Theater teacher and middle school theater director Amy Hard laments her last year teaching at Robinson. Hard will go on to become a Career Experience Specialist at the Fairfax Academy of Communication and Performing arts this July.   

Hard was introduced to theater in middle school. “I took a speech and theater arts class at Key Intermediates School in seventh grade,” said Hard. However, she recalls the experience was less than stellar. “It was so scary. The teacher didn’t keep us safe, and the eighth graders were so mean, and it was so embarrassing,” said Hard. 

After the poor experience, Hard did not take another theater class until years after, when she discovered a newfound passion for theater in college. During her junior year in college, Hard, a dance minor at the time, was required to take an additional performing arts elective outside of dance, so she chose to take a theater class. “[After] I was done with that first theater class, I was like, this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life,” said Hard. 

Hard continued to study theater, and began acting professionally outside of college. The arts, however, are a notoriously difficult profession to make a living from, so in the meantime, Hard decided to begin teaching as a means to support herself while she pursued her acting career. It was then that she realized her love of teaching. “It’s a totally different profession than being a theater-maker, and I loved it more than what I was doing as an actor,” said Hard. Her first year teaching also marked her debut as a director, directing Bugsy Malone Jr.. Her favorite show to direct was both versions of Peter Pan. “The first time I did Peter Pan, it was the first time my daughter Alyssa was in my cast, so it felt very special,” said Hard. Hard gives special thanks to her children, Alyssa and Nina, for enduring the times Hard couldn’t spend with them, and the changes that came to their lives because of her work. “They gave me [strength] and made this all possible,” said Hard.      

Over the years, Hard has taught, inspired, and mentored countless students at Robinson. Sophomore Anneliese Gonzales has done drama at Robinson since seventh grade. Gonzales became interested in performing in shows at Robinson after hearing fun stories about rehearsal from her older sister, Emma Gonzales, who was also taking drama. Her first show was performing in the ensemble of RTC’s production of Cinderella. “[Hard] has such an amazing mind, seeing how she works, on stage, getting to try so many different things, just messing around,” said Gonzales. “She’s really just shown me a lot about being a leader, and also just being part of an ensemble.” 

Junior Anna Woods has been with the Rambunctious Theatre Company since seventh grade, performing in a number of Robinson productions throughout middle and highschool. Woods worked with Ms. Hard for the first time in the middle school production of Rock of Ages. “I’m sad that she’s leaving, but it’s bittersweet,” said Woods. “She’s going to carry the passion and love she has for her art and her craft wherever she goes, and it makes me happy knowing that she’s leaving such a big legacy on this department, and knowing that she’s touched so many student’s lives.”

After teaching and directing at Robinson for so many years, Hard leaves an undeniable impact on not only her students, or her department, but the school as a whole. Her legacy continues to inspire and instill a love of theater in students to continue performing through highschool, college, and beyond.