Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kaleigh Ceci. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kaleigh, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

We have this one little life, and for most of the time we can feel like we’re just blowing in the wind, stuck in a pattern and imagining what your life is going to look like if you continue down the same path. I was always so shy and afraid to put myself out there. I’m an only child, so it was mainly me and the movies. I knew that’s where I wanted to be. In the movies…literally in the movies as in transport me to that world. When I learned what acting was, I realized it’s the closest thing to magic that there is. You can go to any world that you choose, and become a character within that world. In order odo that, I had to build up my resume, and I knew I needed some training and guidance, but I knew that training wasn’t going to be provided in Ohio.

When I was 18, my aunt and uncle took me on a trip to New York with my cousin. It was going to be my first time there. I was no strange to the knowledge of New York and how scary and dangerous it was. However, the first time I got there I felt weirdly at piece. It was so stranger because I wasn’t expecting it to feel peaceful, and my aunt, uncle, and cousin didn’t find it peaceful, so I knew it was a me thing. I knew New York was were I needed to be, but I was going to have to get out of my comfort zone in order to do it. I found a private acting coach during Covid, and I consistently took online lessons, and auditioned for a drama school in New York. When I got accepted then came another hurdle. I had to work up the courage to tell people that I was leaving. Yeah, I did the whole process in secret, besides my Mom, she was the only one that knew. I couldn’t risk telling anyone if it didn’t end well. When I told my friends and family and they were all just shocked, but they were ultimately happy for me. It’s just not something people do in my hometown. Everyone in my family are nurses and educators and business owners, I’m the odd one out. I’m the “mysterious one” which is honestly laughable. But they’ve always known me as the soft spoken, well behaved one. But they also know me as the one who put one little Christmas shows every Christmas Eve, the one can’t come to a family function because I had rehearsal. Maybe they were shocked at first, but deep down I know they had to have known.

It’s a short story of a risk, but it was the biggest risk I’ve taken thus far in my life. Completely disrupting my status quo and moving to New York for school. I knew that if I didn’t try now that I would end up regretting it for the rest of my life.

