Senior Collin Mallet has been a part of Sunlake’s theater program since his freshman year in 2020. However, his love for the stage bloomed long before that. As a fifth-grader, he got his first taste of the spotlight as a Trouble Monkey in Seussical the Musical. From there, he moved on to attend the Davenport School of the Arts where he participated in shows throughout middle school. 

Now attending Sunlake High School, Collin has proved to be an integral part of almost every school production. He has even expanded beyond his normal realm of acting to assist the department on the technical side of things twice. His list of shows is lengthy, but he isn’t hesitant to share his favorite. Collin says his role as Hysterium in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in his sophomore year was incredible. He added, “…the overall thrill of it all…” as well as “…the songs and the great storyline…” made it a run to remember. 

Nearly four years into Sunlake now, he has been a part of five other shows: All in the Timing, Pippin, Steel Magnolias, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Medea. He credited Sunlake teacher and director, Mrs. West, as “…one of the best directors out there…” who has “…helped a lot and made me a better person.” 

The stakes have been raised this year as Collin prepares to apply and soon attend college for theater. He competed for a scholarship at the yearly Thespian competition using a song from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and a monologue from Cyrano. Furthermore, he performed “Therapy” from Tick Tick Boom with fellow Sunlake student, Abigail Horta. Together they won a Superior for Duet Musical. He said it was a gift to attend this year’s competition with the group who have become like his “…second family…” The camaraderie and effort paid off and Collin was awarded a Thespy scholarship. He shared “…overall it was a great day and it was a lot of fun,” gratefully accepting the reward for his decade-long passion.