Jeff Krisanda never dreamed about becoming an actor, but there he was one day, thrust upon the stage by his friends at Too Deep Entertainment, performing in a play at the North Albany YMCA to help commemorate Black History Month.

That was more than a year ago. Now, Krisanda seems immersed in his new passion for acting, and is performing in the Steamer No. 10 Theatre production of “Cinderella Tales,” currently in a four-week run at The Arts Center in Saratoga Springs. He also will play a role in the Too Deep Entertainment production of “Good News,” at 7 p.m. Saturday at The Egg.

A personal trainer at the North Albany YMCA, Krisanda, 22, is going to Mildred Elley School in Latham in the fall to participate in the school’s massage therapy program. An Albany native and a 2004 graduate of Albany High, Krisanda lives in Albany with his mother and a younger brother.

His co-star in “Cinderella Tales,” a series of short stories with different versions of the Cinderella story, is Joy Kaleel. Kaleel also regularly performs with Too Deep Entertainment, an Albany-based acting group that refers to itself as a “creative multicultural performing arts troupe that delivers powerful messages through education and entertainment in the community.”

Q: Why did you become an actor?

A: I had seen Too Deep Entertainment productions at the YMCA on numerous occasions, and I never thought I would be up there on stage with them. Then one day during a rehearsal at the Y, they needed somebody to play a part and they pulled me onto the stage. It was a lot of fun, and I realized it was a great way to give something back to the community. It was a way to be a positive influence in our community.

Q: Do you get nervous before a performance?

A: There are always some nerves, but I was never afraid. I felt like I knew what I was doing and I was going up there with a purpose. I try to have a lot of fun with what I’m doing, and you get this really good feeling when you’re done with a show and everything went well, like a real high. I remember that first time, it was like, “Wow, what a rush.” It’s a great sense of relief when you’re done, but you also really enjoy the whole process.

Q: You also seem to appreciate the mission of Too Deep Entertainment.

A: Our goal is to educate and entertain, and take issues that are prevalent in our community and put them on stage so people can look at them and think about them. We don’t necessarily give all the answers, but we want to bring these issues into the forefront. We want people to watch our shows and then go home and think about what they saw.

I also like the idea of exposing young people to theater. When I went to Albany High, there wasn’t a lot of opportunity to perform, or at least I wasn’t exposed to it. Maybe I would have started a lot earlier. So what we want to do is bring a more diverse theater to a bigger group of people.

Q: Tell us about “Cinderella Tales.”

A: It’s a collection of Cinderella stories from around the world and from different cultures. There’s an Irish version, an African and French version, and they’re all intertwined. It’s been going very well. It’s great to look out in the audience and see the kids enjoying themselves.

Q: What is “Good News” about?

A: It’s about the media and its influence in the world and our community. I play the CEO of a big news station, and I have a struggle with one of the reporters working for me. It’s a story about the power struggle between the big guy and the little guy, and how the media is involved in all of it.

Q: What do you do when you’re not acting or working?

A: I like to work out and exercise, and I’m going to Mildred Elley in the fall to become a massage therapist. It’s all under the same umbrella of wellness and fitness. I also just got a puppy. So I spend time with him and my family.

My mom and younger brother aren’t really into the theater, but they attend all the shows I’m in.