In all forms of media, magic constantly blurs the line of reality and imagination. From goblins to witches, it seems to entrance most children from an early age. In particular, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling helped popularize the fantasy genre among children and adults. Following its popularity, parody plays have been set in Rowling’s Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a notable one being none other than “Puffs,” the play Emerson Theatre Company performed from Oct. 23 to Oct. 25.
“Puffs” was created in 2015 by playwright Matt Cox and follows the seven years of Hogwarts when Harry Potter was at school from the perspective of a friend group belonging to the Hufflepuff house, in other words, the Puffs. Throughout the play they find friendship, community and comfort in one another.
ETC started as early as Aug. 26 with the initial auditions for roles. Once the roles were finalized, students dove straight into the Wizarding World and started off by reading the script and even researching beyond that.
“The first week you’re just reading through the show as your characters,” Holden Scott, 11, a third-year theatre member, said. “[Then] we go into research. They combine…actors and tech and split us into 12 different groups, each group researching a different aspect of the show…so we can get a better understanding and apply our knowledge of the world and make our acting more immersive to our audience and give it more depth as well.”
Through this deeper understanding of the play, the actors are able to perform and turn it into something more impactful. In order to have that effect, blocking, which is the planned movements and the positions of actors on stage, also attributes to this acting beyond words.
“Ms. Rotan already has [blocking] laid out and then the next week or two is laid out into putting in the blocking into our scripts,” Scott said. “Once we finish through walking through all the blocking, from start to finish… we start working through scenes that are a little rough and work through it until what it’d be like during a performance.”
Continuous repetition is an essential aspect for productions like “Puffs,” even early in the morning.
“We’d do morning rehearsals on Tuesdays and Fridays,” Camila Hernandez, 10, a two-year theatre member, said. “Even though it was 7:30 in the morning, we’d still have to come in with big smiles and big energy since that’s what brings the show together.”
The cherry on top for the play’s preparation is tech week. This consists of full show run-throughs that ensure that actors and tech are prepared for their upcoming performances in front of an audience.
“The designated week before the show and rehearsals always go till 9 o’clock [because] you do a full on run through of the show as if an audience is here. It’s really when you feel the show comes together, and for me personally for ‘Puffs’ I really felt the show come together through that first stumble through,” Scott said.
All of the work done by the theatre students and staff truly helped bring the magic to life on stage. “Puffs” came to an end last Saturday, but it’s only the start to an already excellent year of productions by the Emerson Theatre Company. Soon the rehearsals for the musical will start, so make sure to catch it in January and witness the bewitching talent of the theatre program.
