Ringer Celebriel sends this report on the San Francisco Trilogy Thursday screening for Cure Autism Now. The screening at the Presidio Theatre in San Francisco raised more than $2200 for Cure Autism Now. More than 150 fans, many in costume, attended the charity event, including some from as far away as Texas and South Carolina.
Volunteers dressed as Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin were on hand to welcome guests and sell raffle tickets for a range of donated Lord of the Rings items and entertained the audience with a hobbit drinking song at intermission. Artist Alan Lee created a design especially for the event, which was featured on the Trilogy Thursday t-shirts.
Matthew Jacobsmeyer won a Sideshow/WETA statue of Shelob, personally signed for this event by Richard Taylor and Tania Rogers. He was thrilled to add the autographed item to his already large Sideshow/WETA Lord of the Rings collection. “I already have about twenty of these, plus five more coming in, including Sauron and Peter Jackson as a Corsair,” said Matthew.
Judges for the costume contest were Kathe and Philip Guste, award winning costumers and members of the Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild, and radio station KOIT personality Sean Brown. Philip wore his King Theoden costume and Kathe was clad as Eowyn, Lady of Rohan.
The costume contest drew many first time entrants, including Jay Skidmore, who exhibited his ranger character Andering Reddson. “Andy was a soldier once, now he’s not,” said Jay.
Abbey Smith, 16, won the youth category for her presentation of hobbit Marietta Proudfoot. She received a signed WETA Elrond bust. Abbey purchased the elements of her costume from thrift shops and added hobbit feet purchased online. She says her character “was proud indeed.” Although she was the eldest, she was the last of her family to get married, and even her father was getting worried, until Mr. Grubb came courting. “They married and had five children who all lived very happy lives together,” says Abbey.
Ivy Henry, 19, another first time contest entrant, won the workmanship prize for her elf costume, made by Suzanne Evans. Ivy, a student at University of California – Santa Cruz, has seen each of the Lord of the Rings films over a hundred times.
Teague Hansberry, 30, won the creativity prize, a signed print from artist Alan Lee, for his Ringwraith presentation. Teague said his character was unemployed, now that the Fourth Age has begun, and was seeking “full time employment with wraithing benefits.” Teague showed the crowd his stuff by running up and down the theatre aisles screaming whenever the film wraiths were on screen.
Donations for Cure Autism Now will continue to be accepted at www.sftrilogy.org, starting August 24. All who donate $50 will receive the Alan Lee designed event t-shirt.
Thanks again to all the donors, including Weta Workshop, Sideshow/Weta, Master Replicas, Creation Entertainment, John Rhys-Davies, Sean Astin, Alan Lee, and to our hobbit greeters and volunteers, judges, master of ceremonies and all who made the event possible.
