The members of the NHP Drama Club performed their rendition of “Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic” on November 14 and November 15, 2024. The play is a satirical retelling of the events taking place at Hogwarts, the magic school from the “Harry Potter” series, through the perspective of the members of the ‘Puffs.’
“The play is a story about finding who you are and not focusing on other people. It’s about accepting your own story… and being able to like yourself for you,” senior James White said.
White was cast as the lead, Wayne Hopkins, a new magic student who is initially unsatisfied with his assignment to the Puffs due to their poor reputation. He becomes determined to lead the Puffs to victory through leveraging the charisma, ability and strength of the only outstanding member of the house, Cedric Diggory, played by Marcus Wu.
Over the course of the play, Hopkins befriends two other Puffs with unique identities: Megan Jones, played by senior Alex Schmitt and Oliver Rivers, played by senior Madhav Shibu. Megan is a self-proclaimed loner whose estranged mother works for “Mr. Voldy,” the infamous villain of the world of magic. Oliver Rivers is an academically-minded mathematics student who struggles with refining his magic skills during his time at school.
Throughout the play, the members of the Puffs become increasingly close as they work together, struggle through their classes, and take trips.
“I think my favorite might be the field trip scene because it has everyone in it, and we’re all being silly. It’s really fun,” senior Louis Masi said.
Since the annual play was rescheduled for May last school year, the experience of rehearsing for this year’s fall play was a new experience for many of the cast members.
“The preparation was short. We did not have a lot of time, but I really admire the whole cast, especially the ensemble, for how quick they were able to pick up because we started this with only about a month,” senior Alex Schmitt said.
Despite the short time frame for preparation, both the cast and stage crew members expressed positive experiences while rehearsing for the play.
“I think there’s a lot less anxiety around this play than there has been for other ones,” Masi said.
“Compared to ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and even ‘The Night of January 16th,’ it’s a lot smoother flowing and I think it has a lot more people who are really committed, especially the underclassmen,” Schmitt said.
“For Stage Crew’s role, we made the set. We started building only a couple of weeks before and after we built the set, we started to paint. However, we were able to accomplish it and begin writing down our cues,” senior Esther Panicker said.
The set was painted in its entirety over the course of only three days with the help of Stage Crew members, National Art Honor Society members, and student volunteers.
This play marked the beginning of Mr. Scott’s second year directing at NHP. As the preparation for the production came to an end, he expressed his excitement about the connection he has formed with the cast and crew.
“Last year, the kids were fantastic, but this year, we have a special bond. They’re much more understanding, and I’m much more able to understand them, so it’s like a wonderful family that we are starting to develop,” Mr. Scott said.
The main characters’ time spent at Hogwarts ends with an intense fight against the evil forces accompanied by strobe lights and sound effects. The play closes with the induction of the newest Puff: the narrator and daughter of Megan and Oliver played by senior Isabella Siesto. Oliver and Megan reminisce of their time spent as Puffs, and they begin to recognize the true significance of their experience as teenagers.
“This play is special because it’s really all about kids understanding their value,” Mr. Scott said. “You really come to the realization that life is important for everyone. In this play in particular, the most powerful thing is love.”
