AOTI: Hope Hartup

On April 23rd the Hopkins Drama Association (HDA) opened These Shining Lives, a serious drama that happens to be Hartup’s 100th time directing at Hopkins. Technical Director David Kenton explained the choice behind the show: “it’s such a female driven show and given the students in the program right now… it was a quality choice.” Production Stage Manager Sophia Dos Santos ’27 says the show follows “girls who worked at Radium Dial Company in the 1920s and their consequential sickness due to radium poisoning, highlighting the negligent effects of corporate greed on workers.” Hartup’s 100th show, however, “doesn’t feel different.” Kenton elaborated that “Hope wants every show to be the highest caliber that it can be, so I don’t think that she’s changing anything for that.”

While her 100th show reflects years of experience, Hartup’s connection to the theater began long before her time at Hopkins. Hartup’s childhood provided the groundwork for her love of the arts. Her mom was a director and actor herself. Ever since “a production of Kenna Hutton Roof” that her mom directed, Hartup “had to be five years old and from that point on [she] always remembered going to the theater.” She describes her parents as “big supporters of the arts.” 

After developing her early passion, she earned an MFA in dramaturgy (the study of dramatic literature, its criticism, and theatrical history). Hartup explained that she went on to“start the arts program at Cooperative High school; I was their first drama teacher.” However, she transferred to Hopkins in ___, and the students provided an environment for Hartup’s skills to be showcased and grow. When she came to Hopkins, she noticed who “wanted coaching, who grabbed and ran with it, students who wanted to be challenged, who wanted to think.” She then found herself “doing plays she never thought she could have done with high school students.” Reflecting on her work, Hartup says she feels “really good” about what the Hopkins Drama Association (HDA) has produced, saying that “the best part of [her] days is when [she’s] directing a show.”  

During productions, Hartup works closely with students to maintain an energetic rehearsal environment. Kenton notes that “she holds students to a high standard to produce high quality shows; she knows what a high school theater program means for teenagers.” Describing his experience, Xander Ciminello ’27 appreciates that Hartup “puts a lot of trust in our students. She tells them to let loose and try anything.” He elaborated, saying that Hartup has the skill to let the students “do what is natural” alongside “giving them the skills to make the characters [their] own.” 

Beyond building performance skills, her work in the theater gives students something deeper: a sense of self-understanding. Hartup describes theater as “cathartic,” while Ciminello says his experience acting with her has been “grounding.” She has improved “my self-confidence and gave me the tools I needed to ground myself,” he said. Furthermore, Jack Beauclair ’27 illustrates “as [he] has worked with Hope, especially in this play, she helped [him] understand acting as an art, explore subtext, and helped immerse [himself] in scenes and live truthfully in the moment.”

Hartup describes her work as a “gift,” a perspective that reflects her continued dedication.  She knows “it's rare that the thing you really love can put a meal on your table and help pay for the education of your children.” She noted that not have done it all without her late husband Robert Eberle, appreciating that he “was my collaborator on everything [she] did here.” Her creativity never stopped, and she had a devoted partner “who was all in, in terms of making that creative event happen,” explaining that she “was really lucky” in that way.

Members of the Hopkins community also reflect on her work and character. Kenton says, “She has this wealth of experience,” observing her “hope-ism,” also known as her appreciation for a job well done. Ciminello summed her up in one word: “Brilliant.” Particularly in These Shining Lives, Beauclair appreciates how “detail orientated Hartup is, excited for the show’s opening night.”

As she prepares for her 100th show at Hopkins, Hartup’s dedication, creativity, and influence on generations of students are clear. For her, theater is not just about performance—it is about discovery, growth, and connection. “There is something profound that happens. It makes me feel alive,” she says, capturing the passion and energy that have defined her decades-long career.