Kaleigh, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Kaleigh Ceci. I am originally from Youngstown, Ohio. It’s a tale as old as time, a girl from a small town moves to the big city to pursue her dreams. I was a shy and only child who felt safe when she was alone in her living room re-enacting the entire plot of the Wizard of Oz. I, of course, wore a Dorthy outfit and refused to take off the Ruby slippers. My mom would have to take them off me while I was asleep. Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music were also in that rotation. I fell in love with the magic of storytelling before I even knew what theatre was. It wasn’t until High School Musical, I think I was in elementary school, when I watched that movie, and it introduced me to a drama class and a high school putting on on of those magical shows I would watch. This was revolutionary to me because I had no idea this was something that could be taught, and could potentially lead to a career option. I began doing theater and joined my middle school drama club where I was terrified to audition but knew it was what I had to do to be in a show. I was never a competitive child, I never stuck to a sport when it came down to competing against another team. I tried my hand at gymnastics, soccer, softball, and swim team. My mom always knew that theater was the choice for me after she saw me practice a dance for a show I was doing in the pool rather than train during my swim lessons. Throughout school, I participated in every single creative program they had to offer, which unfortunately wasn’t much (it’s the classic story of: let’s funnel more money into sports rather than the arts). Mainly my energy at school was put towards choir, speech and debate- where I competed in the acting categories and won my fair share of awards, journalism, which I was the first student to produce fiction based media on our schools youtube channel (I co-wrote, and directed, and produced a few short films), and either in my school drama club or local community theaters. In my junior year of high school when most students were set on their career path whenever the question came back to me, I always remained undecided. It wasn’t until my mom stepped in and spoke for me, “Oh she’s going to be an actress. She’s going to be on Broadway” I had seen so many movies about parents not approving of their kid’s career choice that I assumed it wouldn’t be any different for me. Because I could never talk about it, but my mom didn’t need my words. She just knew. She drove me to every single rehearsal, came to every single show, and remains my number one supporter. My senior year rolled along in 2020, and in March our school was shut down due to COVID-19, and joining any sort of acting program anywhere for college didn’t seem like an achievable goal. So I put it all on hold just as the world was out on hold. I went to a community college for liberal arts online and took every single theater class they offered online. Shakespeare, playwriting, screenwriting, anything to stay creative. All of that time was only making me realize how much I missed performing and how badly I needed to be an actor, it was like an ache that wouldn’t leave my soul and suddenly my small town started to feel suffocating. I was feeling hopeless with zero direction. I was starting to feel resentful that I never became a child actor, or took dance classes since the age of 2. Besides my family, there was nothing for me in Ohio. During Covid, I started utilizing the internet, as most people did, and took the steps to learn what I needed to do to get to where I wanted to be. I learned I needed to say, “I want to be an actor” with some confidence and take action towards it or no one else with believe in me, let alone take me seriously. I found an online acting coach, Breanna Milliken, whom I still work with to this day. Throughout the Covid times, she helped me research, harness, and utilize my craft. She gave me all the tools I needed to get me into drama school when the world was beginning to open again, and I am eternally grateful to her even now as she helps me navigate the business and my career post graduation. I began studying acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where I was able to work with some incredible teachers and directors on some incredibly challenging material throughout my time there. Although in class, regretfully I was quiet, I’ve never been a talker, I’ve always been more of a listener. That mixed in with a pinch of anxiety and you have a recipe for disaster in a participation class scenario. However, when I was in a scene I was could just lose myself in a character in the best way. I’m not myself when I’m up there. I can do anything I want to do, be anything that I want to be, and it is so freeing to me. Now I’ve graduated, and it’s my first year if of school. I have begun taking consistent proper singing lessons rather than just relying on trial and error and maintaining my vocal health. I made my Off-Broadway Debut in my a play my friend wrote called, “Big Wave.” I’m an usher at The Herold and Miriam Steinberg Center with Roundabout Theatre Company, and I also work at FAO Schwarz in Rockefeller where you’ll find me “making pancakes” at the Jellycat Diner. I guess it’s true when they said you waitress when you’re an actor in New York, and I’m blessed to have your not-so-typical waitressing diner job.

I am so proud of how far I’ve come. Being in New York and getting these opportunities to network and be surrounded by brilliant actors on a day-to-day basis and be able to make a child’s day at the Jellycat Diner. I am in constant awe of where my life is at this stage. I never would have imagined this for myself. When I was younger I thought I’d never move away from home, I didn’t want to, but life had bigger plans for me. As an actor, I feel that we’re constantly learning, and I want to be that sponge that soaks up every piece of advice and every lesson along the way. I want to take nothing for granted, I feel life is too shot for that.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Normally I don’t like to share my grievances, however this story has been on my heart and I hope it can be turned into some good for anyone else who has ever felt this way or have been made to feel this way….

During college there were definitely struggles, especially when you’re studying something as physically and emotionally taxing as acting. There’s a lot more of yourself that goes into it than I think most people realize or care to share about. So, there was a class where we were rehearsing monologues, and in class, I’ve never been one to want to participate. I’m never the first to go up in class, the first to raise my hand or anything like that. That’s never been who I am. I have always been more of an observer, but when it’s time to work, I’m gonna work. So on this particular day, I’m maybe one of the last ones to go up and share for that day. After class, I decided to stay behind and ask my teacher for any further feedback, to which they stated something along the lines of, “to be completely honest with you, I feel like you’re forgettable. However when you get up there to do your piece it’s good work, however again in the room I forget that you’re there.” I think I mustered up some kind of response like ,”okay thanks for telling me.” I mean what are you supposed to say after a teacher just called you forgettable. That’s rough for anyone to get called that, let alone someone who wants to be an actor and wants to be remembered in an audition room. It was a lot for me. It was a lot to process. Sure, I know rejection comes with the territory, but I feel like this was like one of my biggest pieces of rejection thus far. It didn’t feel like being rejected for my work, it felt more of a rejection of me as a person.

