CAST:
Beau Xzane – Bilbo Baggins
Haley Paine – Thorin Oakenshield
Dalton Elliott – Gandalf
Mark Alford – Kili
Jerry Romasco – Fili
Susana Bailén – Balin
Emma Thomas – Gloin
Aidan Hoey – Gollum, Wolf 1, Spider, Guard 1, Bard
Sullivan Tyler – Smaug, Troll 3, Goblin 2, Battle-Dwarf
Rachel Martin – Troll 2, Goblin 1, Elf 1, Townie, Battle-Elf 1
Veronica Harris – Troll 4, Goblin 3, Elven Queen, Townie
CREATIVE CREW:
Rebecca Rogers – Director
James Dover – Director, Smaug Puppet
Heather Matthews – Musical Director
Jenn Francis – Stage Manager
Aaron Wolff – Band
Ben Matthews – Creature Creation
Sydney Bement & Nick Van Der Pluym – Lighting Design
Vanessa Cat – Costumes Team, Props/Set Team, Sound Design
Jason Jenkins– Prop/Set Team, Costume Team
Magdelena Burgman – Backstage Hand, Props/Set Team
Cooper Wolfram – Light Board Operator
Haley Paine – Prop/Set Team
Hailey Margaret Hubbard – Prop/Set Team
Joe Green – Costume Team
Sullivan Tyler – Smaug Eye Puppet
SPECIAL THANKS!
Thanks to the following people and organizations that helped us put this production on stage!
Estimated duration:
2 hours with a 10 minute intermission
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CAST BIOS:
Beau Xzane
they/them
Bilbo Baggins
Beau Xzane is delighted to make their debut with Olympia Family Theater as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit. Previous credits include Spring Awakening (Tacoma Little Theatre), The Last Five Years (Compass Productions), Men on Boats (Gather Repertory), and Our Town (Gather Repertory). When not part of a production, Beau can be found either playing some type of TTRPG or the much beloved 2015 Game of the Year Dragon Age: Inquisition, or herding middle schoolers around Tacoma like cats in a room full of springs.
Haley Paine
she/they
Thorin Oakenshield
Haley Paine is happy to be back for another production with Olympia Family Theater, where she feels right at home. She believes that the stories we share remind us how deeply connected we are. Story telling elevates voices, new perspective, and inspires empathy. All things the world urgently needs. Her hope is that this show will take the audience on an unforgettable journey of courage, friendship, and the importance of life’s little joys.
Dalton Elliott
he/she/they
Gandalf
Dalton Elliot is very excited to be a part of The Hobbit. This is their first show in seven years, and their first time working with Olympia Family Theater. When they’re not acting, they can be found working at Legends Arcade, or playing in a competitive pinball league across Olympia.
Mark Alford
he/they
Kili
Mark Alford is thrilled to be part of this wonderful team! Past roles at OFT include Michael in Barney Carey Gets His Wings, Prince Randolph in Cinder Edna, Tim in The Imaginators, Kyle in Fishnapped, and The Bunny in Goodnight Moon. Past roles in the community include Johnny in American Idiot (Lakewood Playhouse), Andrew in Recent Tragic Events, Lucas in Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Jim in Clybourne Park, and Antonio (as Johnny Rotten) in A Rock’n’Roll 12th Night (Harlequin Productions). Mark is the former Executive Director of OFT and is grateful and overjoyed for the opportunity to help tell this beautiful story.
Jerry Romasco
he/him
Fili
Jerry Romasco is dedicating this performance to his father, Frank Romasco. He introduced him to The Hobbit when he was about seven, maybe younger. He would’ve been overjoyed to see him in it now if he were still alive. Thank you, Dad. May our inner child and our community’s actual children and youth be inspired anew by this story. Prior roles include Craig Donner/Grady, understudy Ned Weeks/Mickey Marcus in The Normal Heart (Lakewood Playhouse); Vealtninc Husz in A Bright Room Called Day (SPSCC Theater Collective); Robert Novum Smith, Jr in The Book Club Play (Olympia Little Theatre); Tigger in The House at Pooh Corner, Father in The Giver, and Father/Ensemble in A Wrinkle in Time (Olympia Family Theater).
