Sheree Curry: So hello everyone. Thank you for joining This Conversation Matters. Today we're speaking with Nisi Collins, who is starring in Pinocchio as the lead character at the Children's Theatre here in Minneapolis. Welcome, Nisi.
Nisi Collins: Thank you. Yeah, I'm Antonisia Collins. I'm playing Pinocchio in Pinocchio.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And so this is not your first time in a Children's Theatre production. So tell us a little bit about kind how you kinda got started with Children's Theatre and then how the Pinocchio role came about for you.
Nisi Collins: Yeah, so I moved to Minnesota in 2023 to be a performing apprentice. So I I graduated college, but during college, before we graduated, one of my professors handed us a thing. It was like audition for this and it was the apprentice program, apprenticeship for CTC. And so I auditioned, I got it and I moved here to Minnesota and So as a performing apprentice, I was in all the mainstage shows that season, the 2023-2024 season. I served as like a mentor to the kids, helped with warm-ups, and it wasn't just It was two of us. and we served as mentors, we did workshops, did warmups, all these things. And then that next year, I was just lucky enough to be cast in everything on the main stage again, the 2024-2025 season. But as a regular actor, I was no longer an apprentice because that was just a year-long thing. And then this year, I was asked by the artistic director, Rick Dildine, if I would be a part of the core company as an actor. So now I am a company member at CTC and he had told me that he wanted me to play Pinocchio. So I was fortunate enough to where I didn't have to audition for it. I was asked if I wanted to play it and and I was like Really thrilled by it and here I am now.
Sheree Curry: Okay, great. and when we look at what, Pinocchio is about and a lot of people will identify that as a male child. and I read before how you talked about when you're thinking of the character, you think of your younger brother. tell us a little bit about that, like how how old is your brother now? Is it like seven or eight or
Nisi Collins: Yeah, my younger brother is seven years old.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And so how do you make that kind of comparison between your brother and preparing for this role?
Nisi Collins: Yeah, my brother, he is really curious. He's a very curious child and Pinocchio is a very curious child. He's always repeating what he's hearing and asking questions and processing information as you give it to him and repeating it right then and there, you know. And my brother is a very curious child and he gets into things that he doesn't need to be getting into, you know, he's kind of mischievous a little bit and you know, he's I feel like that's like all kids, but My brother, I feel like I can pull a lot of inspo from him.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And and where is it that you that you grew up?
Nisi Collins: I'm from Montgomery, Alabama.
Sheree Curry: Okay, I have family all over Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, Bay Minette, Montgomery area as well. Great to hear that. And so tell me a little bit about what got you interested in acting. Was it did you do that in your childhood as well?
Nisi Collins: Yeah, I did. I have been acting since I was probably like five. Whatever age you are in kindergarten, that's how long I've been acting. I've always gone to a arts and magnets school, so I've always done I did theater and guitar for a very long time and then I chose theater. And my degree is in musical theater. So I've done it since I was a little baby.
Sheree Curry: what's been one of your other favorite performances?
Nisi Collins: I have loved being a part of Milo Imagines the World at CTC. I played the sister Adrian and that show was a really powerful show is about the sister and the brother and they're going on a train ride on this journey and they're going to see their mom who is in prison, but the audience doesn't know that until the end of the show. But we are going through the brother's imagination and how creative he is and you know, just dealing with that family dynamic. I've loved being in Frozen. There's I d there's not a show that I've not loved. I've played Ti Moune in Once on This Island. A lot of things that I'm just really grateful for.
Sheree Curry: Okay, great. And so with going back to the Pinocchio character and we know that there's so much interpretation still that can kind of go on in theater and in roles. And we have seen in society some controversy sometimes when for audiences when it's again an an actor that maybe they're not expecting in a role. So how did you maybe prepare outside of your brother in terms of knowing that you're taking on a role that has traditionally been played by men and did you kind of feel any sense of how you might have to a address that, you know, as a woman and as a black woman?
