On the stage is a familiar scene: four banners of red, blue, green, and yellow denote a magical academy filled with teenagers and their adventures among the wizarding world. However, instead of the well-known brave protagonists telling their story, their loyal and unsung counterparts take the stage. With hilarious impressions of the British wizards you know and love, Cooper City High School’s production of Puffs had the audience under the spell of its magical cast.
Puffs, a parody of the Harry Potter saga, was written by Matthew Cox in 2015. The play follows the story of the students of the Puff house: those who are loyal, hardworking, and well… outcast from the other houses. These wizards may not have an integral role in the storyline of J.K. Rowling’s novels, but they can send everyone in the theater into a fit of giggles with just one jolly “HI!!” Upbeat Wayne Hopkins, intelligent Oliver Rivers, and edgy Megan Jones form an unbreakable bond, and along with the rest of the Puffs, they take on the iconic events of the franchise from a fresh perspective– and with plenty of punchlines. From attending the Triwizard Tournament to battling the Dark Lord, the Puffs’ cheerful disposition and dark jokes bring a new element to an iconic story.
Nicholas Diraviam, as Wayne Hopkins, did a great job of establishing relationships with his cast members, especially with his best friend, Oliver Rivers, played by Kristopher Olinsky. Kristopher must be commended for his commitment to his role: his character clearly progressed from an introverted rookie into a confident wizard over the course of the show.
Anthony Deleo, playing both Cedric and Mr. Voldy, had impeccable comedic timing and a commanding stage presence. Many other actors in the cast were also responsible for several roles, such as in the case of Sienna Martinez. Her performance as Leanne was witty in itself, but her ability to clearly characterize each individual role with tone and mannerisms was impressive.
The ensemble of the Puffs as a whole excelled in staying engaged with the events occurring on stage and with each other. Every character had a big personality that made it easy to empathize with each and every one, especially when the plot took a turn. Although some dialogue was missed due to lack of diction, no pause for laughter, and issues with microphone cues and quality, character relationships were still apparent due to the unspoken behavior of the actors.
Props played an integral role in many setups and punchlines of the production. The abundance of them could be mistaken for overwhelming, but the busyness onstage just contributed to the overall humor of the production, such as with the long list of curses on the Puffs cascading from the ceiling or the Magic 8 Ball sorting the students into their houses. The execution of this worked perfectly, greatly contributing to the irony and comedy happening onstage.
The punchlines of Cooper City High School’s production of Puffs were delivered as swiftly as an owl delivering a message, and the short and snappy scenes were a refreshing reminder that no one is a side character in their own story.
