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Regional Reviews: Phoenix Puffs
The story is set over the same period that the books and films take place, but instead of focusing on Harry Potter and his friends Ron and Hermione, who were all members of the Gryffindor house, here it focuses on the often overlooked and underestimated young wizards who are in another house at the wizarding school, the Puffs. The plot follows Wayne Hopkins, an ordinary boy who discovered he was a wizard when he was a teen. Over seven years, Wayne and his fellow Puffs navigate the trials and tribulations of magical education, forming tight bonds of friendship and facing their own unique challenges, with the action taking place in parallel to and often intersecting with the well-known adventures in the Potter books. Cox's idea to create an alternative viewpoint to the beloved Potter story provides a fun and quirky take on the familiar events in the books. His script is clever and filled with affectionate nods to the beloved wizarding world. However, cramming seven novels worth of action into a play that runs close to two and a half hours and parodying those events results in an overly long comedy. The play is jam packed, so numerous plot elements from the books are abridged and many memorable moments from the novels are completely skirted over while, oddly enough, there are some scenes that add nothing to the plot, with unnecessary supporting characters. There is also a lack of originality in how the relationships that Wayne and his Puffs friends Megan and Oliver form mirror the characters of Harry, Hermione, and Ron in the original books, which makes their story arcs predictable. Cox does manage to add plenty of charm into his script, especially in how he explores the lives of the underdogs at the school. There are also some very funny lines and gags. Unfortunately, if you've never read a Harry Potter book or watched the films, most of the best jokes will be lost on you. Under Ric Alpers' direction, the adult cast of Puffs all look like they are having a lot of fun with many bringing warmth, humor, and heart to their roles. Almost everyone plays multiple roles and their chemistry and connection with each other is natural, which makes the friendships their characters form feel genuine and engaging. Most of the cast have good comic timing and are able to skillfully balance the parody elements with the script's endearing moments, ensuring the audience remains invested in the Puffs' journey. Joey Whelan, Gabe Escudero, and Kayla McCray, who portray Wayne, Oliver, and Megan, respectively, shine in their roles, with good comic timing and a nice sense of emotional depth that fleshes out what could easily have been caricatures. J. Kevin Tallent provides an abundance of sarcasm, which he delivers with spot-on comic timing, as the narrator, and the rest of the cast do a pretty good job of capturing the essence of misfit heroes. Donald Young is quite good in a few cameo roles, including delivering a very fun impersonation of Alan Rickman's Professor Snape from the films. However, a few members of the ensemble need to project more in order for their fast-paced lines to be heard clearly. Alpers' set design is simple but effective at portraying the various locations in the script and his staging makes good use of the various entrances and exits. The combination of Alpers' direction with Dan Ashlock and Pat Drapac's fun props, the lighting by Jake Pascarella, and the sound design by Nicole Thompson creates numerous sight gags and comic bits. Starlight's space has stadium seats that afford great views of the action and while the space is wide, it isn't that deep, so it still provides an intimacy and closeness to the cast, even if you're seated in the last row. Puffs is both a heartwarming and hilarious tribute to the unsung heroes of the wizarding world and an overly long parody that occasionally falls short. Starlight can't be blamed for the shortcomings in the script so it's fortunate that most of the adult cast are up to the challenge of the swift-paced humor required of the parody. If you're a Harry Potter fan, you'll find many fun jokes and charming characters that mirror those in the books, but if you've never read any of the books or seen the films, you'll most likely be wondering why people around you are laughing. Puffs runs through August 11, 2024, at Starlight Community Theater, 1611 W Whispering Wind Drive, Phoenix AZ. For tickets and information, please visit www.starlightcommunitytheater.com or call 623 252-6815. Director/Fight Choreographer/Set Designer: Ric Alpers Cast: |
