Central goes all out to re-create 'The Hobbit'

It's not just a dab of powder here, a smidgen of eyeliner there. To transform Naperville Central High School cast members into the inhabitants of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasyland Middle-earth, makeup artist Lauren Ruvola goes straight to the liquid latex.

"We've got elves, dwarves, trolls, hobbits and then a wizard," said Ruvola, a junior at Central. "We're making a lot of beards and scars. It's a makeup-heavy show, so it's a lot of fun."

"The Hobbit," a story about protagonist Bilbo Baggins' perilous quest to recover a precious, powerful treasure, will be staged by Central students under the direction of teacher and theater director Tom Ulbrich today, Oct. 30, through Saturday, Nov. 1.

"This particular version we're doing is the only one authorized by professor J.R.R. Tolkien," Ulbrich said. "It's very similar to the book."

A prequel to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, the story tells of the hobbit's wild journey, his encounters with strange creatures and the battles he and his allies engage in to secure noble ideals.

Near the outset, Bilbo's help is enlisted to find a special ring.

"He discovers its invisibility powers. He gets in some conflicts with some trolls. He gets in some conflicts with some goblins. He fights the dragon, Smaug," Ulbrich said.

All of those clashes are staged, elaborately.

"We go the full nine yards with this," Ulbrich said.

Going full out with drama also means safeguarding the cast, crew and audience.

"We have a fight scene," said junior Jeff Mayer, stage manager. "We have to choreograph that safely."

Even in one seemingly innocuous dining scene, the level of staged hazards needs to be kept in check when plates and knives are tossed around.

"It's important that we make sure no one gets hurt," said student director Carolyn Foote, a sophomore.

Then there's the challenge of coming up with just the right sound for Smaug, the dragon, who is voiced by the show's producer, senior Jeff Schatz.

"Getting Smaug's voice to sound like Smaug took a lot of time," Mayer said. "For the show, we're going to have him on a digital processor."

When he's not playing Smaug, Schatz said he's handling the business side of the show, with the help of Foote and Ulbrich.

"We do a lot of the day-to-day management on the artistic, business, creative and technical levels," Schatz said, adding that the students are greatly indebted to "the immense talents of Mr. U."

"We go to him for advice when we need it," he said.

Ulbrich said he purposely gives the 75 students in the cast and crew plenty of latitude.

"We really run an educational theater program. By that I mean, these kids are making a lot of the decisions," Ulbrich said. "We supervise all of it. We give the kids the responsibility to get the work done."

Many students have two parts, one in the first cast for the show, one as an understudy.

Senior David Tarsha is cast as the Great Goblin and also serves as the understudy for Gandalf, a wizard with a hefty role.

Tarsha said the idea of learning two parts simultaneously was at first daunting. But, he said, it's not as tough as it sounds.

"You get the hang of it," he said.

If you go

What: "The Hobbit," staged by Naperville Central High School theater students

When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30, 8 p.m. Oct. 31 and Nov. 1

Where: Naperville Central High School's main auditorium, 440 Aurora Road, Naperville

Tickets: $5

Info: (630) 420-3885

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=246532">Director's cut <span class="date">[10/30/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>