By Chase Johnson
Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic is now open at Mount Saint Joseph University Theater. You will be blown away by the professionalism of these students. And you will be very impressed with the stagecraft that makes one feel like they are at a Certain School of Magic and Magic. The personality infused into the script both by the playwright, Matt Cox, and the performers brings the chaotic world of the play to life.
The Plot
If you are a fan of the magical series you know the basic story, but Puffs looks at it through the perspective of those other students who weren’t chosen to be heroes. We follow Wayne, Oliver, and Megan through the 7 years of increasingly eventful years. These 3 ‘puffs learn life lessons, suffer all the pains of growing up amplified by doing it in a magic school, and showcase how absolutely insane the famous stories are if you apply any real world logic to it.
MSJ’s PUFFS Performances
Each member of the rather large cast deserves praise. Many of them take on multiple rolls and every single one of them embrace the fun of this script. We focus on Wayne (Brennin Sanders), Oliver (Connor Curtin), and Megan (Sarah Barton) who showcase the trials and tribulations of not only growing up but how bad it is to be in the Hogwarts house always at the bottom of rankings. The chant taken up by the characters of “Third or Nothing” Embodies the scrappiness and never say die attitude shown throughout the play. Each shows great comedic timing and heartfelt moments that will even bring a tear to your eye.
The narrator (Bree Cornellius) provides context and snark in droves as she tells the story of the Puffs. She provides wit and makes the audience realize how it is absurd to ask school children to fight to the death against monsters and evil adult wizards. The entire ensemble made me laugh and feel for them throughout the show with many powerful performances. Although comedic for the most part there are moments where the cast display a collective grief that made their scene more compelling.
The Production
Let me underline, sisters Lauren Carr and Erin Carr as the director and intimacy/movement choreographer respectively make an excellent team. The level of vision and passion for the play is evident in every scene. The set and props look fantastic, clearly the work of a skilled Properties crew, namely Theo Schulte and Catherine Coleman. Matt Hollstegge and Jaelin Parker on Lights, and Seth Campbell assisted by Abby Nickell on Sound make a potent combination that is a treat for the senses and amplifies every single moment. Finally, Angel Snider and Megan Beeler as the costume crew clearly put a lot of work in making each character unique and tied to the world through their costumes.
The Bottom Line
Puffs is a wonderful satire of the Harry Potter stories. This show will make you laugh, cringe, tear up, and question the logic of the famous wizarding world. The cast and crew do an excellent job of bringing Matt Cox’s words to life and I highly recommend seeing this production while you can.
Get Tickets to MSJ’s Puffs
MSJ’s Puffs runs until April 12th at Mount Saint Joseph University Theater. You can purchase tickets at this LINK.