Nisi Collins: Yeah, I didn't I chose to just go in and not think about it 'cause I'm like, it it this is what it is. It should be you know, like it there should be nothing else to it. I'm going in and I'm playing Pinocchio and everybody is gonna be okay with me playing Pinocchio, you know what I mean? so I just d I'm just doing it truthfully and honestly and trying to tap into what I feel like the at my age of 25 what I feel like child how I feel like a child would inhabit this character as best as I can and I'm not I'm just going in with that.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And and when we look at what the Pinocchio story is about, what maybe would you want youth to know, other other children, in terms of what it means to be I'm gonna consider like truly human, you know, because all children kind of go through different spurts in their life in terms of how do they how do they fit in, how are they accepted, who are they really? So what's some of that the meaning behind it that you would give advice for children?
Nisi Collins: Yeah. So I feel like oftentimes we hear like people can't change, people are stuck in their ways and stuff. And with this story and the character of Pinocchio, how there's the this wooden boy going through this journey of becoming a real boy. I want kids to know that you can make mistakes and you can learn and grow from those mistakes. You're not stuck in something that you've done in the past and you can always grow and change despite what some people say.
Sheree Curry: Okay. Thank you. And and now with some of of how maybe you have grown and changed, how would you make that comparison to your own career?
Nisi Collins: Yeah, with my career I would struggle a lot with trying to be perfect and trying to make sure I'm making the right decision every time and really, you know, I get so caught up in if I do something wrong or if like acting, if I like mess up a line or like, you know, do something where I'm like, no, I messed up. I don't want anyone to be mad at me. But like embodying this character, I'm like, girl, breathe it is okay, you know, I can make that mistake and I can move on from it. and so I'm trying to carry that now and have been, you know, since we started this process and it's been teaching me a lot.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And so with that then let's talk about the advice that maybe you could give to adults when working with with children or parenting children in terms of giving them that confidence that they might need or not getting too frustrated if they were to do something wrong or whatever else. What advice do you have?
Nisi Collins: Yeah, I guess just tying into what I've said before about mistakes, we as adults also have to allow for those mistakes to happen. And I know we get caught up in like learn from my mistakes and you know, let let me tell you what to do. And sometimes you have to experience things because those things shape who you are. And so we have to have the ability to allow those things to happen.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And I know often we also hear a lot about, j just do it because I said so, right? Without the without the explanation. And and it's so very important, I think to give children the explanation as to why it is you want them to do, to do something a a certain way so looking at and go back to some of your other roles that you have played you also did you were a Little Red, right? as well. Yeah, yeah, go ahead.
Nisi Collins: I was just saying, yeah, I've been LIttle Red before. in college I was Little Red in Into the Woods.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And so tell us a little bit about that that role
Nisi Collins: Yeah, it's interesting. Well, I'll tell you little I've played Little Red, I've played Ti Moune in Once on This Island, who is also a young character, and now I'm playing Pinocchio, who's a young character. And I'm what I'm finding to be so interesting about playing youthful characters and these younger characters who are like essentially like sixteen or younger, I guess, is just how curious they are. And it's so special to be playing these roles because I feel like, you know, we d we sometimes don't like search for information enough, you know, and we don't seek out information enough. And to be in these roles where I feel like I'm sitting there and I'm processing information in real time as this character. It's been so insightful to be playing these youthful characters, these characters that are finding a journey as they like finding their way as they're going on these journeys has been so special. I know you're specifically asking about Little Red, but it's the same for her. She's going on this journey, you know, and she's making mistakes. She's trusting just ran randomly trusting people, you know, and it's just it's very insightful to be playing these characters and going along these journeys with them
Sheree Curry: Okay, thank you. And I'm glad you mentioned some of the the other youthful characters that you played, the younger characters. And then you also played Robin Hood, so not a young character. Tell us about that that difference in that mindset of getting to that character.
Nisi Collins: Yeah, I've played Robin Hood, I've played Gandalf and The Hobbit, like I've I've played a bunch of things. But it's like I guess the opposite of that is like how wise these older characters are and how they are imparting knowledge on everyone around them. And it's been fun to play that as well, to be the wise character or the the heroic character, you know? And they're all they're all beautiful and magical in their own ways and I love to be able to do all the things and experience all the things.
Sheree Curry: Okay, great. And so tell a little bit about like your process for preparing for an individual show. And I look at it like I'm, you know, I'm so grateful and thankful that you're speaking with me today. You have a show later today. And so being into that mindset to kind of go from From doing this right now on to then in a couple of hours or less, you're gonna be behind the scenes getting ready and getting into makeup and all of that. So tell us about the your your typical day, first before a show and then what it's like once you're actually behind the stage, getting ready and getting prepped for the show.
