Lights, effects, and acting delighted the audience during the opening night of Puffs at St. Cloud high school. Many audience members expressed skepticism as they bought their tickets, but quickly changed their minds after experiencing the entertaining and silly adventures of the overlooked Hufflepuff house.
A member of the audience, who chose to speak anonymously, gave his opinion on the show as he walked out of the auditorium. “Fun show, haven’t laughed this much seeing a high school play! Like not ever.”
Puffs is a story that progresses through seven increasingly eventful years at a “certain school of magic,” also known as Hogwarts. The story is a 2015 original comedy play by playwright Matt Cox. It is a parody of the Harry Potter series, focusing on the experiences of Hufflepuff students, known as the "Puffs.”
The reactions coming from the audience was one of the best parts of the night. Laughter filled the stage that night as the main characters went through their amusing adventures at Hogwarts.
A highlight of the night was the stage lights and creative transition movements of the cast members to represent time passing. For example, when the characters run into places and progressively act more tired to signify they’ve run for a long time. It is something that definitely demonstrates that there was practice, tuning, and progressive perfection involved in the act before the opening night.
Tech crew members stated that they spent weeks before the show setting up lights, preparing props, and watching the actors perform to ensure that everything went well on the opening night. Some commented that it could feel overwhelming at times with classes and having responsibilities in other performing arts departments at SCHS. However, their dedication to perfecting their work and love for art drove them forward in an admirable way.
Conversely, there were some mixed opinions among members of the audience. Some people who weren’t fans of the play claimed that they found it boring or unappealing. Which is understandable knowing how each person may have their own tastes regarding entertainment. On the other hand, others interviewed had argued that many may see it that way because they do not understand it as an art form.
Overall, the show was an outstanding demonstration of the effort and organization of the theater department at St. Cloud High School. It showed the dedication and the love the students share for the arts.
Watching a performance at SCHS is a highly recommended and enjoyable experience, with stories that hold lessons and life memories for the entire school and audience.