Susana Bailén
she/her
Balin
Susana Bailén is really excited to return to our stage as Balin. Her last acting role in an OFT production was 3 years ago with The Girl Who Swallowed a Cactus. When not in a rehearsed production, you can catch her doing improv with her beloved Fakers here in town or with her Spanglish troupe Mucho Improv in Seattle. She also enjoys playback theater and you may catch her accompanying the Heartsparkle Players onstage from time to time.
Emma Thomas
she/her
Gloin
Emma Thomas is delighted to be returning to the OFT stage for the first time in several years! Last season at OFT, she stage managed Honk! and costumed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. More recently, she played Rachel in Exit Laughing at Olympia Little Theatre. Outside of theatre, Emma enjoys concert photography, drawing, and going to the gym.
Aidan Hoey
he/him
Gollum, Wolf 1, Spider, Guard 1, Bard
Aidan Hoey finds it precious to be able to return to Olympia Family Theater in The Hobbit after thirteen years away. Longtime viewers of his face may vaguely recall he was James in OFT’s 2013 production of James and the Giant Peach. And while he was a munchkin at the time, he didn’t get a chance to actually play one until joining a production of The Wizard of Oz for CTE some time later. More than any official casting, though, Aidan’s proudest credit is writing D&D adventures and playing characters as his friends’ Dungeon Master – to whom he would like to thank for always believing in him, along with his mother for being his biggest fan.
Sullivan Tyler
he/him
Smaug, Troll 3, Goblin 2, Guard 2, Battle-Dwarf
Sullivan Tyler is excited to return to the OFT stage. Ever since it was announced that OFT would be putting on a production of The Hobbit, he made it his mission to play the terrible dragon Smaug. His love for giant monsters and Dungeons & Dragons has fueled that fire. You may have seen Sullivan in OFT’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as William Barfee or maybe as Mr. D in our production of The Lightning Thief.
Rachel Martin
she/her
Troll 2, Goblin 1, Elf 1, Townie, Battle-Elf 1
This is Rachel’s second show at Olympia Family Theater, and she couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of it. She’d like to thank the cast and crew for having her alongside them on this magical, fantastical journey!
Veronica Harris
she/her
Troll 4, Goblin 3, Elven Queen, Townie
Veronica Harris is a performance artist, writer and director. She has a Bachelors in Arts and Science from the Evergreen State College. She teaches theater classes at OFT, including adult improv. This is her second show at OFT, previously she played in The Snow Queen. She read The Hobbit with her dad when she was young and she is so excited to help it to life!
CREW BIOS:
Rebecca Rogers
she/her
Director
Rebecca Rogers, originally from Middle Earth, is enchanted to direct The Hobbit for OFT’s stage after bringing to life Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief and The Girl Who Swallowed a Cactus in previous seasons. Her extensive theater background includes not just innumerable onstage roles and directing dwarves and elves, but also behind-the-scenes roles of set designer, costumer, props master and teacher. She is a member of The Fakers improv troupe, which performs regularly in Olympia. Rebecca thanks her family, all cast in important supporting roles at home, whilst she is off to the theater and back again.
James Dover
he/him
Director
James Dover is honored and excited to have collaborated on this special and iconic piece! After performing in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as Vice Principal Panch, he has kept returning to this theater that feels like home to him. He has been in love with this art form for as long as he can remember. He has had the pleasure of creating from all corners of the stage and off! From acting, directing, stage managing, set design, scenic painting, and even puppet building he loves every part of what it takes to tell a story. When he’s not in the theater, James is spending time with his wonderful partner in their colorful home, usually drinking coffee and cuddling their two cats.