Nisi Collins: Yeah. Each day is kind of different depending on what is happening that day. Like the today's been a bit of a different day because I've had a few interviews before having to go and do the two shows that we have today. but other times I like 'cause I also have an office job at CTC. So sometimes I'll like do a show in the morning, go to upstairs to work and then go downstairs. But I often I try to warm up as much as I can. this production of Pinocchio it's I have I'm like carrying myself as if I'm a wooden person. So I it's I'm like stiff all the time. And so it's been getting to my back a little bit. And so I'm trying to stretch, warm up. If it were a musical, I do vocal warm-ups. I try to drink a lot of water no matter what day it is. I'm trying to drink a lot of water to prepare. and then when I get to the theater, usually we have a half hour call, we're getting ready, hair, makeup, whatever you need to do. and for this show I have been starting my process like at our half hour call when I'm done getting into my costume and everything. I have been sitting down and I have just been coloring before I start the show. 'Cause I'm like it's easing my mind. I feel like it's a youthful thing that I'm doing, you know, and I'm like taking a breath and I'm going and I'm coloring. And then I go backstage and I talk to the rest of the cast and we have a hoot and we laugh and then we do the show.
Sheree Curry: Okay, great. Tell me about some of the other cast members.
Nisi Collins: Okay, I love them so much. Reed Sigmund, Autumn Ness, Dean Holt, and Victor Zupanc. He's our musician and he has a few lines here and there. But he's primarily playing music. I think he's playing twenty five instruments in the show. which is so cool. But with the rest of the actors, we're all a part of the core company as actors at CTC. And when I first got here, Reed, Dean and Autumn quickly became like mentors for me, whether they wanted it or not, I just kind of latched onto them and was like, information, give it to me, give it to me now. so I quickly developed good working relationships and friendships with them too and I learned from them so much. They have been doing this for years. They have been actors at CTC for for decades and they also started out as performing apprentices and the knowledge that they have, I just like I feel so lucky and blessed to be in the same space as them and be able to absorb anything they have to give me. And so it's amazing. And then Chauncy is going to replace Dean. Sorry, it's a whole thing. But he is also a part of the company as an actor. And so do being able to do this for show as a c cause I'm a Company member as an actor and this being my first show of that in this role and being able to do it with everyone else who's an actor in the company is so special and I'm so excited to embark on the journey that we're about to go through together. And yeah, they're all just amazing and they're so wonderfully talented and I wouldn't trade this for the world.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And so when the curtain goes down and tell me about like how some of that for lack of a better word, I'm gonna say decompression after the show and then something about how you and the rest of the cast or and and even the other people behind the scenes may get together or not get together or whatever whatever you might do.
Nisi Collins: Yeah, so after the shows, we're all pretty exhausted. When it's something like the weekends, like Saturdays and Sundays, we always have two show days, but the Saturdays and Sundays are always back to backs. So we have a meal in between and then we do the other show. And so but we're all usually pretty exhausted by the end of this show. And you'll see because you're about to see it, but it's a really physical show. So we're all pretty exhausted. So we all kind of just want to go home. but we get we do our chit-chatting most of the time before the shows. Like we'll, you know, get together in the dressing rooms and like just chat and stuff, share snacks and you know. depending on the show, every now and then we'll go to like a dinner or something after a show. But for this one, we're all pretty exhausted by the time it's over. So we're just looking to go home and go to bed.
Sheree Curry: Yeah, I understand. And so, and then you mentioned that you also have an office job. So tell us a little bit more about that.
Nisi Collins: Yeah, so I work with our Generation Now program at CTC, which in a nutshell it is me working with our partner theaters to help commission new work for people of color. and our partner theaters are Penumbra Theater here in St. Paul, Latino Theater Company in California, Native Voices Theater in California, and Ma-Yi Theater in New York. And we've been doing this program for about five years now. I haven't always worked on it. I started my process with it last year. And it's not forever. It's based on a grant, and our grant ends December of 2027. But I feel so honored to be a part of this process and be working on discovering and finding and cultivating new work for people of color. I think that's very important. Right now especially and so I've been truly enjoying it.
