Carbondale Reporter

Carbondale Chamber of Commerce recently issued the following announcement.

Our Summer Production, The Hobbit, is sponsored by

Cristaudo’s Café, Bakery, and Catering

Adapted by Patricia Gray

Directed by Susan Harrocks

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” These were the first words

Oxford professor and author J.R.R. Tolkien scribbled on a blank examination paper when he was attempting to write a story for his children. Little did he realize that his children’s story about the adventures of a “halfling” would go on to launch a worldwide print and cinematic phenomenon, Tolkien’s tales of Middle-Earth. And it all began with Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit of the peaceful land known as The Shire, who once upon a time went on an unexpected adventure. In our play, Bilbo has to leave the comfort of his home to recover an important treasure, and, in the spirit of the ages-old story of the “quest,” off we go with him on a fun and wonder-filled journey of intrigue, discovery, making new friends, and more than a little danger!

Reviews of The Hobbit theatrical play:

“ The show is appropriate for children six and up, and it's an adventure that adults, especially those who grew up with Tolkien's books, can become immersed in as well”- The Oregonian

“Gray’s adaptation...urges the audience to turn off its rational mind, ignite its imagination and let the spectacle unfold... As lavishly spectacular as Jackson’s cinematic treatment of The Lord of the Rings played on the big screen, it still didn’t capture Tolkien’s distinct voice and the richness of his language. Gray’s adaptation does so splendidly”-

Orange County Weekly

Performances, show times, and tickets

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit will play at The Varsity Center in

Carbondale, IL, on July 13-15 & July 19-22. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for students. However,

all tickets are only $7 on Thursday, July 19. The box office will be open from 5-7 p.m. July 9-14 and at 1 p.m. on July 15. The box office will again be open from 5-7 p.m. July 18-21 and at 1 p.m. July 22. You can also call (618) 549-5466 to purchase tickets or buy tickets any time by visiting https://stagecompany.org/.

About the author of The Hobbit:

John Ronald Reuel (J.R.R) Tolkien is widely considered to be the father of modern fantasy writing. Born in 1892 in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State (a former British province of South Africa), young Ronald moved with his mother and brother Hilary to England when he was three years old. It is fairly common knowledge that growing up in the beautiful countryside around Birmingham influenced his descriptions of the Shire, the homeland of the hobbits. Also, the pollution he saw increasing in the area due to industrialization had a profound impact on his environmental views, as reflected in The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien married Edith Bratt in 1916, just before going off to war, and they had four children.

After serving in World War I with his regiment, the Lancashire Fusiliers, Tolkien went on that have a very distinguished career at Oxford University as a professor of Anglo-Saxon and English. He was also an expert philologist. Indeed, his interest in philology is in part what led to the publication of his works about Middle Earth, in that he used his books as vehicles for the Elvish languages that he invented.

Tolkien’s son Christopher has longed managed Tolkien’s literary estate and has published a number of Professor Tolkien’s previously unpublished works, including his masterful cosmology, The Silmarillion. In 2007, Christopher published one of the longer tales in The Silmarillion as a separate novel entitled The Children of Hurin.

In addition to Tolkien’s children’s masterpiece The Hobbit, some of his other works are Smith of Wooton Major, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Leaf by Niggle, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, and Tolkien’s important essay about fantasy literature, On Fairy Stories. The Hobbit, published in 1937, was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction.

About the playwright: : Patricia Gray is a published author and an editor of children's books. In addition to her adaptation of The Hobbit, some of Ms. Gray’s books include: Cornwall Murder Files: Famous Cases Solved and Unsolved; Hello,Tiger; Hello, Elephant; Hello, Koala; Grave Robbers and Body Snatchers in Devon; The Wolf and The Old Woman; McGillicuddy McGotham: A Three-Act Play; Akua, The Ebony Doll; and Two Monkey Tales. Her adaptation of The Hobbit was approved by Professor Tolkien.

About the director: Susan Harrocks has been a member of the Stage Company for ten years. She is current President-Elect, having previously served as Vice-President for Productions. Notable acting roles include Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, M in Crave, Claire in Bare: A Pop Opera, and most recently as Gwendolen Fairfax in The Importance of Being Earnest. Susan has assistant directed Arsenic and Old Lace, The Red Shoes, and Godspell with the Stage Company. Other directing credits include: 'Night, Mother, From Shakespeare With Love, and various Shakespeare productions throughout the area. She has also worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company of London. Ms. Harrocks is a Murphysboro resident and an U.S. Army veteran. She lives in a historic house with her very mean cat, and very nice dog. Her hobbies include painting, acting, sewing, and knitting. When she grows up, she'd still very much like to be a cricket farmer on Mars! Susan is very proud of her cast and all their hard work, and thanks them for making this so much fun to work on!

Cast and Production Team

Bilbo - Kodiak Frey

Gandalf - Kaleb Triplett

Thorin - John Hunsell

Dwalin - Sam Foskey

Balin - Rory Leahy

Kili - Luke Murphy

Fili - Joshua Ramirez

Dori - Leanna Keeney

Nori - Amina Wilson

Ori - Allison Connet

Oin - Caleb Bondzi

Gloin - Nate Sanders

Bifur - Kenzie Clerk

Bofur - Ethan Forsberg

Bombur - Grant Geyman

Grocery Boy - Nathan Herman

Bert - Jodie Salazar

Essie - Josephine Beyke

Tom - Alex Weinhold

The Great Goblin - Alex Weinhold

Goblin Fighter - Alex Baughman

First Elf - Madi Herzog

Second Elf - Katie Herzog

Third Elf/First Attendant - Sammy Albeedh

Elven Queen - Riley Brandhorst

Gollum - Hasanah Brown

Smaug - Antonio Salazar

Director - Susan Harrocks

Assistant Director - Jeff Keasler-Bird

Fight Choreographer - Austin Harrison

Stage Manager – Jodie Salazar

Costumers- Ruth Daugherty, Kate Heist

Technical Director- Brandyn McGhee

Original source can be found here.