The Hobbit™ Study Guide

Schulich Children's Plays
THE HOBBIT™

Based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien
Adapted by Kim Selody
Licensed by Middle-earth Enterprises
© & TM MEE
Directed by Pablo Felices-Luna

Download House Program

GRADE RECOMMENDATION

Grade 4+

CONTENT ADVISORY

Please see the show page for a detailed advisory.

SYNOPSIS

Comfort-loving Hobbit Bilbo Baggins is swept into an unexpected adventure when the Wizard Gandalf enlists him to accompany Thorin Oakenshield and his band of Dwarves on a perilous quest to reclaim their home beneath the Lonely Mountain from the Dragon Smaug. Along the journey across Middle-earth, Bilbo faces Trolls, Goblins, Elves, giant spiders and the creature Gollum, from whom he acquires a mysterious and powerful ring. Through resourcefulness and courage, Bilbo grows into an unlikely hero, proving indispensable to the Company as their journey culminates in a great battle that determines the fate of the mountain and its inhabitants.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

Global Competencies or Transferable Skills: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship; Self-Directed Learning, Collaboration, Communication, Global Citizenship and Sustainability; Digital Literacy

Grades 4-6

The Arts
Health and Physical Education
Language
Science and Technology
Social Studies

Grades 7-8

The Arts
Health and Physical Education
History
Language
Science and Technology

Grades 9-12

The Arts
Canadian and World Studies
English
Health and Physical Education
Social Sciences and Humanities
Technological Education

Post-Secondary

Suitable for courses in disciplines such as Arts, Cultural Studies, Creative Writing, Dramatic Arts and Theatre, English, Fine Arts, Gender Studies, History, Literature, Social Development Studies, Teacher Education

THEMES

Adventure
Courage
Coming of Age
Fate and Finding the Future
Fellowship and Unity
Home and Belonging
Hospitality and Kindness
Identity and Purpose
Power and Consequences
Responsibility and Leadership
Self-Discovery
Storytelling and Memory
Teamwork and Cooperation
The Hero's Journey
Understanding Difference
War and Peace
Words and Riddles

DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION QUESTIONS

PRE-SHOW QUESTIONS

What do you already know about The Hobbit? Have you read the book or seen the movie adaptation?
Author J.R.R. Tolkien invented the word "Hobbit" for this story. When you hear the word "Hobbit," what comes to mind? What kind of creature do you imagine a Hobbit to be, and why?
The Hobbit is a high fantasy story. What fantasy elements do you expect to see on stage? How might costumes, lighting, sound, props and makeup bring these characters and landscapes to life?
This play features a small, dynamic cast of nine artists onstage, with many playing multiple roles. Since they often switch characters in seconds, what specific shifts (physical, vocal, costume, movement) do you expect to see them use to signal a transformation?
What does the word "adventure" mean to you? If you had to leave your home on an unexpected adventure, what three items would you bring with you, and why?
In your view, what are three qualities or characteristics that make someone a "hero"? What characteristics might make someone an "unlikely hero"? What might they possess or contribute that someone traditionally thought to be heroic might not?
Who are some of your personal heroes and why?
Conflict is inevitable in a quest or journey. Is conflict always a negative experience? Explain your thinking using examples.
What are your personal values? What has shaped them? Have they changed over time?
Think about a time when you felt pressure to do something out of alignment with your values. Consider your choices at the time and what you might do when this happens again in the future.
What makes a true friendship? What might help to forge a friendship between two people who seemingly have nothing in common?
What causes greed? What quells it?
Why might some people find it difficult to apologize or admit when they are wrong? What might help make it easier for people to admit wrongdoing?