Sheree Curry: Okay. So what's an example of so basically you're helping to kind of find productions that that for example Penumbra Theater could put on?
Nisi Collins: Yeah, so what it is is we find, well, CTC, we're kind of the hub, so we help the partner theater with whatever they need and we do workshops and stuff like that. but the partner theater usually finds a writer. They all had to commission four different pieces at their respective theater, and one of them had to be a musical. And they find a writer and whatever subject matter that the writer wants to write about, you know, it's usually something that's like, you know, relevant today and can be universal years to come as well. And so they find the writer, the writer writes it, we do workshops, notes and stuff on the drafts, really get it together to a place where it's hopefully producible. And we can shop it around, we can produce it at our theaters and yeah, just getting new works out there.
Sheree Curry: Okay, great, great. So how has all of this experience continues your own learning?
Nisi Collins: Yeah, so especially with this office job, I've this is my first time being on like the other side of the table. I've usually always been the actor on stage, you know. And so just learning about budgets and learning about what goes into developing a piece, the all the moving pieces, who needs to be in the room. you know, it's been really insightful to like 'cause I don't know, I always have questions of like, I wonder why this happened or I wonder why the author did this and like a script and stuff. And just being able to be like, this is how this stuff works. And you know, it's been really insightful to be on this producing side of the table. I I'm really enjoying it.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And what's your long term goal with your career?
Nisi Collins: I just I know oftentimes people are like Broadway, Broadway. And for me it's not even necessarily Broadway. I just want to be able to act and make a living for the rest of my life. You know, I it I don't I I mean I I would love if I were on Broadway. Please, please don't misunderstand me. But I just as long as I feel fulfilled, as long as I'm showing my talent to the world and telling a story that changes someone's life. And I hope to be doing that for the rest of my life 'cause I love it so much.
Sheree Curry: If there was a Broadway musical, and by the way, I'm a huge, huge fan of musicals. Uh-huh. And I used to live in New York and I used to go also go to a lot of Broadway musicals. What's maybe one of your favorite ones that if you could perform in that you would that you do? And why?
Nisi Collins: I think I would wanna perform in Lion King and because growing up it was my favorite Disney movie. And so if I were just able to be in the ensemble of The Lion King, I'd be like, Yes, you know. I just yeah.
Sheree Curry: Okay. Now and now we were to pick a lead character. Would you still pick a lead character in Lion King or would it be a different
Nisi Collins: If I had to pick a lead character, I would probably want to be in Wicked.
Sheree Curry: Mm.
Nisi Collins: And I probably want to be Elphaba in Wicked.
Sheree Curry: Absolutely, absolutely. I can see it. So what else would you like for people to know about acting in general?
Nisi Collins: I guess I want people to know that acting is tr it's so vulnerable and it's so special. And if you can go see live theater, I'd recommend it all the time. you can see real stuff happen on the stage. Even if some mistakes happen, you can see the actors, you know, fix it on the fly and stuff. It's a magical experience and it's so nice to see someone put their whole heart on a stage. And so people can go see live theater. And if they can come see Pinocchio, I really hope that they do.
Sheree Curry: Yeah, absolutely. So that so now with that last one. So when they do come see and it's gonna be when they do come see What's something that you would say be on the lookout for?
Nisi Collins: Mm-hmm. I will say Maybe people fly. Maybe. Who knows? Who knows?
Sheree Curry: Okay, okay. And then last question in terms of let's just go with one more piece of advice for the aspiring for for those who are maybe like still in high school or maybe first couple of years of college. What's what's the other piece of advice you would give?
Nisi Collins: I like to say 'cause a lot in even me myself, a lot of people we get nervous and we don't wanna put ourselves in a position to be embarrassed or to be frightened publicly. And I would say that it's okay that you are nervous. It's okay to feel scared and embarrassed like or shy, because that means you care. And as long as you care, then it's worth doing.
Sheree Curry: Okay. Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure. And I am looking forward to again seeing you in the show. Okay.
Nisi Collins: Okay, I'm happy you're coming.
Sheree Curry: Thank you. Okay. Have a have a good performance.
Nisi Collins: Thank you.
