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‘Hobbit’ pleases Playhouse crowd
By Drew Sandholm
Published:
Monday, November 25, 2002
Before the Lord of the Rings trilogy came J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit.” A tale of hobbits, dwarves, elves, a magical wizard and a fire-breathing dragon, this story is filled with mysterious creatures from the “inner world.”
An adaptation of this literary work entertained audiences of all ages at the Great River Educational Arts Theatre (G.R.E.A.T.) Playhouse in a final performance yesterday, concluding “The Hobbit’s” three-weekend run. Twenty-five young, aspiring actors made up the cast of this epic tale, turned play.
The story begins with main character, Bilbo Baggins, played by the young Ben Kaufman. Baggins, a naturally curious and adventure loving hobbit, suddenly finds a magical wizard and 11 shabby dwarves knocking at his door. Gandalf, the enchanting and powerful wizard, invites Baggins to join him and the dwarves on a rousing adventure for treasure and wealth. Hesitant to join the entourage of strangers, his love for adventure gets the better of him as he is soon on his way with the group.
Set to recover the lost treasures of Lonely Mountain, the daring assembly ventures out, traveling through ominous mountains, dark caves, thick forests and other threatening places. The brave group faces multiple adversities.
A highlight of these voyages is one scene which took place in a dark, wet cave. Bilbo is troubled and lost. He finds himself separated from the group and left crawling through the murky cave of a mysterious creature. The whole theatre is blackened as a chillingly realistic sound of dripping water enhances the scene. Worriedly talking to himself as he crawls through the cave, Baggins notices glowing red eyes nearby.
“I liked the special effects,” said audience member Caleb Petty later said of the scene.
Crawling in fear, Baggins happens to find a ring. Little does he know what power it possesses. Just then, Gollum, a slithering creature who resides in the dark cavern, finds and wants to eat Bilbo. To prolong and delay the monster, the hobbit and Gollum exchange a series of riddles. Whomever is stumped first will be set free.
Readers of The Hobbit found this scene to be an accurate adaptation of the book. “Riddles in the Dark” is a favorite chapter and it, as well as the performance of Emmett Doyle as Gollum and the young talent of this play, surprised many.
“I thought the play was really cool,” Petty said.
Another example of audience appreciated special effects was in the concluding scenes. Smog, a fire-breathing dragon, guarded the treasure. His long neck swayed and moved naturally. His glowing red eyes shone brilliantly each time he spoke with his low booming voice. Sporadically shooting out bright flames, the audiences was flabbergasted.
Overall, The G.R.E.A.T Playhouse and those involved with this production, were pleased with the play’s three-weekend run.
“I think it went well,” said Killian Ace Miller, who played the dwarf, Thorin. “This theatre group is really cool. They really work together.”
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