POST-SHOW QUESTIONS

The main character, Bilbo, starts the story as a comfortable, cautious Hobbit. Have you ever faced a situation that pushed you out of your comfort zone? What was the situation, and how did you respond?
Characters often grow from their experiences. How did Bilbo grow from his journey? Have you experienced this in your own life?
What are some of the biggest challenges that the characters faced on their journey? How did they overcome them? What advice would you give a friend who is going through a challenging time?
Bilbo Baggins is often described as having two different sides to his personality: the "Baggins" side (comfort and routine) and the "Took" side (adventurous and bold). We all have different sides to our personalities that we have gathered throughout our lives. If you were on an adventure, which part of your personality would be the most helpful and why?
Think about how you have changed over the course of your life. What experiences and which people have helped you to become more courageous, kind and capable? In what ways have you helped others to become who they are?
How necessary is a guide to a successful journey? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having someone lead the way? Would you prefer to lead the way or to follow?
One of the scenes in the play features a conflict using riddles where Bilbo uses his wits to survive a life-or-death situation. Have you ever had to "think on your feet" or use your words to get out of a difficult situation? What did it feel like to find power through language?
Many treasures were uncovered throughout the play. What do you think "treasure" meant to each of the characters, and how did their desire for it affect their actions on the journey? What does "treasure" mean to you?
Are there any unintentional harms that might be caused through the production of this play? If so, what are they, and what might be done to take care of the artists and audience members participating in the work?

MINDS ON

Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of key scenes from The Hobbit by identifying character traits, explaining conflict and resolution, and analyzing Bilbo's journey throughout the story. They will then collaborate to create a short shadow puppet performance that uses movement, voice and visual storytelling to effectively convey mood and meaning.

Materials:

Black construction paper
Scissors
Popsicle sticks or straws
Tape or glue
Pre-prepared stick figure and circle
A lamp and sheet or a projector

Directions:

Divide the class into small groups.
Assign each group one key moment from the play adaptation of The Hobbit:
- Gandalf and Dwarves Arrive at Bilbo's Home
- Encounter with the Trolls
- Riddles in the Dark with Bilbo and Gollum
- Bilbo Saving the Dwarves from Spiders
- Confronting Smaug
- The Battle of Five Armies
- Thorin's Reconciliation and Death
- Bilbo Returns Home
Give students a few minutes to create a tableau representing their assigned scene. Encourage students to focus on clear silhouette shapes that show emotional states through posture.
Invite students to present for the other groups, asking the following questions as they do: Which characters are involved in the scene? What character traits are evident? What conflict is present? How can you tell?
Shift to a short puppetry demonstration after setting up a projection space. Using two sample puppets made out of black construction paper (a cut-out circle and a stick figure), demonstrate the following:
- Moving the puppet closer to the light makes it bigger
- Moving the puppet far from the light makes it smaller
- Tilting the puppet creates distortion
- Playing with speed and flow, moving the puppets slowly and quickly
Afterward, ask students to consider what mood each of these techniques created: How did scale affect power? How did speed affect tension and suspense? How could this show Bilbo's growth throughout his journey?
Invite students to experiment in small groups.
Then, give each group one of the words listed below and, using only blank cut-out puppets and light, ask them to communicate that word through shadow puppetry and no dialogue.
- Fear
- Greed
- Courage
- Suspicion
- Confidence
- Chaos
- Friendship
- Forgiveness
After each group presents, invite students to discuss what techniques made it clear. How can they apply these to Bilbo's journey?
Return to the initial key moments from The Hobbit. Groups must select one key moment and identify which specific puppetry techniques will visually show Bilbo's change. They will need to consider how size, shape, posture and lighting will communicate character traits, conflict and resolution.
After constructing their puppets, groups rehearse together, ensuring their scene includes a clear beginning image, visible conflict escalation, a strong visual turning point and a clear closing image. Encourage students to include the techniques they experimented with earlier in the lesson.
Invite each group to perform for their peers.

DEBRIEFING QUESTIONS:

How did groups show internal conflict visually?
When did the conflict feel most intense and why?
What made the beginning and ending images strong or clear?
What puppetry choice are you most proud of?
What did you learn about storytelling from working in shadow puppetry?

POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS:

Puppetry Deep Dive

Invite students to research a different form of puppetry such as Bunraku, marionettes, rod puppets or hand/glove puppets.
Ask them to learn how their chosen puppets are constructed and operated.
Challenge them to compare their chosen style to shadow puppetry, analyzing similarities and differences in movement, scale and visual storytelling, and to reflect on how cultural or historical context shapes each form.
Finally, lead a discussion with students on how these techniques could be applied to storytelling in theatre.

About the Play

Schulich Children's Plays
THE HOBBIT™

Based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien
Adapted by Kim Selody
Licensed by Middle-earth Enterprises
© & TM MEE
Directed by Pablo Felices-Luna

Download House Program

GRADE RECOMMENDATION

Grade 4+

CONTENT ADVISORY

Please see the show page for a detailed advisory.

