Issue 33  February 9th 2026

Love: The Ultimate Creative Force

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, "love" is naturally the word of the week. But at NESA, we know that love is far more than just a box of chocolates or a greeting card. It is the core of our curriculum and the heartbeat of every performance. Whether it’s the spark of a new romance, the steady rhythm of two hearts that have belonged to each other for decades, or the profound, quiet resilience of the human spirit, love is the most powerful force we have at our disposal.

Love on the NESA Stages

The arts allow us to examine love from every possible angle—the light, the dark, and everything in between.

In Creative Writing:

In the recent Embroidered poetry show, our majors explored the threads of connection. We saw romantic longing, but we also saw the deep, complex love of family—like the moving tribute of a son’s love for his father told through a weathered, beat-up gumball machine.

In Musical Theatre:

We laughed with Guys and Dolls as Adelaide finally "cured her cold" by finding the commitment she craved, and we watched Sky Masterson find a different kind of love—a spiritual salvation that changed his entire trajectory.

Coming Soon in Sweeney Todd:

Love isn't always sunshine. In our upcoming production of Sweeney Todd, we see love’s darker, more obsessive twin. Sweeney’s violent quest for "justice" is born from a twisted, grieving love for his lost family, while Mrs. Lovett’s devotion leads her down a path of chilling moral compromise. It serves as a haunting reminder of how powerful—and dangerous—love can be when it loses its way.

Beyond the Footlights: A Lesson in Resilience

Love isn't just a theme for a script; it’s a worldview. When I was in college, I had the life-changing honor of being one of twelve people chosen for the Warren Fellowship. I spent time with thirteen Holocaust survivors, a U.S. Marine who discovered the camps on a recon mission, and a prosecutor from the Nuremberg Trials.

The most pivotal moment, however, was a lunch with Naomi Warren, the incredible woman for whom the fellowship was named. I asked her how she could possibly move past the desire for vengeance against those who perpetrated such horrors. Her answer changed me forever:

"Every time we fall in love, every time we get married, every time we have a baby, every time we laugh, every time we feel joy... that is our revenge."

That level of strength is breathtaking. It echoes the wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who reminded us that "Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." It’s the same sentiment Marvin Gaye championed in What’s Going On when he sang, "Only love can conquer hate."

So, this Valentine’s Day, I encourage our students and parents to look past the commercial push to buy and consume. Instead, look at the healing lens of love. It is the reason we create, the reason we perform, and the reason we persist.

Is it any wonder that the arts are so deeply tied to love? It is the only force strong enough to turn tragedy into triumph and Coen's beat-up gumball machine into a masterpiece.

Happy Valentine’s Day, NESA!