There’s More To CCTC/HJT’s ‘Hobbit’ Than Meets The Eye

At Cape Cod Theatre Company/Harwich Junior Theatre, a young boy dives under his covers and emerges as a hero. On stage, dwarves march, trolls lurk, and dragons roar as the audience discovers that “There’s more in me than meets the eye.”

The theater’s current production of “The Hobbit,” running through Aug. 24, brings J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic tale to life, weaving that central quote into a story of bravery, honor and fun. 

The play opens with Beau, a bullied boy who escapes reality by hiding in the fantasy world of his favorite book, “The Hobbit.” That’s where, as director Andy Arden-Reese said, “a little bit of ‘Princess Bride’ meets ‘Where the Wild Things Are.’” Beau’s imagination bursts onto the stage where he transforms into Bilbo Baggins and goes on a journey to help the dwarves and defeat the evil dragon, Smaug. Guiding him is his wise grandmother, reimagined in the form of the great wizard Gandalf. 

Along the way Bilbo (aka Beau) faces crafty elves, nasty trolls and even the slippery Gollum. In the climactic showdown, Beau faces Smaug — his real-life bully reimagined as a fiery dragon – and learns that courage comes from within.

For director Arden-Reese, the theme resonates beyond the stage. According to her, bullying might take different forms, but supporting the kids facing it is as important as ever. 

 “In helping the dwarves and their own quest, Bilbo finds out what shines inside him — something that hadn’t shined before,” she said.

But the story’s heart isn’t just in the script; it’s in the actors’ performances, their students and the energy that fills the stage. As a Cape Cod local and current associate chair at New York University’s Tisch Drama, Arden-Reese said she was thrilled to guide the cast in this process.

 “When a community comes together for this common purpose and people give their heart, soul and whole being to a piece, something happens. It transcends the sum of its individual parts. That’s the magic that makes theater pop,” she said.

By the final curtain, Beau has faced trolls, outwitted Gollum and confronted his own “dragon.” As he steps off stage, one lesson lingers: there really is more in him than meets the eye.