SYNOPSIS

Comfort-loving Hobbit Bilbo Baggins is swept into an unexpected adventure when the Wizard Gandalf enlists him to accompany Thorin Oakenshield and his band of Dwarves on a perilous quest to reclaim their home beneath the Lonely Mountain from the Dragon Smaug. Along the journey across Middle-earth, Bilbo faces Trolls, Goblins, Elves, giant spiders and the creature Gollum, from whom he acquires a mysterious and powerful ring. Through resourcefulness and courage, Bilbo grows into an unlikely hero, proving indispensable to the Company as their journey culminates in a great battle that determines the fate of the mountain and its inhabitants.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

Global Competencies or Transferable Skills: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship; Self-Directed Learning, Collaboration, Communication, Global Citizenship and Sustainability; Digital Literacy

Grades 4-6

The Arts
Health and Physical Education
Language
Science and Technology
Social Studies

Grades 7-8

The Arts
Health and Physical Education
History
Language
Science and Technology

Grades 9-12

The Arts
Canadian and World Studies
English
Health and Physical Education
Social Sciences and Humanities
Technological Education

Post-Secondary

Suitable for courses in disciplines such as Arts, Cultural Studies, Creative Writing, Dramatic Arts and Theatre, English, Fine Arts, Gender Studies, History, Literature, Social Development Studies, Teacher Education

THEMES

Adventure
Courage
Coming of Age
Fate and Finding the Future
Fellowship and Unity
Home and Belonging
Hospitality and Kindness
Identity and Purpose
Power and Consequences
Responsibility and Leadership
Self-Discovery
Storytelling and Memory
Teamwork and Cooperation
The Hero's Journey
Understanding Difference
War and Peace
Words and Riddles

Discussion Questions

DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION QUESTIONS

PRE-SHOW QUESTIONS

What do you already know about The Hobbit? Have you read the book or seen the movie adaptation?
Author J.R.R. Tolkien invented the word "Hobbit" for this story. When you hear the word "Hobbit," what comes to mind? What kind of creature do you imagine a Hobbit to be, and why?
The Hobbit is a high fantasy story. What fantasy elements do you expect to see on stage? How might costumes, lighting, sound, props and makeup bring these characters and landscapes to life?
This play features a small, dynamic cast of nine artists onstage, with many playing multiple roles. Since they often switch characters in seconds, what specific shifts (physical, vocal, costume, movement) do you expect to see them use to signal a transformation?
What does the word "adventure" mean to you? If you had to leave your home on an unexpected adventure, what three items would you bring with you, and why?
In your view, what are three qualities or characteristics that make someone a "hero"? What characteristics might make someone an "unlikely hero"? What might they possess or contribute that someone traditionally thought to be heroic might not?
Who are some of your personal heroes and why?
Conflict is inevitable in a quest or journey. Is conflict always a negative experience? Explain your thinking using examples.
What are your personal values? What has shaped them? Have they changed over time?
Think about a time when you felt pressure to do something out of alignment with your values. Consider your choices at the time and what you might do when this happens again in the future.
What makes a true friendship? What might help to forge a friendship between two people who seemingly have nothing in common?
What causes greed? What quells it?
Why might some people find it difficult to apologize or admit when they are wrong? What might help make it easier for people to admit wrongdoing?

POST-SHOW QUESTIONS

The main character, Bilbo, starts the story as a comfortable, cautious Hobbit. Have you ever faced a situation that pushed you out of your comfort zone? What was the situation, and how did you respond?
Characters often grow from their experiences. How did Bilbo grow from his journey? Have you experienced this in your own life?
What are some of the biggest challenges that the characters faced on their journey? How did they overcome them? What advice would you give a friend who is going through a challenging time?
Bilbo Baggins is often described as having two different sides to his personality: the "Baggins" side (comfort and routine) and the "Took" side (adventurous and bold). We all have different sides to our personalities that we have gathered throughout our lives. If you were on an adventure, which part of your personality would be the most helpful and why?
Think about how you have changed over the course of your life. What experiences and which people have helped you to become more courageous, kind and capable? In what ways have you helped others to become who they are?
How necessary is a guide to a successful journey? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having someone lead the way? Would you prefer to lead the way or to follow?
One of the scenes in the play features a conflict using riddles where Bilbo uses his wits to survive a life-or-death situation. Have you ever had to "think on your feet" or use your words to get out of a difficult situation? What did it feel like to find power through language?
Many treasures were uncovered throughout the play. What do you think "treasure" meant to each of the characters, and how did their desire for it affect their actions on the journey? What does "treasure" mean to you?
Are there any unintentional harms that might be caused through the production of this play? If so, what are they, and what might be done to take care of the artists and audience members participating in the work?

