YoungArts

February 2012

Colby Minifie, 2010 YoungArts Winner in Theater

The high standards artists set for themselves often downplay the reality of their greatness—“you are your worst critic.” What Colby Minifie believed to be a “lousy audition” eventually landed her an appearance on the popular television series GLEE; a day after her audition she was booked on a plane to Los Angeles! Colby’s passion and seriousness for the arts is displayed in every aspect of her life, both professionally and personally. She continues to take the city of New York by storm, excelling as a second year student at Hunter College while also accompanying Emmy and Tony Award winner David Hyde Pierce in the Manhattan Theatre Club production, “The Close Up”. As an avid traveler, Colby continues to make a positive impact on the world through her talents. The awards she received from YoungArts allowed her to work with an orphanage in Uganda where she taught a drama club and directed two Ugandan fables. While Colby continues to study Human Rights in college, she hopes everything learned in the classroom will complement her artistic craft so she can fundraise and raise awareness for worldly causes she strongly believes in.  

We recently caught up with Colby and asked her to share some insights about the YoungArts program and her life as an actor:

How has YoungArts affected your life?  

I don’t know what I would be doing in my life right now if I didn’t participate in YoungArts. I am convinced the recommendation letter they wrote to my school, Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, was a huge component in my acceptance. The people I have met through YoungArts, such as Kevin Carroll, Heidi Marshall, and Jerry Ruiz, have provided me with incredible opportunities and have taught me priceless lessons, furthering my professional involvement in the theater and film industry. The peers I met at YoungArts have offered their immense talent, giving me brilliant prospects for collaboration. The money I was awarded from YoungArts funded a summer trip to Uganda where I worked at an orphanage. I had the privilege of working with a fantastic group of YoungArts jazz musicians for a fundraiser for that orphanage a year later. I am so grateful to this program and their dedication to furthering the lives of artistic young adults nationwide.

What was it like to be on Glee?

Working on GLEE was a true pleasure and a wonderful learning experience.  Honestly, I thought I had done a lousy audition.  There were 30 blonde Jane-Lynch-lookalikes in the waiting room and the audition consisted of saying two lines.  I left without a second thought and the next day I got the call that I was booked on a plane to Los Angeles.  The trip marked my first time in LA and I loved it.  As a native New Yorker, I had specific expectations and distant judgments about the city and its occupants, but I found it to be a beautiful place with lovely energy.  The GLEE cast and crew warmly welcomed me as though I had been an original member on the show.  There was not an ounce of pretentiousness amongst the actors—Dianna Agron, who plays Quinn, took me out to a lovely restaurant and drove me around the city.  The episode was directed by one of my favorite actors, Eric Stoltz, who was a dream to work with and hilarious on set. However, the most important part of it for me was getting an email from Eric Stoltz the day before it was supposed to air telling me my scenes were cut. It was very exciting to shoot the sequence, to be treated like a queen, and to get lovely publicity and it’s very easy to get caught up in all that excitement. The news didn’t thrill me, but it reminded me to stay grounded. There were only good things that came out of the experience. I think my parents were more disappointed than I was. 

More specifically, what was it like to play a young Sue Sylvester?

I am honored to play a young Jane Lynch.  I tremendously respect her and her work. It is such a privilege to be part of the iconic, hilarious, and brilliant character that is Sue Sylvester.

Tell us about your involvement with international development projects.

 I love to travel. I think it is one of the more important things in life; all the convictions I have are questioned and reevaluated. It makes home new for me. I am a strong believer in experiencing life to influence art, and the countries I have been to lately have enhanced my acting tremendously. I used my YoungArts award money to go to Uganda where I worked at an orphanage run by the organization Children of Uganda. A high school friend of mine and I taught the drama club at the orphanage where we directed two Ugandan fables. We also brought tons of supplies, painted their small clinic, and are organizing a United States Dance Tour for them in February. We are raising money and spreading the awareness about this incredible organization. Those children are so inspiring and I have so much love for them. I only wish I could spend more time there. This past summer I studied Women’s Rights in Bangalore, India, which was also a life-changing experience. I worked at a day care in one of their many slums, at an AIDS orphanage, and at a village outside Bangalore. I am continuing to study Human Rights in college. I hope to use my art to fundraise and provide awareness for these two causes. 

What is your favorite thing about being an actor?

My favorite thing about being an actor is how aware of my mind and body I must be.  Not every profession requires a person to shift mindsets, movements, and thought processes.  I am constantly challenging myself so that I can learn new things about how I work.  It is constantly fascinating work.  I can never know enough.  With each role, new research and new worlds are opened to a space I never would have discovered if I weren’t an actor.  I also thoroughly enjoy moving people and opening their world as well. 

What’s your next project?

I am currently performing in Manhattan Theater Club’s Close Up Space by Molly Smith Metzler. I play David Hyde Pierce’s daughter who is desperately trying to communicate with her father. She has an emotional connection to Russia and confronts her father by speaking only Russian after three years at boarding school.  I was so excited to learn some Russian for the part.  This is an example of diving into another world for a character; I had the privilege of exploring the incredible world of Russian literature. Russia never interested me before this play. I plan to travel there in the summer. I am also appearing in a “Nurse Jackie” episode in March. 

What advice do you have for the YoungArts Class of 2012—and for other aspiring artists?

 To the Young Arts class of 2012, have fun! This program is meant for you not to compare yourselves to your fellow talented peers, but to learn from them and work with them to create powerful, beautiful art. I will never forget watching my friends Ida Saki, Austin Goodwin, and Robbie Moore perform a dance piece together. Instead of competing with one another, they worked together to create a piece that brought tears to my eyes. If you respect and say yes to each other, you will get the most out of this incredible program. These are the people you may be working with for the rest of your life.   

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