Sheree Curry: Yeah. Bye-bye.
Nisi Collins: Bye.
Nisi Collins: Thank you. Yeah, I'm Antonisia Collins. I'm playing Pinocchio in Pinocchio.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And so this is not your first time in a Children's Theatre production. So tell us a little bit about kind how you kinda got started with Children's Theatre and then how the Pinocchio role came about for you.
Nisi Collins: Yeah, so I moved to Minnesota in 2023 to be a performing apprentice. So I I graduated college, but during college, before we graduated, one of my professors handed us a thing. It was like audition for this and it was the apprentice program, apprenticeship for CTC. And so I auditioned, I got it and I moved here to Minnesota and So as a performing apprentice, I was in all the mainstage shows that season, the 2023-2024 season. I served as like a mentor to the kids, helped with warm-ups, and it wasn't just It was two of us. and we served as mentors, we did workshops, did warmups, all these things. And then that next year, I was just lucky enough to be cast in everything on the main stage again, the 2024-2025 season. But as a regular actor, I was no longer an apprentice because that was just a year-long thing. And then this year, I was asked by the artistic director, Rick Dildine, if I would be a part of the core company as an actor. So now I am a company member at CTC and he had told me that he wanted me to play Pinocchio. So I was fortunate enough to where I didn't have to audition for it. I was asked if I wanted to play it and and I was like Really thrilled by it and here I am now.
Sheree Curry: Okay, great. and when we look at what, Pinocchio is about and a lot of people will identify that as a male child. and I read before how you talked about when you're thinking of the character, you think of your younger brother. tell us a little bit about that, like how how old is your brother now? Is it like seven or eight or
Nisi Collins: Yeah, my younger brother is seven years old.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And so how do you make that kind of comparison between your brother and preparing for this role?
Nisi Collins: Yeah, my brother, he is really curious. He's a very curious child and Pinocchio is a very curious child. He's always repeating what he's hearing and asking questions and processing information as you give it to him and repeating it right then and there, you know. And my brother is a very curious child and he gets into things that he doesn't need to be getting into, you know, he's kind of mischievous a little bit and you know, he's I feel like that's like all kids, but My brother, I feel like I can pull a lot of inspo from him.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And and where is it that you that you grew up?
Nisi Collins: I'm from Montgomery, Alabama.
Sheree Curry: Okay, I have family all over Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, Bay Minette, Montgomery area as well. Great to hear that. And so tell me a little bit about what got you interested in acting. Was it did you do that in your childhood as well?
Nisi Collins: Yeah, I did. I have been acting since I was probably like five. Whatever age you are in kindergarten, that's how long I've been acting. I've always gone to a arts and magnets school, so I've always done I did theater and guitar for a very long time and then I chose theater. And my degree is in musical theater. So I've done it since I was a little baby.
Sheree Curry: what's been one of your other favorite performances?
Nisi Collins: I have loved being a part of Milo Imagines the World at CTC. I played the sister Adrian and that show was a really powerful show is about the sister and the brother and they're going on a train ride on this journey and they're going to see their mom who is in prison, but the audience doesn't know that until the end of the show. But we are going through the brother's imagination and how creative he is and you know, just dealing with that family dynamic. I've loved being in Frozen. There's I d there's not a show that I've not loved. I've played Ti Moune in Once on This Island. A lot of things that I'm just really grateful for.
Sheree Curry: Okay, great. And so with going back to the Pinocchio character and we know that there's so much interpretation still that can kind of go on in theater and in roles. And we have seen in society some controversy sometimes when for audiences when it's again an an actor that maybe they're not expecting in a role. So how did you maybe prepare outside of your brother in terms of knowing that you're taking on a role that has traditionally been played by men and did you kind of feel any sense of how you might have to a address that, you know, as a woman and as a black woman?
Nisi Collins: Yeah, I didn't I chose to just go in and not think about it 'cause I'm like, it it this is what it is. It should be you know, like it there should be nothing else to it. I'm going in and I'm playing Pinocchio and everybody is gonna be okay with me playing Pinocchio, you know what I mean? so I just d I'm just doing it truthfully and honestly and trying to tap into what I feel like the at my age of 25 what I feel like child how I feel like a child would inhabit this character as best as I can and I'm not I'm just going in with that.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And and when we look at what the Pinocchio story is about, what maybe would you want youth to know, other other children, in terms of what it means to be I'm gonna consider like truly human, you know, because all children kind of go through different spurts in their life in terms of how do they how do they fit in, how are they accepted, who are they really? So what's some of that the meaning behind it that you would give advice for children?
