Student Reflections: Hayward Leach

Monday, Aug 05, 2019
Hayward Leach
Juilliard Journal
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Hayward Leach in a rehearsal
Hayward in a 'Tempest' rehearsal

Reflections on a Year That Could Only Happen at Juilliard

Students wrote about the 2019-20 school year for this digital scrapbook featuring recaps of artistic, academic, and social highlights, top takeaways, surprises, summer plans, and more. Keep an eye out for entries from other students and check out a slide show of photos from the season.

Hayward Leach

Biggest surprise
People always talk about second year as being the most difficult year in the Drama Division—and in all four-year programs, I think. Sophomore slump. However, third-year has been challenging in embracing and encouraging what feels like more tangible growth, a shedding of old skin. I was surprised by the challenge of learning how to purposefully utilize free time.

Top takeaway
"Fill your gaping hole." Evan Yionoulis, director of the Drama Division, led our scene study class in a focus on the foundational, fundamental driving force of a character’s need, their gaping hole. No matter what the plot objective or situation, they are grasping at the world to get the juice they crave from others. This concept has restructured how I think about scenes, characters, and power.

Master's actor Hayward Leach, who holds a Shubert Scholarship, planned to travel, breathe, laugh, and enjoy the freedom of what will presumably be his last school summer

These pieces are adapted from a special feature that originally appeared in the May 2019 issue of the Juilliard Journal.