At a time when "The Lord of the Rings"
sweeps the Academy Awards as a serious epic and J.R.R. Tolkien
is regarded by some as a major philosopher (the man was actually
a philologist), it’s something of a relief that the Heights Players
has produced a version of "The Hobbit" that is both
child-friendly and unpretentious.
Directed and designed by Bill Wood, this "Hobbit" delightfully
creates the world of little people with hairy feet, mischievous
elves and supercilious dwarfs. Josh Pearson is regal and austere
as the wizard Gandalf, and Sam Greene almost steals the show
as the evil, hissing Gollum.
This dramatization by Patricia Gray (a version authorized by
Tolkien before his death in 1973) does not pretend to be a parable
of human existence or a symbolic battle between good and evil.
The funny little men are a bit silly and the evil monsters are
not very scary. Of course, there’s plenty of fighting, with and
without swords, but no one save the very youngest could ever
think someone might get hurt in any of these altercations.
For those who have managed to live life blissfully unaware of
those little creatures who live in Shire, between the River Brandywine
and the Far Downs in Middle Earth, "The Hobbit," written
in 1937, tells the tale of the stodgy hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who
is sent on a dangerous mission – to steal back the treasure the
nefarious dragon Smaug (Ed Healy) has taken from the dwarfs.
Baggins reluctantly sets out with the rowdy dwarfs. He goes through
the Goblin Caves where the dwarfs battle the Goblins.
Afterwards he meets Gollum and accidentally finds the magic ring
that will change his life.
A while later Baggins and the dwarfs come upon Murkwood Forest
where they meet the wood elves and are taken hostage. But because
the ring has the power to make the wearer invisible, Baggins
manages to slip away. Eventually, the cranky little fellow prevails
over all these obstacles and manages to return safe and sound
to his quiet little hole.
Steve Velardi (who has previously appeared with the Heights players
as Buddy in "Come Blow Your Horn" and Benny in "Guys
and Dolls") plays Baggins so believably one suspects he
might really be part hobbit. With his stout build and a smile
that would make a newborn look evil, Velardi looks perfectly
capable of enjoying six meals a day and a quiet pipe by the fireside.
He is the unwilling hero par excellence.
"The Hobbit" was written as a preface to "The
Lord of the Rings," published almost 20 years later. Although
Bilbo has been hailed as the kind of epic hero Joseph Campbell
wrote so famously about, it appears that Tolkien himself never
made such pretentions about his work.
In the foreword to "The Lord of the Rings" he writes,
"I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations,
and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect
its presence."
He further claimed that "The Lord of the Rings" is
"neither allegorical nor topical," and it seems safe
to assume that "The Hobbit" was written in the same
straightforward manner.
Despite its complexity (it contains references to Norse mythology
and the Anglo-Saxon epic "Beowolf"), "The Hobbit"
is a fairytale, complete with wizards, dragons, trolls, goblins,
elves and slimy creatures. If it has a message, it’s the message
of all good fairytales – that good triumphs over evil, that obedience
pays unless the demands for it are extraordinary, that the weak
should be protected and that one should not be brave to the point
of recklessness.
The Heights Players’ production is for children and all those
adults who are lucky enough to have a child to bring with them
– either by the hand or in their hearts.
The Heights Players’ production of "The
Hobbit" runs through Feb. 20, Fridays and Saturdays at 8
pm and Sundays at 2 pm. Tickets are $12, $10 students and seniors.
The Heights Players theater is located at 26 Willow Place between
State and Joralemon streets in Brooklyn Heights. For reservations
call (718) 237-2752 or visit www.heightsplayers.org.
