Bilbo and Beyond! Interview with Encore’s Hobbit, Sarah Fahrenkrug

What was your first production with Encore, and how was that experience?

Sarah: I was 13 during my first Encore production, The Best Haunted House Ever. I played Frankie, the mischievous prankster, and I had a lot of fun with her character. Our cast was fantastic, and it was truly like a family. The only acting I had done prior to that play was small plays with my church. Our director did not expect everybody on the cast to have an indepth knowledge of theater. He taught us blocking and acting skills in a very fun way for the younger and the older kids.

How did you react when you received the role of Bilbo Baggins?

Sarah: I was completely astonished when I was given my role as Bilbo, and it was a dream come true. It took me a long time to get my brain around the idea that I was going to be Bilbo. During the car ride home with my mom, I am not even sure how much of my conversation she understood, as it was mostly gibberish. For many days after that first rehearsal I was too excited to focus on anything besides my script and the character biography I was already writing. My family had to put up with my random trivia about The Hobbit and Bilbo for many days, and weeks.

What did you like most about working in the production of The Hobbit?

Sarah: Overall, the most enjoyable aspect of The Hobbit was how smoothly everything ran. This is partly because of how well the cast and crew were able to work together, in addition to the fantastic guidance of our director and technical director. Even though we did not have the theater for one of the tech week days, we were able to get everything done on schedule. Also, there was no separation or hierarchy between the cast and crew as there is in some other companies. Everybody, backstage and on-stage, became a family during those six weeks together.

How excited are you for the movie to come out?

Sarah: I am extremely excited for the movie to come out, and I have been counting the days down for months. I am very excited that we have finally passed the 30 day mark, which means tickets have gone on sale!

In what ways are you and Bilbo Baggins similar? Different?

Sarah: Bilbo was a fantastic character to undertake as there are many similarities between the two of us. Throughout the story, despite his hesitation at the beginning, Bilbo is extremely loyal to the company. My loyalty to my friends is similar to Bilbo’s, but I haven’t had to fight a dragon for them yet. Also, he is very clever in finding a way out of tricky situations, such as in the moments with Gollum or Smaug. However, there are also differences between us. Aside from the obvious physical differences (no hairy feet or curly hair, not a boy, not 3 feet tall), there are personality traits that differentiate. While Bilbo enjoys hearing himself talk, especially in his diary, I prefer to listen and absorb information. His character journey, from a scared, selfish hobbit to a clever, altruistic hobbit, is overall a journey that many people can relate to, which is what makes him such a strong character.

Now you’re working on crew for Honk, Jr.-What do you enjoy most about working backstage?

Sarah: This is my fourth time doing crew with Encore and I have enjoyed each experience. Overall, it is very different from working on cast. This is partly because of the size; a crew typically has 10-12 people instead of the cast size of 25-26. It is extremely satisfying to understand what it takes backstage in order to let the show run smoothly. Until my first time on crew, I didn’t realize how many jobs have to be done: lights, sound, flies, assistant stage manager, props, runners. Every job is important, and things go badly if even one person is missing. Also, an exciting part of working on crew is the shop. The crew is responsible for building the set, so every so often we meet on Saturdays to build it. Shop days normally mean 10 teenagers locked in a room for a few hours, so we get pretty crazy.

You’ve been a terrific volunteer for Encore with the new mini-camps–Did you have any fun or silly moments with the campers?

Sarah: One of my favorite moments from the first camp I did was the kids reactions when they realized I still had Bilbo’s magic ring in my pocket. I had many kids try it on to see if they could also become invisible like I did on stage!

What have you taken away from your experience with Encore thus far?

Sarah: I have learned so many things from my few years with Encore, so it is hard to pick a favorite take away. However, if I were to pick the lesson that has truly stayed with me, it is that everybody is important. From the star of the show to the parent helping with concessions, everybody is an important part of putting on the show. I think so often people forget how the people onstage got to be there. Encore has given me to opportunity to begin to understand how much work goes into allowing these shows to happen. My favorite moment with Encore would be working in the shop for the winter show last year, Darius the Dragon and Rap-unzel. Due to the extensive set, the set designer requested that we put in extra hours during the week if we were available. That was when I met one of my closest friends, and we had so much fun preparing the “boulders” for the paper-mache. We bonded over Broadway musicals and Christmas carols; it was amazing to find out how much besides theater we had in common.