When Joey Collins ‘25 was in third grade, he took a trip to New York City that helped to create a lifelong enthrallment with the performing arts. “I went to New York, and I saw “Wicked” with my Grandpa, and that was a big deal for me”, Collins said.

Since then he has consistently been involved in the performing arts.

Lately the endeavor that has taken up most of his time has been preparing for Once Upon a Mattress, which is this year’s musical.

So far he seems to be enjoying his first experience with theater at the high school.

“I think it’ll be pretty fun, it’s a pretty funny show, I’m excited for it”, Collins said, adding, “I like the song I get to sing, it’s a cool song vocally, but it’s also a cool song with dance because there’s a dance break half way through.”

And he seems to have impressed his fellow actors and actresses in rehearsals. “He’s a great performer and an incredible talent, especially for a freshman,” fellow “Once Upon a Mattress” cast member Robbie Dwortz ‘23 said.

This seeming ease with which he has adapted to theater at the high school level seems to be in part a product of his extensive past experience with theater. This is because of both the experience that it has given him with acting, dancing, and singing, and because it allowed him to become very familiar with the way highschool drama operates.

 “I did like middle school and elementary school theater and I’ve also done some stuff at Civic Theater downtown and Interlochen, and I would say that Civic and the high school are pretty similar, like their rehearsals are pretty similar,” Collins said.

 On top of his experience with theater, he also has significant experience with other areas of the performing arts. He has been taking dance classes for years and he also plays percussion in the school band.

All of these disparate experiences with different areas of the performing arts have helped him, as he has often been able to connect his experience in one area of the performing arts with other areas. 

“I’ve been playing piano since I was like six or seven, and I think my piano also helps me be able to like keep better rhythm in like voice [lessons] or dance [class], I think they all kind of intertwine with each other,” Collins said.

But all of these different pursuits do come at a cost, as they do leave him very busy, especially as he is also on the swim team. 

However, a busy schedule seems to suit him pretty well. 

“It definitely is busy, but I kind of like the busyness,” Collins said.

The pressures of such a hectic schedule also seem to be made easier by the fact that he seems to be very motivated when it comes to the performing arts.

“I’m always trying to improve and work on meeting short term goals in terms of like dancing and what I can do with my voice and the songs that I am able to sing,” Collins said.

Besides his dedication, another big asset that has helped him when it comes to the performing arts is how personable he is, and how easily he works with others.

“He is a very good partner in partnering class and he works well with everyone,” Gwen Patterson ‘23, who does dance class with Collins, said.

This ability to work well with others has also helped him make him a good leader.

“He’s  a  natural  born leader,” Patterson said.

 This has helped him take on leadership roles in many of the performing arts based activities that he is involved in.

For instance, he’s one of the dance captains for the upcoming musical.

Overall, he seems to have a very promising future ahead of him in the performing arts, both at East and beyond, as he hopes to study musical theater in college and pursue a career in theater.

And if the testimony of those who have worked with him is anything to go on, then this seems like a goal that he is likely to achieve.

“[He] will go very far with his musical and dancing talents,” Patterson said.