A Hawk's Eye View: February 27, 2026

Beauty and the Beast is a play I love working on for many reasons. The songs are wonderful, the characters are fun and relatable, and the story contains many layers—gentle, sincere, and beautiful—in a world that can often feel the opposite.

Although the story focuses on the dichotomy between Beauty and the Beast, a more accurate and useful reading is that most of us are probably both Beauty and Beast at different times in our lives.

This play reminds me that we can grow, change, and become better than we were when our stories began. It also reminds me of something I believe ardently: love is the single most transformative power in the world.

While that is not an original observation, the play reveals a deeper dimension of that truth: while receiving love is transformative, giving love can be just as powerful—something we don’t always keep in mind.

On the theme of giving love, there is something that really needs to be said.

Winter Storm Fern caused a great deal of destruction and suffering in our community. While this does not compare to what so many endured, the storm could not have come at a worse time for the play.

We were ramping up on costumes and scenery, preparing for longer, more frequent rehearsals, and taking a dozen key steps forward. We lost precious rehearsal time, and other elements of the show were set back.

Since then, the Harding community has rallied magnificently. Parents, students, and staff have all stepped in, with attitudes running between “We can do this” and “All hands on deck.”

Of course, this isn’t what any of us would have chosen, but so much of life is like that. We don’t get to choose. We make the best plans we can, and then we adapt when reality interferes.

If we are fortunate, however, these inevitable storms are met with a supportive community—one that rallies, pushes forward, and makes it work.

That, to me, is the magic of Harding Academy—and certainly the magic behind this play.