For director Arden-Reese, the theme resonates beyond the stage. According to her, bullying might take different forms, but supporting the kids facing it is as important as ever. “In helping the dwarves and their own quest, Bilbo finds out what shines inside him — something that hadn’t shined before,” she said. But the story’s heart isn’t just in the script; it’s in the actors’ performances, their students and the energy that fills the stage. As a Cape Cod local and current associate chair at New York University’s Tisch Drama, Arden-Reese said she was thrilled to guide the cast in this process. “When a community comes together for this common purpose and people give their heart, soul and whole being to a piece, something happens. It transcends the sum of its individual parts. That’s the magic that makes theater pop,” she said. By the final curtain, Beau has faced trolls, outwitted Gollum and confronted his own “dragon.” As he steps off stage, one lesson lingers: there really is more in him than meets the eye.