Finding employment in Michigan can be a challenge these days.
Imagine how hard it is for someone who’s short with ugly, protruding teeth and long, pointed ears, and whose only skills are playing the accordion and guarding bridges.
Trolls aren’t in high demand in the best of economic times, so it’s a good thing for ‘Hob the Troll? that the 28th annual Michigan Renaissance Festival is open now through Sept. 30 in Holly/Groveland townships.
Played by former Oxford resident Stevo Gilewicz, 25, Hob the Troll spends his time at the festival keeping traffic moving across the numerous bridges he owns while singing and playing his accordion ? or not playing, which he’s often paid to do.
‘For every dollar I get, that’s 30 seconds I’m not playing the accordion,? he said.
Gilewicz, a 2000 graduate of Brandon High School who’s now a senior at the University of Michigan Flint campus majoring in theater, has been working at the Michigan Renaissance Festival for four years now. He performs in another Renaissance Festival near Battle Creek and plans to take his show on the road next year to Tampa, Florida and St. Louis, Missouri.
Gilewicz? interest in the event was peaked as a youngster.
‘I had a great time coming here when I was a kid,? Gilewicz said. ‘It was always one of the highlights of my year.?
When he got older, he looked into working there. ‘I just started showing up and they hired me,? said Gilewicz, who now lives in Flint.
So out of all the possible characters he could be, why did Gilewicz choose to make himself a troll?
Because theater is a major that typically attracts ‘all the really good-looking people? and Gilewicz admits to being ‘really self-conscious about my looks,? he decided to invent a character that was the ‘antithesis? of the people around him.
Although he’s a troll, Gilewicz said he works hard to be ‘the sexiest troll out there.?
‘It’s kind of like being the tallest dwarf,? he said.
But being sexy along doesn’t help a troll pay his bills, so Gilewicz plays a variety of instruments including the accordion, guitar, bass, banjo and washtub bass.
‘There are other fairs that have trolls, but as far as I know, I’m the only musical one,? he said.
His favorite instrument is the accordion, which he taught himself to play, because it offers a unique status that playing the guitar doesn’t.
‘A lot of people play guitar and there’s always somebody, one or two people, a little bit better than you,? Gilewicz explained. ‘With the accordion, you’re pretty much the best accordionist most of your friends know.?
It seemed natural for a troll to play an accordion, according to Gilewicz. ‘When you think about it, what belongs least in the hands of a troll?? he said.
Unlike the guitar, which is signed to attract the opposite sex, the accordion is ‘the one instrument that’s guaranteed not to get any girls attention whatsoever.?
The accordion also provides Hob the Troll a steady source of income from people paying him to play ? or not to play in some cases. ‘To make more money, I decided to threaten to play the accordion,? he said.
During closing time at the festival, Gilewicz can be found near the gate taking song requests or being paid what he called ‘hush money.?
‘It’s basically my time to be in the limelight,? he said. Gilewicz enjoys getting people engaged in a ‘bidding war.?
‘Somebody will give me a dollar to play ‘Stand by Your Man.? Then somebody says I’ll give you a dollar if you don’t play that,? he said. ‘It’s like eBay, but with me.?
When he’s not busy greeting and entertaining people, Hob the Troll is always on the lookout for goats ? his main nemesis and frequent target of unflattering songs.
‘I make sure no goats cross my bridges,? he said. ‘Goats make a lot of noise and always at inconvenient times.?
Hob uses the money he makes to pay the goats to stay off his bridges. Unfortunately, goats are not tax deductible.