The Lick-Wilmerding cast and crew are busy at work for this year’s Fall Play, Puffs, by Matt Cox. The play is a spoof based on J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series and is a comedic retelling from the perspective of one of the more neglected houses of Hogwarts, the Hufflepuffs.
Puffs first premiered on December 3, 2015, as an off-off-Broadway play at The People’s Improv Theater in New York City, New York.
Puffs was only scheduled to run for five nights, however, due to its success, it ran for eight months total.
Puffs is another example of small scale, idiosyncratic theater that thrives Off-Broadway. An off-off-Broadway theater is much smaller than a Broadway theater and usually has fewer than 100 seats. The off-off-Broadway movement began in 1958 as a movement towards dissipating commercialism in theater and transformed theater in New York City towards smaller, more experiential productions.
In hopes to renew and transform the LWHS theater program, theater teacher and director Miguel Zavala chose Puffs for the 2021 Fall Play. He wanted a show that was playful and engaging, a light moment during the COVID pandemic and the tension over other social, political and climate issues.
Pictured from left to right: Clark Wilmerding, Saahil Mishra, Lillian Devlin, Lucie Bacho, Carter Jenkins, Isadora Vermut, and Lily Hessekiel
Photo by Emilia Ozer-Staton
Zavala said, “I chose it because I wanted the students to have a joyful and escapist experience and to also relate to characters that I am aware that they can relate to.”In light of the tragedies occurring in the world right now, Zavala wanted to put on a comedy as an outlet for students to be silly and express themselves.
Zavala’s enthusiasm is reflected by his students. The cast and production staff are all in. As they work on this year’s play, they are trying many new things now that they have the opportunity to do so in person.
COVID has contributed to students’ self-exploration and motivation to try new things and get involved. Zavala notes the resurgence of students’ involvement in theater. A total of 28 kids auditioned and all were cast, making for an exceptionally large cast for an LWHS play.
Zavala said the reemergence of the after-school theater actors program has been full of “beautiful interactions” and excellent “social and emotional learning” opportunities for students who haven’t been together in person for over a year.
Inspired by the LWHS 2019 Fall Play, Our Town, Rhea Verghese ’23 finally had the chance to audition for an LWHS play, after the opportunity was delayed a year by COVID. Verghese is cast in her first LWHS play as an interactive, comedic narrator. Verghese has ample musical theater experience. She is a self-acclaimed Harry Potter fan, so this play felt like it was right in her wheelhouse.
Lucie Bacho ’22, a former LWHS Harry Potter Club leader, is also a lead in this year’s play. Bacho said that you do not have to be an avid Harry Potter fan to appreciate the humor in Puffs, but there are some funny references and inside jokes for those who are.
photo by Amelia Rakhlin D’almeida
Bacho also participated in last year’s virtual play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She said the most tiresome part of filming last year’s Spring Play was setting up green screens for Zoom filming. She emphasized not only how much easier in person rehearsals are, but how much more she and the other students are enjoying them.
The main difference between Zoom and in-person rehearsals is community building.
“I play sports at Lick too, and I think the play is even more
of a bonding thing than sports because there is kind of a lot of downtime with people just sitting backstage waiting for your scene. I think people get really close from that,” Bacho said.
Bacho said she really looks forward to in-person rehearsals every day after school; the rehearsals give her a nice transition between classes and having to go home and work. Since the play is so fun and comedic, it is a good break from the stress of school.
Max Young ’22, another lead, was determined to try new things in his senior year. He is participating in theater for the first time and is learning many new skills including developing new diction for his role. This year’s dialect coach, Chanel Tilghman, was brought in by Zavala to assist everyone with building their characters for the performance since many roles need British accents.
Zavala also brought in a combat coach, Zoe Swenson-Graham to help choreograph fight scenes and incorporate props such as wands.
Kate Boyd, stagecraft teacher and technical director, describes the challenge of creating the set of such a wild comedy.
Boyd said the play contains “a lot of running around like crazy, so no time to bring in set pieces. Just little things coming on and off— lots of props.”
Because Puffs is so fast paced, there is no time for set changes. There is one main elaborate set — and many, intricate props.
Boyd spoke enthusiastically about the use of special effects in the production. The play uses puppets and scary sound effects to help create a school of magic in the theater and add to the comedic effect of the play.
Boyd shared how delighted she is to see the enthusiasm that students in the production and the larger play community are showing. Almost 50 students have volunteered to work on set building after school and during lunch.
Nicole Joseph ’23 shared highlights from her first year as part of the LWHS costume team. Joseph has had the opportunity to meet many of LWHS’ new frosh students, build her sewing skills and collaborate with the new costume director, Summer DeMello. The costume department spent quality time together over a weekend crew workday while sewing capes for the characters and have future plans to take a trip to the thrift store.
Joseph said, “Costumes have been an escape in a way because I just get to make mood boards and have fun styling people in my head, which is something that I like to do anyway. So, it’s just an extension of that, and getting to do that physically has been really great.”
The style of costumes is heavily influenced by the Harry Potter world and includes lots of academia looks including items such as sweater vests, Hufflepuff crests and loafers.