Heather Matthews
they/she
Musical Director
Heather is delighted to return to Olympia Family Theater! They have previously provided musical direction for The Lightning Thief at OFT, The Moors at South Puget Sound Community College, Six: Teen Edition at Lakewood Playhouse, The Prom at Olympia High School, and served as the vocal coach for Rent last summer for Harlequin Productions. In addition to being a local actor and singer, Heather teaches music at McKenny Elementary and plays piano, guitar, uke, drums, and woodwinds well, and trumpet, trombone, harp, and koto badly (for NOW, haha!). Always up for more musical collabs!
Web: www.heathermatthews.com
Instagram: @hedderschmidt_arts
Jenn Francis
she/her
Stage Manager
Jenn Francis has been a part of every OFT show this season! What started as a leap into the world behind the curtain has become an adventure she never wants to end. After assistant stage managing three shows, stepping into the stage manager role has been an exciting new challenge. Supporting the actors through the creative process brings her so much joy, and she feels incredibly lucky to work alongside such a talented cast, crew, and the OFT staff. Endless gratitude to her family for cheering her on every step of the way.
Vanessa Cat
she/her
Costumes Team, Props/Set Team, Sound Design
Vanessa is a local Teaching Artist, Performer, Producer, Technician, Mama and more! She is grateful to be part of this company of collaborators making theater magic for the Olympia and PNW Community, thank you for coming to support OFT!
Aaron Wolff
he/him
Band
Jason Jenkins
he/him
Costume & Prop Design
Jason Jenkins calls Olympia home. He fell in love with the animated Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings as a child when he was struggling with reading. His mother got him the new (at the time) game Dungeons and Dragons and leveraged his love of adventuring little Hobbits to encourage reading. Thanks to her gift and encouragement he learned how to read and it changed his life for the better. He would like to thank his mom and all the friends and wonderful storytellers he has met along the way. He hopes this inclusive telling of the tale allows more people to feel the magic he did as a child.
Ben Matthews
he/him
Creature Creation
Ben Matthews has been involved with OFT for around 15 years, on and off. From lighting, to pit musician, to acting, and props production, he is only missing a few spaces on his bingo card.
Hailey Margaret Hubbard
they/them
Scenic Design
Hailey Hubbard is the Scenic painter for The Hobbit. They based the set design on J.R.R. Tolkien’s original paintings from the 80s, he was a prolific and talented visual artist as well as author. Hailey is a multimedia artist, costume designer, and puppeteer from Michigan. They studied Climate Change and Public Art at the University of Michigan. They are member of the design and build team for String and Shadow’s two most recent productions- Or So It Would Seam and Night at the Grand Opera. Hailey was the designer behind the Costumes, Props, and Set Painting for The Snow Queen at OFT in 2025. They continue to support the theatre to develop their new black box theatre: The Studio. Hailey is excited to be partnering with Olympia Family Theater to bring this mural to life!
Sydney Bement &
Nick Van Der Pluym
she/her
he/him
Lighting Design
This is Nick and Sydney’s first show as a design team but not their first show together. They have worked on many different productions together. You’ll usually find Nick behind the light board designing or building sets and Sydney can be found choreographing, building sets, or acting! They are excited for their debut as a lighting design team to be at OFT and are thrilled to be a part of the magic that is The Hobbit!
Magdelena Burgman
she/her
Backstage Hand
This is Mag’s second performance with Olympia Family Theater and she is excited to make the world of The Hobbit come to life from backstage. You may have previously seen Mag playing bass guitar for Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. In her free time she likes doing art, playing music, and doing puzzles.
Cooper Wolfram
they/them
Light Board Operator
Cooper Wolfram is excited to work with Olympia Family Theater on The Hobbit! Cooper has had a blast working with OFT for the past season and greatly appreciates every who helps makes this theatre such a welcoming and wonderful place!
Joe Green
Costume Team
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Special Thanks
to our 2025 Donors!
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ORGANIZATION CREDITS:
OFT Staff
Vanessa Cat
Lex Langguth-Torres
Lauren O’Neill
Jill Carter
Jupiter Shellman
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