Nisi Collins: Yeah. So I feel like oftentimes we hear like people can't change, people are stuck in their ways and stuff. And with this story and the character of Pinocchio, how there's the this wooden boy going through this journey of becoming a real boy. I want kids to know that you can make mistakes and you can learn and grow from those mistakes. You're not stuck in something that you've done in the past and you can always grow and change despite what some people say.
Sheree Curry: Okay. Thank you. And and now with some of of how maybe you have grown and changed, how would you make that comparison to your own career?
Nisi Collins: Yeah, with my career I would struggle a lot with trying to be perfect and trying to make sure I'm making the right decision every time and really, you know, I get so caught up in if I do something wrong or if like acting, if I like mess up a line or like, you know, do something where I'm like, no, I messed up. I don't want anyone to be mad at me. But like embodying this character, I'm like, girl, breathe it is okay, you know, I can make that mistake and I can move on from it. and so I'm trying to carry that now and have been, you know, since we started this process and it's been teaching me a lot.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And so with that then let's talk about the advice that maybe you could give to adults when working with with children or parenting children in terms of giving them that confidence that they might need or not getting too frustrated if they were to do something wrong or whatever else. What advice do you have?
Nisi Collins: Yeah, I guess just tying into what I've said before about mistakes, we as adults also have to allow for those mistakes to happen. And I know we get caught up in like learn from my mistakes and you know, let let me tell you what to do. And sometimes you have to experience things because those things shape who you are. And so we have to have the ability to allow those things to happen.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And I know often we also hear a lot about, j just do it because I said so, right? Without the without the explanation. And and it's so very important, I think to give children the explanation as to why it is you want them to do, to do something a a certain way so looking at and go back to some of your other roles that you have played you also did you were a Little Red, right? as well. Yeah, yeah, go ahead.
Nisi Collins: I was just saying, yeah, I've been LIttle Red before. in college I was Little Red in Into the Woods.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And so tell us a little bit about that that role
Nisi Collins: Yeah, it's interesting. Well, I'll tell you little I've played Little Red, I've played Ti Moune in Once on This Island, who is also a young character, and now I'm playing Pinocchio, who's a young character. And I'm what I'm finding to be so interesting about playing youthful characters and these younger characters who are like essentially like sixteen or younger, I guess, is just how curious they are. And it's so special to be playing these roles because I feel like, you know, we d we sometimes don't like search for information enough, you know, and we don't seek out information enough. And to be in these roles where I feel like I'm sitting there and I'm processing information in real time as this character. It's been so insightful to be playing these youthful characters, these characters that are finding a journey as they like finding their way as they're going on these journeys has been so special. I know you're specifically asking about Little Red, but it's the same for her. She's going on this journey, you know, and she's making mistakes. She's trusting just ran randomly trusting people, you know, and it's just it's very insightful to be playing these characters and going along these journeys with them
Sheree Curry: Okay, thank you. And I'm glad you mentioned some of the the other youthful characters that you played, the younger characters. And then you also played Robin Hood, so not a young character. Tell us about that that difference in that mindset of getting to that character.
Nisi Collins: Yeah, I've played Robin Hood, I've played Gandalf and The Hobbit, like I've I've played a bunch of things. But it's like I guess the opposite of that is like how wise these older characters are and how they are imparting knowledge on everyone around them. And it's been fun to play that as well, to be the wise character or the the heroic character, you know? And they're all they're all beautiful and magical in their own ways and I love to be able to do all the things and experience all the things.
Sheree Curry: Okay, great. And so tell a little bit about like your process for preparing for an individual show. And I look at it like I'm, you know, I'm so grateful and thankful that you're speaking with me today. You have a show later today. And so being into that mindset to kind of go from From doing this right now on to then in a couple of hours or less, you're gonna be behind the scenes getting ready and getting into makeup and all of that. So tell us about the your your typical day, first before a show and then what it's like once you're actually behind the stage, getting ready and getting prepped for the show.
