‘Hogfather’ opens the festive season
PARADISE >> Theater on the Ridge in Paradise opens the holiday season with an exciting drama, “The Hogfather.”
This is a dark, intense and amusing Gothic story. It is a story in which Death has a surprising role and Evil has a different status. Friendships become a source of innocence against dark challenges.
Theater director of “Hogfather”, Jerry Miller, explains the story was one of Sir Terry Pratchettt’s massive Discworld series novels and has millions of diehard fans. Now, this novel is coming to life at Theater on the Ridge.
“Hogwatch is the favorite holiday of the denizens of Ankh-Morpork, the twin city capitol of Discworld,” Miller explains. “But this year there’s an interdimensional crisis that threatens all belief everywhere. The Discworld deities begin to dematerialize. Who’s the most likely hero to rescue the world’s children from disappointment?”
The Hogfather is originally a winter god. In deep winter, people of old feared that spring might never come, so they gave bloody sacrifices of hogs to the Hogfather.
This mythical creature is like Father Christmas who grants children’s wishes and brings them presents. The Auditors of Reality Guild plan to kill the Hogfather. The task is given to Mr. Teatime (Gabriel Suddeth) who has a reputation for ruthlessness and creative solutions.
When the personified Death (Jerry Miller) attempts to fill in for the Hogfather, his granddaughter Susan Sto Helit (Lesa Palmer) tries to find and rescue the Hogfather.
Theater on the Ridge has a large cast depicting this story. Of interest are two of the TOTR Stagecoach Youth Theater students (Lucy Miner and Rebecca Andrea) who will be making their mainstage debuts in this production with adults.
Performance dates for “Hogfather” are Nov. 3-19 Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees are Nov. 6, 13 and 20 at 2 p.m.
Ticket prices are $14 general, $18 reserved and are available online at http://www.totr.org Bargain ticket offers at the door only $12 on Thrifty Thursdays and Sunday matinees. For information call the theater at 877-5760.