We like to believe progress moves forward. It doesn’t. Not always. Directing Vanities, I’m watching a new generation question mine in real time—and I don’t always like my answers.

In the theatre, we call it "The Illusion of the First Time." It’s the art of pretending you don’t know what’s coming next, even when you’ve said the same lines 400 times. I’ve been thinking about how this applies to more than just Hamlet. It’s about how we show up for the people we love—offering presence and a little honest suspense, even when we’ve heard the story before. Because sometimes, the journey matters more than the ending.