Nisi Collins: Yeah. Each day is kind of different depending on what is happening that day. Like the today's been a bit of a different day because I've had a few interviews before having to go and do the two shows that we have today. but other times I like 'cause I also have an office job at CTC. So sometimes I'll like do a show in the morning, go to upstairs to work and then go downstairs. But I often I try to warm up as much as I can. this production of Pinocchio it's I have I'm like carrying myself as if I'm a wooden person. So I it's I'm like stiff all the time. And so it's been getting to my back a little bit. And so I'm trying to stretch, warm up. If it were a musical, I do vocal warm-ups. I try to drink a lot of water no matter what day it is. I'm trying to drink a lot of water to prepare. and then when I get to the theater, usually we have a half hour call, we're getting ready, hair, makeup, whatever you need to do. and for this show I have been starting my process like at our half hour call when I'm done getting into my costume and everything. I have been sitting down and I have just been coloring before I start the show. 'Cause I'm like it's easing my mind. I feel like it's a youthful thing that I'm doing, you know, and I'm like taking a breath and I'm going and I'm coloring. And then I go backstage and I talk to the rest of the cast and we have a hoot and we laugh and then we do the show.
Sheree Curry: Okay, great. Tell me about some of the other cast members.
Nisi Collins: Okay, I love them so much. Reed Sigmund, Autumn Ness, Dean Holt, and Victor Zupanc. He's our musician and he has a few lines here and there. But he's primarily playing music. I think he's playing twenty five instruments in the show. which is so cool. But with the rest of the actors, we're all a part of the core company as actors at CTC. And when I first got here, Reed, Dean and Autumn quickly became like mentors for me, whether they wanted it or not, I just kind of latched onto them and was like, information, give it to me, give it to me now. so I quickly developed good working relationships and friendships with them too and I learned from them so much. They have been doing this for years. They have been actors at CTC for for decades and they also started out as performing apprentices and the knowledge that they have, I just like I feel so lucky and blessed to be in the same space as them and be able to absorb anything they have to give me. And so it's amazing. And then Chauncy is going to replace Dean. Sorry, it's a whole thing. But he is also a part of the company as an actor. And so do being able to do this for show as a c cause I'm a Company member as an actor and this being my first show of that in this role and being able to do it with everyone else who's an actor in the company is so special and I'm so excited to embark on the journey that we're about to go through together. And yeah, they're all just amazing and they're so wonderfully talented and I wouldn't trade this for the world.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And so when the curtain goes down and tell me about like how some of that for lack of a better word, I'm gonna say decompression after the show and then something about how you and the rest of the cast or and and even the other people behind the scenes may get together or not get together or whatever whatever you might do.
Nisi Collins: Yeah, so after the shows, we're all pretty exhausted. When it's something like the weekends, like Saturdays and Sundays, we always have two show days, but the Saturdays and Sundays are always back to backs. So we have a meal in between and then we do the other show. And so but we're all usually pretty exhausted by the end of this show. And you'll see because you're about to see it, but it's a really physical show. So we're all pretty exhausted. So we all kind of just want to go home. but we get we do our chit-chatting most of the time before the shows. Like we'll, you know, get together in the dressing rooms and like just chat and stuff, share snacks and you know. depending on the show, every now and then we'll go to like a dinner or something after a show. But for this one, we're all pretty exhausted by the time it's over. So we're just looking to go home and go to bed.
Sheree Curry: Yeah, I understand. And so, and then you mentioned that you also have an office job. So tell us a little bit more about that.
Nisi Collins: Yeah, so I work with our Generation Now program at CTC, which in a nutshell it is me working with our partner theaters to help commission new work for people of color. and our partner theaters are Penumbra Theater here in St. Paul, Latino Theater Company in California, Native Voices Theater in California, and Ma-Yi Theater in New York. And we've been doing this program for about five years now. I haven't always worked on it. I started my process with it last year. And it's not forever. It's based on a grant, and our grant ends December of 2027. But I feel so honored to be a part of this process and be working on discovering and finding and cultivating new work for people of color. I think that's very important. Right now especially and so I've been truly enjoying it.
