This afternoon we went down to celebrate JRR Tolkien’s birthday with the good people at McMenamins Kennedy School. It’s an old elementary school that has been transformed into a hotel, laden with local art and a pub in the old Detention room. To top the whole thing off, the Willamatte Radio Workshop put on a true, on-stage, radio performance of The Hobbit! Complete with sound effects throughout, music, audience participation, and a costume contest during the intermission. Of course, everyone in the contest tied.
When we walked up to the room where the performance was to take place, we were greeted by two skinny, sneaker wearing hobbits who were tying balloons for kids and offering to teach them to juggle. Last year they wore no shoes but were forced to this year because of the Health Department, or so they said. Johnathan even got a private show by a man walking around in a Mad Hatter hat, twirling four crystal balls in his hand. He was enthralled… for about 45 seconds, which tells us clearly that this man was good! The events go all day long, starting with the entire trilogy at 9am in a theatre in the hotel. Maybe next year we can try to catch one of them too!
