevate his technique in acting. It's been the same experience with his wrestling teammates.
"Preparing for rehearsals a lot of times takes being around other people. The same with wrestling," he said. "Being around really high-level wrestlers is what has influenced my process more than anything. So, being around the type of actors that are here in my class, who are so good, has been really impactful."
It was spending time with his older brother that first sparked Consuelos's interest in theater and acting.
"With my brother, we would make short movies and stuff on our phones. That's when I started any remote type of acting," he said.
When his older brother could not make an audition, he encouraged Consuelos to go instead and embrace a challenging opportunity.
"I didn't get the part, but I thought that I could really do acting," he said. "I should actually look into doing this. That was the light bulb moment."
Now, in his final semester at Michigan, Consuelos is preparing to perform "A Few Good Men" at the Power Center in Ann Arbor on Feb. 20, a play encompassing the culmination of his undergraduate studies so far.
"I think it's a really good play. I'm a big music guy and the soundtrack of the play is cinematic," he said. "Just based off of the rehearsal process so far, I think this will have the most personal impact on me."
As Consuelos makes plans to continue his pursuit of acting and theater performance after his academic and athletic careers, he knows that his experiences with wrestling have laid the groundwork to tackle any challenges ahead.
"Wrestling will always be in my life because of the team," Consuelos said, "and I'll never not know the dudes on the team. I'll always be brothers for life with the team and with the coaches. I think that being in it has given me a big mental edge. I'll take the lessons that I learned and know that when things get hard, I'll definitely remember getting through the tough times in wrestling."
Players Mentioned