Sheree Curry: Okay. So what's an example of so basically you're helping to kind of find productions that that for example Penumbra Theater could put on?
Nisi Collins: Yeah, so what it is is we find, well, CTC, we're kind of the hub, so we help the partner theater with whatever they need and we do workshops and stuff like that. but the partner theater usually finds a writer. They all had to commission four different pieces at their respective theater, and one of them had to be a musical. And they find a writer and whatever subject matter that the writer wants to write about, you know, it's usually something that's like, you know, relevant today and can be universal years to come as well. And so they find the writer, the writer writes it, we do workshops, notes and stuff on the drafts, really get it together to a place where it's hopefully producible. And we can shop it around, we can produce it at our theaters and yeah, just getting new works out there.
Sheree Curry: Okay, great, great. So how has all of this experience continues your own learning?
Nisi Collins: Yeah, so especially with this office job, I've this is my first time being on like the other side of the table. I've usually always been the actor on stage, you know. And so just learning about budgets and learning about what goes into developing a piece, the all the moving pieces, who needs to be in the room. you know, it's been really insightful to like 'cause I don't know, I always have questions of like, I wonder why this happened or I wonder why the author did this and like a script and stuff. And just being able to be like, this is how this stuff works. And you know, it's been really insightful to be on this producing side of the table. I I'm really enjoying it.
Sheree Curry: Okay. And what's your long term goal with your career?
Nisi Collins: I just I know oftentimes people are like Broadway, Broadway. And for me it's not even necessarily Broadway. I just want to be able to act and make a living for the rest of my life. You know, I it I don't I I mean I I would love if I were on Broadway. Please, please don't misunderstand me. But I just as long as I feel fulfilled, as long as I'm showing my talent to the world and telling a story that changes someone's life. And I hope to be doing that for the rest of my life 'cause I love it so much.
Sheree Curry: If there was a Broadway musical, and by the way, I'm a huge, huge fan of musicals. Uh-huh. And I used to live in New York and I used to go also go to a lot of Broadway musicals. What's maybe one of your favorite ones that if you could perform in that you would that you do? And why?
Nisi Collins: I think I would wanna perform in Lion King and because growing up it was my favorite Disney movie. And so if I were just able to be in the ensemble of The Lion King, I'd be like, Yes, you know. I just yeah.
Sheree Curry: Okay. Now and now we were to pick a lead character. Would you still pick a lead character in Lion King or would it be a different
Nisi Collins: If I had to pick a lead character, I would probably want to be in Wicked.
Sheree Curry: Mm.
Nisi Collins: And I probably want to be Elphaba in Wicked.
Sheree Curry: Absolutely, absolutely. I can see it. So what else would you like for people to know about acting in general?
Nisi Collins: I guess I want people to know that acting is tr it's so vulnerable and it's so special. And if you can go see live theater, I'd recommend it all the time. you can see real stuff happen on the stage. Even if some mistakes happen, you can see the actors, you know, fix it on the fly and stuff. It's a magical experience and it's so nice to see someone put their whole heart on a stage. And so people can go see live theater. And if they can come see Pinocchio, I really hope that they do.
Sheree Curry: Yeah, absolutely. So that so now with that last one. So when they do come see and it's gonna be when they do come see What's something that you would say be on the lookout for?
Nisi Collins: Mm-hmm. I will say Maybe people fly. Maybe. Who knows? Who knows?
Sheree Curry: Okay, okay. And then last question in terms of let's just go with one more piece of advice for the aspiring for for those who are maybe like still in high school or maybe first couple of years of college. What's what's the other piece of advice you would give?
Nisi Collins: I like to say 'cause a lot in even me myself, a lot of people we get nervous and we don't wanna put ourselves in a position to be embarrassed or to be frightened publicly. And I would say that it's okay that you are nervous. It's okay to feel scared and embarrassed like or shy, because that means you care. And as long as you care, then it's worth doing.
Sheree Curry: Okay. Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure. And I am looking forward to again seeing you in the show. Okay.
Nisi Collins: Okay, I'm happy you're coming.
Sheree Curry: Thank you. Okay. Have a have a good performance.
Nisi Collins: Thank you.
Sheree Curry: Yeah. Bye-bye.
Nisi Collins: Bye.
