Puffs
at Corona Del Mar

Reviewed on November 2, 2019

Lani Jacobson
Laguna Hills
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies

Corona del Mar's "Puffs" is stupefying
written by Lani Jacobson, a junior at Laguna Hills High School

The sorting hat has spoken- Corona del Mar High School's production of "Puffs" will go down in history. While the classic "Harry Potter" story is world renown, "Puffs" tells the same tale from the Puff's (Hufflepuff's) point of view. Though often considered the least clever house, "Puffs" highlights the little moments where its members show unbeknownst bravery. Throughout their years at Hogwarts, three unlikely best friends, Wayne, Megan, and Oliver, learn to love being Puffs and recognize that "while it's nice to be important, it's more important to be nice."

Arya Samini is lovable as Wayne. His energy is never failing and stands for the true spirit of a Puff. Starting as a Harry Potter wannabe and realizing he should wannabe himself, Samini also shows a dynamic arc. This stays true for Megan (Alyssa Arbogast), too, his edgy best friend. Though she starts out as abrasive and closed off, by the end, she lets go of her pride and even opens up to love with the ultimate nerd, Oliver, played by Lucas Phillips. Together, they perfectly portray the right balance of awkward yet adorable teenage chemistry.

The ensemble of "Puffs" is wand-erful. With almost every actor playing anywhere from two to five characters, each character contrasts the other greatly, thus showing their range and making each part more distinguishable. One standout performance is Savannah Harper as Bippy, whose death brings unmatched drama and comedy at the same time. All in all, the characters in the Puff ensemble shine individually and as a group.

The lighting is simply spellbinding. Done by Alexandra Lee, it transports one from flashy, sporadic storms to Christmas time. With 300 light cues, the lighting does everything from creating location differentiation through a single spotlight to representing the house each student is admitted into by projecting its matching color. Overall, each lighting choice effectively complements its corresponding scene.

Designed by Sierra Stoliar, the costumes are enchanting and totally rad. Pieces such as hand painted denim overalls, skirts blinged out with hot pink stars, and combat boots bring the ‘90s era to life. While some costumes, like Megan's, start out all black, her transformation is personified as she ends the show wearing pops of yellow, the color of her true house.

Ultimately, "Puffs" is nothing short of a puff-ect experience for all muggles.

Natalie Pearl
Dana Hills
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Corona Del Mar's magical production of "Puffs"
written by Natalie Pearl, a senior at Dana Hills High School

The story of Harry Potter is one as old as time, or at least as old as 1997. But "Puffs" is not an average hero's journey; it follows the forgotten branch of the famous saga as they embrace the life of an underdog.

Jeremy Tewari as the narrator is quick and clever, setting the rhythm for this fast-paced show. He struts about the stage exuding confidence as he breaks the fourth wall, adding a personal touch to the play. The seemingly detached narrator is revealed to be the son of characters Megan Jones (Alyssa Arbogast) and Oliver Rivers (Lucas Phillips). Arbogast begins stone-cold, loudly belittling her fellow Puffs as she believes she deserves more than their forgotten house. She perfectly parlays Megan's character development as she transforms from standoffish to strong, harsh screams of superiority turning to kindness and love. Phillips works beautifully with her as their chemistry guides growth in both characters.

William Golan is incredibly impressive in his juxtaposing performances of Cedric and Mr. Voldy. As Cedric, Golan is a humble leader, bright lights flashing on the ensemble as they cheer his entrance. He stands tall and proud while adoring Puffs praise him with flags, pins, and screams. Playing Mr. Voldy he is a cruel dictator with slow, purposeful steps while he intimidates both friends and foe. He shines with surprising comedy, using a megaphone and forced gravelly voice to instruct his followers to kill.

Instantly recognizable, AJ Plumb scowls and scoffs as A Certain Potions Professor. He speaks in the iconic condescending and contemptuous voice. Another professor is Sprouty (Phoebe Alva), a ray of sunshine as she hops about the stage with her plants, proudly awarding points to her students.

Lighting by Alexandra Lee captures the mystical mood of the fantastical play. Chilling green strobes the stage as a monster attacks students. When students are sorted into their respective houses, the background glows of their house color to represent the decision. Tony Liang's sound design shows great dedication as a different sound is played for each spell that is cast.

Savannah Harper is incredibly deliberate with wigs, giving them only to clarify actors playing different characters. Three wigged girls walk backwards into one another, each as time-traveling Hermeonee as she attends as many classes as possible.

Corona Del Mar's "Puffs" proves that being one's own hero is enough.

Clara Ferreira Lopes
Portola
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

10 Points to Corona Del Mar's Puffs
written by Clara Ferreira Lopes, a sophomore at Portola High School

Hufflepuffs light up the stage in Corona Del Mar High School's production of Puffs. This show takes a twist on the Harry Potter story and reflects the hufflepuffs lives during those seven years. Throughout the show the puffs are able to accept who they are, even though they are seen as losers.

Arya Samini portrays the main character of this story, Wayne Hopkins, by fully embodying the stereotypical 90's american teen. As the years at Hogwarts progress, it is clear to see how Samini does an exquisite job at representing character growth through facial expressions and body language.

The first character introduced is the hilarious narrator, played by Jeremy Tewari. By interacting with the audience, he brings the show to life with physical actions. Another aspect of the show that is brought to life is the relationship between Megan Jones and Oliver Rivers, played by Alyssa Arbogast and Lucas Phillips. Throughout the show their growing love for each other is clear to see by their facial expressions, and the longing looks seen on stage by each actor.

With a small cast of 15 people, each and every actor shines with their ability to differentiate their characters. William Golan, who plays both Cedric and Mr. Voldy, is able to play both characters with drastic differences. He embodies Cedric as a cocky, yet lovable hero, while Mr. Voldy is portrayed as a comedic character, instead of the stereotypical villain.

The technical aspects of this production are executed with such purpose, the show wouldn't be the same without it. Costumes and makeup truly dive into the 90's theme of the show with their neon color schemes and styles.

Every light cue matches the tone of each scene and sets the stage for what's to come. When the sorting hat decides each student's house, the light switches to either yellow, red, green, or blue to represent the different houses. One thing that could be improved would be that some technical aspects overlapped the actors voices and some words got lost throughout the show.

Corona Del Mar's high spirited, engaging, and unique portrayal of Puffs shows how acceptance can lead to happiness and contentment.