Cai Parker ’27
Reid Lawler ’26, this month’s artist spotlight, is defined by his passion and his immense drive for the arts. These qualities shine through in his singing and acting, which wow his audience no matter the occasion. Whether he’s playing several different characters, helping the community to sing hymns in Chapel, or even managing the EA dance team, Lawler gives his all to what he loves and encourages others to do the same.
“He’s…sincere and passionate in his effort for everything he does in the arts,” states Jim Erwin, choir director and music department chair. “He is really involved with whatever he’s working on, especially with the plays and the musicals. I can always tell when Reid really wants to get something right, because he will come up and talk about it all the time,” reflects Fraser Wein ’27, a student artist and one of Lawler’s friends.
Lawler first realized his passion for acting when he was in fifth grade. “I remember we were in a fifth-grade production of the American Revolution in 30 minutes or less,” reminisces Lawler. “I was really into it, and I loved doing all the character work and acting as
a kid. Even though I was only in the show for maybe 3 minutes total, I still absolutely adored it. After that, I fell in love with acting as a whole.” Since his debut, Lawler has continued to perform on the EA stage, playing various characters, such as Calvin O’Keefe in A Wrinkle in Time, Midas in Metamorphosis, and his personal favorite, King Charlemagne in Pippin. “I would say Pippin was my favorite show ever to perform at EA just because everyone was super, super
into it. Everyone loves to be there, and everyone wants to be there; it was just so nice being around so many passionate people who care about what they do. It truly was just really inspiring for me, and it made me want to do my best…it felt like everyone in the cast was really close,” comments Lawler.
Furthermore, Lawler is a prominent member of both the Concert Choir and Vocal Ensemble. His voice and confidence have both grown tremendously throughout his journey, according to Erwin: “..I think that in middle school, Reid used to be very self-con-
scious about his voice. It took me a long time to get him to have faith in himself…he started to be more aggressive about his technique last year. So his growth has been really remarkable…Reid has become someone who is really conscientious about what he does and works really hard.”
When asked about what she admires most about Lawler, Wein remarks, “[It’s] his team spirit and how everything he does is not necessarily for himself, but for the good of the group and to bring everyone together.” She also mentions his strong work ethic: “When Reid feels like he got something wrong or that he’s not doing something right, he’ll work until he is satisfied, and that might be all the way up until the show.” Lawler’s fellow student art-
ist, Nikolai Nawrocki ‘26, adds, “Reid is really driven in the choices he makes and is very grounded in any character that he’s portraying. I think he has a beautiful singing voice. Especially sitting next to him in the bass section, every day of choir.”
This year, the EA Domino Board presents Pride and Prejudice as the fall play. Based on Jane Austen’s beloved novel, the play explores themes of love and personal growth. Lawler will be playing the role of Mr. Darcy, a lead character of the play. “I feel honored to be the lead. I am really excited because freshman year we also did a similar play, 39 Steps, which was set in Britain or based around the Euro-
pean areas. There were all these different accents, British and Scottish especially, and everyone did wonderfully. That was the first play I did in high school. To have [such a similar] play in my senior year, and to act out a British accent once again, feels as though I have come
full circle. I am extremely ecstatic and excited to see what we are go-
ing to do with it,” Lawler comments. After years of hard work and dedication to his craft, there’s
no doubt that Lawler will leave his audience in awe, as always.
