Dressed in breeches and a bandana, Ethan Leigh waited backstage ready to deliver his lines, and encourage the other actors on stage. In fact, at this moment, the school play was the least of his worries. The deadlines, fundraising, and meetings of the clubs that he led felt like a stack of weights on his shoulders. He had been running on limited sleep for days, and had to do his regular homework on top of all of this. Despite this, he knew his hard work would pay off.
Students in high school have many responsibilities, and dealing with the stress that comes along with them can be challenging. Senior Ethan Leigh is an actor for Revere Players, while also taking on leadership roles in Project Love and the Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS).
Leigh said that balancing these responsibilities can be challenging, but it is manageable. He jokes about what gets him through the day, but he still approaches his work with practicality, and, at the end of the day, does what he needs to do.
“A limited amount of sleep and you know, bursts of maniacal energy get you through the entire thing and then you just crash, pretty much. It’s not terrible, but, you know [you], gotta get stuff done,” Leigh said.
Leigh does not participate in and lead these clubs for no reason. He says that what he does pays off, and his experiences build valuable skills that are overall helpful for self discovery, specifically for emphasizing the importance of management and making difficult decisions.
“Ironically enough, participating in all these things has shown me that my management is really important,” Leigh said.
Being a part of so many things throughout high school has shown Leigh what he does well. He takes part in such a wide variety of clubs, projects, and productions, that it allows him to see what he wants to do and what he excels at when looking at the future. Even though Leigh tests his limits, he continues to strive to do everything to the best of his abilities.
“[The projects have helped with] working on my own work ethic, being able to, kind of test your limits of how much I can do… it’s just kind of putting more different types of work that I have to do and, you know, I have to do well,” Leigh said.
Revere Players director Sarah Pine commented on Leigh’s character and how he treated other actors and actresses throughout the production. Pine says that Leigh makes the experience comfortable and encouraging for others.
“He’s in the scene with you, he wants to be there with you and he’s just an incredibly friendly human being. I think he’s very good, from my perspective, at making people feel comfortable and at home, which is a really good creative space to be in,” she said.
The day before Treasure Island was to premiere, Leigh lost his voice. Pine said that even though this was poorly timed and demoralizing for Ethan, he fought through it and remained positive and hopeful. Luckily, he got his voice back before the Sunday performance, but the fact that Leigh retained optimism and radiated positivity throughout this conflict speaks to his character.
“He never lost his cheerful spirit.
He was very focused on remaining a positive influence and on troubleshooting… but it was really awesome to kind of see him fight through a pretty tough challenge and come through it on the other side, very positive still,” Pine said.
Pine also described Leigh’s overall character, whether in practice or during the play itself. She said that he is very willing to help, eager, and is not afraid to make tough decisions and pursue his goals. His positive attitude rubs off on his peers, which improves the vibe of the play.
“If you just ask Ethan like, ‘Hey, I need a hand or, can someone volunteer to do this?’ He’s always like, ‘I got it, I’ll do it’. And with acting that comes into play where he’s very willing to try different things, make big bold choices,” Pine said.
Math teacher Susan Sanders, advisor of Project Love, a club dedicated to charity work and helping those in need, is a witness to Leigh’s leadership. Leigh is the president of the club and excels at bringing people together and being inclusive and open to ideas. Sanders says that Ethan values communication and is ready to hear diverse opinions.
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He wants to be able to communicate with people and work with people. It’s like building a camaraderie among the people. That’s important to him,” Sanders said.
Sanders also described Leigh as a courageous person, which is evident from all that he does to achieve his goals and also to help others. She also extends the strengths of his leadership and how he motivates his peers to help people in need through Project Love.
“I think really [Ethan’s] ability is really to work well with people, to get them motivated to participate in activities. I think he seems to be a very compassionate individual,” Sanders said.
Leigh juggles numerous activities. Leigh’s helpfulness, positivity, and compassion towards others outline his overall character. While leading multiple clubs and projects as well as having roles in others can be difficult, his advisors make it clear that he is the right person for the job.
