‘Puffs’ @ Garland Civic Theatre
Photos by Kelly Turner
—Hannah Kneen
Garland Civic Theatre’s production of Puffs or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic is a spoof of a very famous book series about a boy with an iconic lightning-shaped scar. (You-know-who, and what, I’m talking about, I’m sure.) However, playwright Matt Cox’s rather zany show, which premiered Off Broadway in 2016, takes a different angle on the familiar material: it’s told from the perspective of the Puffs, the least popular of the four houses at the school.
The plot follows a trio of Puffs as they make their way through an education that seems to get more and more dangerous as it goes on. Wayne Hopkins (Sinan Beskok) was a regular orphaned boy before he got his letter to magic school. He has decided this set up means he is clearly a hero in the making. He meets and befriends Oliver (Brendan Tetter), a math prodigy who is unfortunately less skilled with a wand than a calculator. Completing the trio is Megan (Caitlin Whitley), who insists she has been mis-sorted and later reveals her mother’s confinement in WizPriz for working with the Dark Lord. The three go through various trials and tribulations over the course of their seven years at school, as they learn what it really means to be a Puff.
Puffs, directed by Jill Lightfoot, gives an interesting perspective on a series that is a familiar favorite for many; it’s a silly parody, but can be quite refreshing at times. At the performance I saw, the entire cast was very enthusiastic throughout the show. My favorite performance, though, was that of the Narrator, who is played by Andi Allen. She is the storyteller who brings the show together, tying all the stray bits of plot into a smooth narrative. Sinan Beskok’s Wayne also hits a good note—pulling off an entertaining, not-so-chosen-one character who’s dealing with the frustrations of always falling short.
The set, designed by Wendy Searcy, is mostly in gray tones that works really well with Hank Baldree’s lighting, catching color and bringing an additional whimsical element to the world of the play. Sakura Brunette’s costumes and Rebekka Koeke and Lynn Mauldin’s props are consistently kitschy and appear in great number all through the show. The actors switch characters often throughout the play, and the extensive list of props and costumes allows for that. It reminded me of that old sight gag where a character just keeps switching hats over and over to indicate he is a different person. My favorite costume piece had to be Mad-Eye Moody’s giant googly eye, which was frankly a stroke of brilliance.
All the switcheroos meant we saw the same actors playing some very different parts. Lorenzo Gapud played both the charismatic, optimistic Cedric and then later the part of the Dark Lord. (He did a Voldemort voice that was surprisingly good but incredibly disconcerting when he rewarded one of his followers by “showing affection.”)
If you’re looking for serious and sober theater, this play might not for you. But if something light-hearted, inventive (and full of puns) is more to your taste right now, Puffs (the parody) might be just the thing.
WHEN: December 1-17, 2023
WHERE: Garland, 300 N 5th St, Garland, TX 75040, USA
WEB: garlandcivic.org
