By Lacey McAdoo
Hobbit enthusiasts will be thrilled to know J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit: An Adventure Play,” adapted by Edward Mast and published by Dramatic Publishing, will be the next East Central University Theatre Department performance of the season.
The show will be performed Nov. 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Ataloa Theatre inside the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center. There will also be school performances on Nov. 19 and 20 at 10 a.m.
ECU Theatre will perform a one-hour stage version of Edward Mast’s production of The Hobbit. The performance is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 tale of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the thirteen dwarves, Smaug and Gandalf the Gray.
Patrons will watch Bilbo Baggins struggle to leave his comfortable shire to take on a new journey with Gandalf, a wizard, and 13 dwarves in attempt to find the lost treasure guarded by Smaug, the dragon. The show is written for a middle school age audience, but can be enjoyed by the whole family.
“As a cast, we are striving hard to ensure that all true Hobbit enthusiasts will be satisfied as well as create some new perspectives with this tale through our character developments, costumes, lighting, sound and set designs. There are pieces from the book and from the movie in this production, but the production is still different. There will be a lot of surprises,” said director Donna Graves.
The cast includes: Sarah Snow, of Bethel, as Thorin Okenshield; Nikki Ennis, Lexington, as Balin; Jaime Aupperle, Moore, as Gloin; Nathan Strandbridge, Madill, as Goblin King/Warrior; Tyler Whitney, Ada, as Gollum; James Droddy, Kingston, as Smaug/Maxwell; Molly West, Milburn, as Bifur; Kaylynn Cook, Ardmore, as Ori; Malachi Vargas, Ardmore, as Bofur; Chelsie Talbot, McAlester, as Dori and Cody Pleasants, Fort Worth, Texas as Oin.
Also in the cast are: Allison Bush, Sapulpa, as Fili; Adrianne Long, Coalgate, as Bombur; Bessie-Mei Soh, Stratford, as Bilbo; Jamie Lee Beuchat, Sapulpa, as Nori; Buck Trotter, Antlers, as Captain; Malik Sharp, Shawnee, as Dork; Brent Hill, Wister, as Doof; Tabitha Carr, Winnsboro, Texas, as Dwalin; Lewis Key, Ardmore, as Bard; Hattie Starry, Holdenville, as Kili; Philip Newcomer, Ada, as Gandalf; Kaliegh Gray, Ada, as Warrior; Chelsee Gray, Ada, as Warrior and Deborah Johnson of Nassau, Bahamas with voice.
Courtney Phillips, of Tishomingo, will serve as stage manager; Zach Garcia, Ada, provides the music composition, Jessica Fulgium, Eagletown, is the production’s sound designer and Kelsie Crank, Noble, will serve as lighting designer.
Tickets are $10 for regular admission, $9 for senior citizens and alumni, $7 for non-ECU college students and $7 for high school and junior high students. The performance is free for ECU students, faculty and staff with identification.
Lines at the box office can be avoided by ordering tickets online for the performance at ecok.edu/FineArts or by calling the box office at 580-559-5751. Patrons can also purchase tickets at the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center box office located inside of the David A. and Alma Lockmiller Grand Lobby on Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The box office will open at 6:30 p.m. on the night of both performances, Nov. 20-21.
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