J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved classic, “The Hobbit,” comes to life on stage tomorrow night in the Actors Co-op presentation of the famous tale.

“The Hobbit” will be the first of two plays this year in the Actors Co-op.

The “Whippersnapper Series” are performances geared toward a younger audience, according to Amy Hubbard, artistic director for “The Hobbit.”

As part of the “Whippersnapper Series,” members of the Actors Co-op Apprenticeship program will be working on and starring in the play alongside the company members. The program is for high school students who are interested in pursuing a career in theater. According to Hubbard, there are 11 apprentices this year and five of them are working on “The Hobbit.”

Adapted for the stage by Edward Mast, the story is presented in a much condensed version.

“The adaptation is only an hour and fifteen minutes,” Hubbard said. “We took different vignettes from the book, but the bigger parts of the story are still in the play.”

Sarah Campbell, a senior in theater and anthropology, and director and costume designer for the show, says larger sections including key scenes with Gollum, the ring, and dragon Smaug are still intact.

Campbell brought the idea for “The Hobbit” before the Actors Co-op as a possibility for one of the “Whippersnapper” productions. Both Campbell and director Katie Norwood feel that the show is an essential piece in this year’s Actors Co-op production lineup.

“I wanted to do it (“The Hobbit”) because I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t love this story,” Campbell said.

Norwood also said, “Sarah was so passionate about telling the story that I was personally convinced that we needed to have it as part of the season.”

Some reservations were initially expressed about performing “The Hobbit,” especially since the box office explosion of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

“We were hesitant about putting this out there,” Hubbard said, “especially while ‘Lord of the Rings’ is out.”

Campbell, however, argued that the popularity of the films will allow the spotlight to shine on this production.

“It is perfect timing with the release of the movies,” she asserted.

She also noted that attending the performance is a great way to escape from the daily grind of student life.

“It’s entertainment that will force you to use your imagination,” said Campbell, “and to rediscover that spark that we lose going to class and doing homework all day.”

“It’s really important for students, and theater-goers in general, to see what you can do with a little bit of money and a lot of imagination,” Norwood said,

“The Hobbit” will be performed at the Black Box Theater on Homberg Drive on Oct. 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26. Saturday shows will be at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday shows only at 2 p.m.

Tickets can be reserved by calling the Actors Co-op at 909-9300 or via e-mail at [email protected]. Hubbard encourages individuals to reserve their tickets as soon as possible, as the first weekend’s shows are already sold out.