Rating: 3.5/5
Fans of “Harry Potter” have long complained about Hufflepuffs not being represented well enough in the series, but the play “Puffs” by Matt Cox attempts to cast them in a new light. Performed by the MHS Theatre Department from Dec. 1-3, “Puffs” highlights seven years at a wizard school in the life of three Puffs: Wayne Hopkins (Jesus Ochoa), Oliver Rivers (Nitin Ramesh), and Megan Jones (Allie Klaydman).
Each of these Puffs faces challenges, including combating the stigma of Puffs being “leftover,” untalented wizards. Their main method of self-defense is the amusing chant, “We are not a threat, please be our friend.”
Meanwhile, Harry Potter is reduced to Dumbledore’s favorite student and an oblivious boy that prances around wearing a tiara during the war against Voldy. Ron and Hermione weren’t even played by real actors — they were mops. The result is that the play oversimplifies these classic, well-loved characters, but accomplishes its goal of portraying the Puffs as the real heroes.
The play itself starts off with dazzling special effects. The narrator (Shira Corpuz) took to the stage with a flick of their wand, and the lights flickered in response, creating a magical atmosphere. Similar tricks with colored lighting, sound effects, and props brought the magic to life.
The play captivated the audience, which became apparent when they gasped and cried “What?” when beloved supporting character Leanne died. The actors balanced out these heart-wrenching moments by keeping the audience laughing during live interaction like jokingly handing out tissues during emotional scenes.
In terms of acting, the supporting characters — especially Cedric (Kenneth Tsau), Hannah (Haleta Ayalew), and Leanne (Iris Chung) — were humorous and charismatic. However, the main Puffs trio had somewhat over-dramatic acting, though it was effective enough to communicate the plot.
Furthermore, because some actors played multiple characters, it was hard to figure out which one they were playing in certain scenes (especially because the costumes were generic), making for a muddled viewing experience. A big drawback was that it was difficult to hear the actors because of unclear enunciation.
The plot of the play also came off as rushed and undeveloped. Wayne, Oliver, and Megan go from strangers to best friends in a few minutes with no clear indication of how. Towards the end, the trio also talks about their journey of accepting themselves as Puffs without showing their process of acceptance. For a play that runs 110 minutes, it needs to do more showing and less telling. Failing to do so made the Puffs come across as superficial children instead of thoughtful individuals.
Overall, “Puffs” was light-hearted, comedic, and a breath of fresh air from the otherwise dramatic and serious Harry Potter universe.