To come back from that was tough. I had to walk into class the next day and act like everything was normal, but it was eating me up inside. So why share this to you now. Because I went back the next day. And continued to do so for the rest of the semester. I showed up for myself. I didn’t quit because of one person’s opinion of me. Because that’s all it is at the end of the day, an opinion. Not a fact. I’m sure glad I was able to really learn that while I was in school from a teacher.

So this story goes out to all the quiet people in the back. They don’t know the inner life and power that you have. Show the parts of yourself that you want to, don’t feel forced, and don’t let anyone tell you that you’re forgettable, because you and anything but. You’re a human being, who is dynamic, unique, and incredibly and wonderfully made. You are a someone! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I was in a production of Heathers the Musical in 2021. I was playing Heather Duke (she’s the green one if you need a visual). Well, the way that the stage was set up there was a platform built to make a multi-level stage to really build the high school this musical is centered around. This would be our third performance, then we had a week off then another weekend of shows. In the very opening number, we’re not 10 minutes into the show, and at the end of the opening all three of the Heathers are on the top platform. To get up there, there’s a set of stairs backstage and they were extremely steep, it’s also incredibly dark backstage. So, after the number, I’m walking down the stairs when I probably should have used it like a ladder and needles to say I fell down those stairs. And all of the Heathers were on for the very next scene. So I had about less than 20 seconds to compose myself and get back on stage. To be honest, I don’t remember much because I hit my head and I was definitely concussed. The only thing I remember was one of the other Heathers (who’s not one of my best friends) was trying to help me fix my outfit, pulled what she thought was a fuzz off of my face, but it was a piece of my skin (like I said, it was dark backstage) Then in the very next scene, we’re about to go into one of the most famous songs in Heathers, “Candy Store” where my character gets pushed to the floor, so that definitely didn’t help my current state. Throughout this, I didn’t realize that my knee was scraped up incredibly badly. It didn’t start hurting until act two, then after the show I could barely walk. Although I don’t remember this performance, don’t worry, because that’s the night they were recording the show! So yes, you can hear my fall, and see how gruesome my knee was and how it progressively got worse as the show went on. They had to zoom out a few times because I was bleeding. I was running on pure adrenaline and muscle memory. It wasn’t my best performance, but I didn’t want to stop, because I knew they’d have to cancel it because there were no understudies. I knew we were sold out and had an excited audience, and I didn’t think it would be fair to them or the other actors to end the performance so soon into the show. I had a week to recover and I finished the shows the following weekend, however in that week I went to the doctors and they advised me not to perform with my knee in that condition, but I did it anyway. I braved through the pain for the final weekend, and my knee-high green socks weren’t fighting properly because my knee was full of fluids and swollen. My knee hasn’t been the same since, and after the show I had to take a step back from performing… and walking (haha) to take the proper time to heal. I hated it, but in that time I really had to reflect on injuries like this and learn that as a performer, because you give so much of yourself, you need to be able to be at your absolute best, because that’s what the audience deserves and what your scene partners deserve- a healthy performer. Putting your best self forward and taking care of yourself is so important. I thought you had to struggle through the pain to do your art to show your resilience. But talking the necessary care of your mind, body, and spirit is what brings a performance and a performer to life. It was a painful lesson, but one I needed to learn if I wanted to continue performer for the long haul. I take the scar that this injury gave me as a reminder that yes, the show must go on, but the show can only go on when you’re not concussed with an injured knee.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kale_chechi

Image Credits

Images by Rachel Schneider, Mira Atwah, Charlotte Siegel, Yuhyeon Byun, Cesar Brandi, and Autumn McCree.