Whether playing Pilar, Muzzy Van Hossmere, Dorothy Brock, Judy Denmark, or Aida, Sya Collins dominates the stage. Besides her talent and dedication, her success can be attributed to her passion and complete love of the theater. Of all the productions she has been in she thinks of Aida as her favorite, “hands down,” saying it “was a good last fall musical.” She looks back fondly on the other shows she has been a part of, but praises Aida for standing out. “Legally Blonde was nice because as a freshman it is a fun show to start off with,” says Collins, “There were some similarities between Thoroughly Modern Millie and 42nd Street, but Aida was pretty different for everyone.” She holds the friendships she made throughout her time in the Nerinx Hall theater community in high regard. Speaking of the Aida community she says, “At first I was concerned because the cast wasn’t that close, but by the last month we all bonded.” Collins continued saying, “What made the show its best were the people that were in it, and as a senior it was really important that we had a good experience as a cast.”

Sya described a funny experience she had when she was recognized as Aida while working at Old Navy by the parent of another cast member. She said that being recognized, “feels great, man.” Despite what people may think, Sya was not born performing. Over her four years participating in theater, she feels that her acting abilities have grown. Reflecting on her high school theater career, she says what she will miss most is, “Jenni Ryan, cast parties, the family that you form with the cast, and the fun that you have in the three months of the show.”

Collins says she plans to continue doing theater after high school. Regarding college theater she says, “In college it will be kind of hard because if I go to a good music school, they will have a good theater program with good theater majors who are already in the shows, so I will have less opportunities.” When asked what advice she would give to a future Nerinx Hall thespian she says, “The production is important, but not as important as the people.”