Minds On

MINDS ON

Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of key scenes from The Hobbit by identifying character traits, explaining conflict and resolution, and analyzing Bilbo's journey throughout the story. They will then collaborate to create a short shadow puppet performance that uses movement, voice and visual storytelling to effectively convey mood and meaning.

Materials:

Black construction paper
Scissors
Popsicle sticks or straws
Tape or glue
Pre-prepared stick figure and circle
A lamp and sheet or a projector

Directions:

Divide the class into small groups.
Assign each group one key moment from the play adaptation of The Hobbit:
- Gandalf and Dwarves Arrive at Bilbo's Home
- Encounter with the Trolls
- Riddles in the Dark with Bilbo and Gollum
- Bilbo Saving the Dwarves from Spiders
- Confronting Smaug
- The Battle of Five Armies
- Thorin's Reconciliation and Death
- Bilbo Returns Home
Give students a few minutes to create a tableau representing their assigned scene. Encourage students to focus on clear silhouette shapes that show emotional states through posture.
Invite students to present for the other groups, asking the following questions as they do: Which characters are involved in the scene? What character traits are evident? What conflict is present? How can you tell?
Shift to a short puppetry demonstration after setting up a projection space. Using two sample puppets made out of black construction paper (a cut-out circle and a stick figure), demonstrate the following:
- Moving the puppet closer to the light makes it bigger
- Moving the puppet far from the light makes it smaller
- Tilting the puppet creates distortion
- Playing with speed and flow, moving the puppets slowly and quickly
Afterward, ask students to consider what mood each of these techniques created: How did scale affect power? How did speed affect tension and suspense? How could this show Bilbo's growth throughout his journey?
Invite students to experiment in small groups.
Then, give each group one of the words listed below and, using only blank cut-out puppets and light, ask them to communicate that word through shadow puppetry and no dialogue.
- Fear
- Greed
- Courage
- Suspicion
- Confidence
- Chaos
- Friendship
- Forgiveness
After each group presents, invite students to discuss what techniques made it clear. How can they apply these to Bilbo's journey?
Return to the initial key moments from The Hobbit. Groups must select one key moment and identify which specific puppetry techniques will visually show Bilbo's change. They will need to consider how size, shape, posture and lighting will communicate character traits, conflict and resolution.
After constructing their puppets, groups rehearse together, ensuring their scene includes a clear beginning image, visible conflict escalation, a strong visual turning point and a clear closing image. Encourage students to include the techniques they experimented with earlier in the lesson.
Invite each group to perform for their peers.

DEBRIEFING QUESTIONS:

How did groups show internal conflict visually?
When did the conflict feel most intense and why?
What made the beginning and ending images strong or clear?
What puppetry choice are you most proud of?
What did you learn about storytelling from working in shadow puppetry?

POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS:

Puppetry Deep Dive

Invite students to research a different form of puppetry such as Bunraku, marionettes, rod puppets or hand/glove puppets.
Ask them to learn how their chosen puppets are constructed and operated.
Challenge them to compare their chosen style to shadow puppetry, analyzing similarities and differences in movement, scale and visual storytelling, and to reflect on how cultural or historical context shapes each form.
Finally, lead a discussion with students on how these techniques could be applied to storytelling in theatre.

CONNECTION TO THE ARCHIVES

This production of The Hobbit is part of the Stratford Festival's long history of bringing children's books to life, including productions of Alice Through the Looking Glass (1994, 1996 and 2014), Peter Pan (2010), A Wrinkle in Time (2023), The Neverending Story (2019) and as pictured here, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2016). What changes might playwrights adapting novels like these need to make in order to ensure the story translates from page to stage?

