The Hobbit is coming to Grace Tipling

April 1, 2015 · 0 Comments

J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved Hobbits, diminutive relatives of humans in his fantasy world of Middle Earth, will appear on Grace Tipling Stage this month. The all child cast is the latest in a great line of shows by L.P. Stage Productions involving local talent and the creative spirits of Dale Lundy and Alison Port, and their choreographer Kristen Gamache. The Hobbit, a prequel to The Lord of the Rings novels, was written in 1937, but has become increasingly popular in recent years with the novel’s block buster film hits directed by Peter Jackson.
Lundy and Port combined their talents in 2010, forming L.P. Stage Productions to give area kids an opportunity to be involved in theatre who could not afford the limited local opportunities available within driving distance. “We wanted to take a new direction that involved working and teaching kids, and to try different types of shows,” says Port, “to introduce a fresh new audience to theatre and encourage people to step out and appreciate the arts and music.” Alison Port is currently in rehearsal with 21 young actors for the Broadway musical Into the Woods which opens at Grace Tipling in late May.
Dale Lundy says he was inspired to produce The Hobbit because of its familiar story and wonderfully mystical quality. It also has lots of great characters for the many kids in the area who love to be involved in L.P. Stage Productions. The cast includes 25 local children from ages five to 17, and Lundy says what has made the rehearsal process both interesting and challenging is working with so many young actors, many for whom it will be their first time ever in a real stage production. “They have to be taught all the basics of theatre along with the challenge of embodying a character and making them dynamic,” said Lundy.
He said he liked this particular script as it is written by Canadian Kim Selody who obtained the rights from the company “Middle Earth.” On the technical side, where Lundy excels, creating Middle Earth creatures including the dragon Smaug, an integral and climatic role in the production, has been an interesting “nine foot tall” challenge, and one sure to thrill the audience.
There are many wonderful moments in the play, but Lundy says one of his favourites is the scene between the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins and Gollum, the odd cave creature, who is obsessed with “the ring.” Hanah Hamilton, a stand-out young actor, who has been featured in many roles in L.P. Stage Productions, plays the lead character of Bilbo. She says one of her favourite scenes is the comical opening. Here, a group of stout hearted Dwarfs and the wizard Gandalf enlist the help of the clever little Hobbit “burglar,” convincing him to leave the comfort of the Shire, against his very nature, and join in their quest to retrieve their treasure from the great dragon. “In his mind he is not going,” says Hanah, but then he does”…and the adventure begins.
Thematically, Lundy says that audiences will relate to the challenges and triumphs of the characters, and students at school matinees will receive the message that “if you believe in yourself you can make anything happen.” Hanah Hamilton says that on his great journey, Bilbo learns, through his relationship with Thorn the Dwarf King that “people are not always what they seem and you should not judge too quickly.” She says joining a theatre group is a “good way to let go”… “You get to be other people” and “bring your very own interpretation to the character.”
All the ticket sales from L.P. Stage Production performances go back into funding the next show, “We don’t want to ask for fees from cast members, otherwise we lose kids who can’t afford to be part of it,” says Port. With the recent sell out of school matinees, for Annie and Peter Pan, people are taking notice of what the group is trying to accomplish. Sponsorships and advertising spaces in the programs are available and there are still some seats open for the April 24th school matinee at 12:45 p.m. Tickets for all regular shows will be available at the door or on-line at www.LPStageProductionsInc.com. Evening shows April 24th and 25th start at 8 p.m. Matinees April 25th and 26th start at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $8–$15 each. For more information contact LP Productions by e-mail @ apgreatscot@gmail.com or phone: 519 939-9038.

By Marni Walsh