AUGUSTA, GA. - Bilbo Baggins is living a well-fed and peaceful life until a magician and a troupe of wandering dwarves show up on his doorstep. Unable to beat the band of colorful characters, he joins them for an adventure to there and back again.

Spencer LaMunion, playing Bilbo the Hobbit, will join 33 other actors and stage technicians under the age of 16 in a production of J.R.R. Tolkein’s “The Hobbit.”

But instead of goblins and dwarves, the members of Creative Acting Students Theater (C.A.S.T.) almost played tigers and snakes. C.A.S.T. Program Director Andra Syms said she left it up to them to choose between “The Jungle Book” and the famed fantasy.

“They just said, ‘Oh, please, don’t make us dress up like animals,’” Syms laughed. “I love the story. I thought the play would be really cute. My only requirement is that it be a form of literature because I want them to read the book before we do the play.”

The cast and crew, the members of which range from age 8 to age 16, have been rehearsing since February. They practice voice projection, stage presence, character construction and makeup skills. They’ve built movable set pieces — the Hobbit door is a particular point of pride — and designed lighting for mood and effect. It’s all part of C.A.S.T.’s mission to develop confidence and literacy in children.

“I wanted kids to get over being shy in front of their classmates, and also to encourage reading,” she explained, and taking ownership of stage performances was an efficient way to do that. “I’ve seen some of the students who started with me and couldn’t even speak in front of people who are now playing main roles. It’s just so amazing to see them gain that confidence.”

“The Hobbit” is an epic adventure through Tolkein’s fantasy world. It is the stuff of legend and the subject of bedtime stories. It mixes two parts action and one part morality play.

 

“It’s a children’s production and so it’s not very violent, but it gets the story across,” Syms said.

But C.A.S.T. is more than the production of performances. Syms strives to encourage each student in his or her particular skills, whatever they may be. Jeremy Brackett, who among other characters plays Smaug the dragon, also designed and constructed his own costume. Gregory and Sarah Edison, brother and sister who are crew members and students at the Augusta Fencing Club, choreographed the sword fighting scene and taught the moves to the cast.

“That’s got to be the best part of this play, the swordfight. They love it. They practice it really hard,” she said. Picking productions like these helps to find the talents of each child and to make each an important member of the team.

“We’ve had some stressful rehearsals, but we try to focus on what went well at the rehearsal,” Syms said. Keeping the experience positive encourages kids to step forward and take ownership of their roles.

Syms says success grows naturally: “When kids can feel like something is theirs, they do a wonderful job.”

“The Hobbit”
North Augusta High School
Thursday and Friday, June 28-29
7 p.m.
$5, children under 5 are free
803-215-5308