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, 2016

Colin Simmons as the Witch Footman, Yanna McIntosh as the White Witch, Josue Laboucane as the Troll and Thomas Mitchell Barnet and Josh Johston as the Witch Reindeer in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Stratford Festival, 2016). By C. S. Lewis. Dramatized by Adrian Mitchell. Directed by Tim Carroll. Set design by Douglas Paraschuk. Costume design by Dana Osborne. Lighting design by Kevin Fraser. Sound design by Todd Charlton. Photography by David Hou.
Stratford Festival Archives, GPO.2016.010.0601

The Stratford Festival Archives maintains, conserves and protects records about the Festival and makes those materials available to people around the world. Their collection contains material ranging from 1952 right up to the present and includes administrative documents, production records, photographs, design artwork, scores, audio-visual recordings, promotional materials, costumes, props, set decorations and much more. These materials are collected and preserved with the aim of documenting the history of the Festival, preserving the page-to-stage process, and capturing the creative processes involved in numerous other activities that contribute to the Festival each season.

RESOURCES

Study Guide PDF

Stratford Public Library's 2026 Season Reading Lists

STUDY GUIDES

View all 2026 Shorts and Study Guides for selected 2026 plays, along with those from previous seasons, free of charge.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The Hobbit

The Hobbit - An Introduction | Tolkien Society Education Packs

The Hobbit: Study Guide | Random House, Inc.

The Hobbit - Teacher Resource Guide | Arden Children's Theatre

The Hero's Journey

The Hero's Journey Framework | John Hopkins University

The Hero's Journey Study Guide | Words to Write by

What makes a hero? | Matthew Winkler | TED-Ed

Puppetry

Educator Resources | Centre for Puppetry Arts

Glossary of Puppetry | Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

Making 2D puppets - Education resource | National Theatre

The Science of Shadow Puppets | Kennedy Center

BOOKING INFORMATION: TICKETS, WORKSHOPS AND CHATS

STUDENT MATINEES

You may book any available date, but selected student matinee performances for this show are at 12:30 p.m. or 2 p.m. on the following dates:

12:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 20
Wednesday, June 3
Thursday, June 11
Thursday, October 1
Thursday, October 8
Friday, October 16
Wednesday, October 21

2 p.m.

Tuesday, April 21
Wednesday, April 22
Monday, April 27
Thursday, April 30
Monday, May 4
Thursday, May 7
Monday, May 11
Friday, May 15
Friday, May 22
Monday, May 25
Friday, May 29
Friday, June 19
Wednesday, June 24
Friday, June 26
Wednesday, September 9
Thursday, September 17
Friday, September 18
Wednesday, September 23
Thursday, September 24
Wednesday, October 7
Thursday, October 15
Friday, October 23

WORKSHOPS AND CHATS

Visit our website or contact us at educate@stratfordfestival.ca to book:

InterACTive Preshows
Collaborative Learning Workshops
Customized Workshops
Post-Show Chats
Behind-the-Scenes Tours

2026 SEASON SPONSOR

The 2026 Season is generously supported by Ophelia Lazaridis

PROUD SEASON PARTNERS

2019_BMO_White Canada-Life_White(1) RBC_White(1)

Production Sponsors: The Schulich Foundation

TOOLS FOR TEACHERS

Tools for Teachers includes InterACTive Preshows, Study Guides and Stratford Shorts sponsored by

Canada-Life_White(1)

Connection to the Archives

CONNECTION TO THE ARCHIVES

This production of The Hobbit is part of the Stratford Festival's long history of bringing children's books to life, including productions of Alice Through the Looking Glass (1994, 1996 and 2014), Peter Pan (2010), A Wrinkle in Time (2023), The Neverending Story (2019) and as pictured here, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2016). What changes might playwrights adapting novels like these need to make in order to ensure the story translates from page to stage?

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, 2016

Colin Simmons as the Witch Footman, Yanna McIntosh as the White Witch, Josue Laboucane as the Troll and Thomas Mitchell Barnet and Josh Johston as the Witch Reindeer in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Stratford Festival, 2016). By C. S. Lewis. Dramatized by Adrian Mitchell. Directed by Tim Carroll. Set design by Douglas Paraschuk. Costume design by Dana Osborne. Lighting design by Kevin Fraser. Sound design by Todd Charlton. Photography by David Hou.
Stratford Festival Archives, GPO.2016.010.0601

The Stratford Festival Archives maintains, conserves and protects records about the Festival and makes those materials available to people around the world. Their collection contains material ranging from 1952 right up to the present and includes administrative documents, production records, photographs, design artwork, scores, audio-visual recordings, promotional materials, costumes, props, set decorations and much more. These materials are collected and preserved with the aim of documenting the history of the Festival, preserving the page-to-stage process, and capturing the creative processes involved in numerous other activities that contribute to the Festival each season.

Resources