Colleen Reed is cheerful when she sits down next to me at a local coffee shop. Her shy sincerity draws me in, and we easily begin chatting. Although Colleen is a St. Augustine native, she grew up in Daytona and Palm Coast before her family moved back to St. Augustine in middle school. After a brief acting career with an inspirational fourth-grade teacher in Palm Coast, it was a natural fit for Colleen to jump right into the drama program at Murray Middle School.
Colleen has been involved in many aspects of theater, including makeup, set design, and costume design. In eighth grade, her drama teacher suggested she enter the International Thespian Society’s Florida Junior Competition with one of her costume designs. She had never competed in anything like it before and went to the state competition. She said the experience was “intense” but something she will never forget.
“Doing costume design gives me great insight into the characters and the show – much more than acting does.” She loves the beautiful art of costume design and points out that one does not need to have natural drawing ability in order to be a costume designer. “It involves swatches, fabric samples, and drawings, and pulling it all together can be a challenge.”
Her involvement in the arts program at Murray and now at St. Augustine High School led Colleen to a seemingly natural next step for her future. She began participating in summer camps at Limelight Theatre for teens and then worked as an intern for the younger, elementary aged kids. So naturally, she is going to pursue a theater-related major to study in college, right?
Nope. Colleen, a self-proclaimed “major science geek,” is hoping to pursue biomedical engineering. What is it about science that enthralls her so much? “I love the way science asks questions, and I love to figure out the answers!” In fifth grade, Colleen’s uncle bought her a chemistry kit geared towards ninth grade students. She used any item she could find to perform experiments. When I expressed amazement that she didn’t blow up her house, she sheepishly grinned and confessed, “Well, I did burn a hole in my mother’s kitchen cabinets. She wasn’t too happy about that.”
When discussing why biomedical engineering is her specific interest, Colleen grows somber and says it’s largely due to her Grandmother’s influence. Her grandmother passed away at aged 68 from lung cancer. As she was nearing the end of her life, she told Colleen that one day she would figure out a way to cure cancer. That sentiment has never left Colleen.
But her theatrical life will not be left entirely behind. She loves being on stage and the feeling of stepping into characters. She questioned whether she wanted to give all that up and decided probably not. The theater and all it offers is a part of her that she is not ready to close the door on. Her rising star stands poised in the wings, ready to take center stage. It just might be for an audience of scientists instead of theater-goers.
Photography by David Steele