By: Delilah Shields
This year, El Segundo High School’s very own Drama class put on a production of Puffs! Or, Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School for Magic and Magic, a play following the seven years of the Harry Potter series through the lesser-known perspective of Hufflepuff, satirically known as “Puffs” throughout the show.
The play follows young Wayne Hopkins (played by senior Ryan Manoukian), who views himself as the “chosen one”, Oliver Rivers (played by senior Cruz Ochoa), a mug-born math wiz that struggles with his newfound magical skills, and Megan Jones (played by sophomore Elena DiCerbo), a second-generation Puff who is out to prove that she is evil like her mother. The trio (amongst other Puff students) find themselves fighting to stay alive and relevant in a time when Potter is all the rage. The audience gets to relive memorable Harry Potter adventures, including a giant snake, the death of Cedric, and the big bad battle against You-Know-Who. The play is filled with comedy and heart-warming friendships, running parallel to themes of tragedy and triumph in a dangerously magic-filled world.
While the show was originally slated to open the weekend before Thanksgiving break, it was postponed due to general cast illness and promptly rescheduled to December 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. As a proud cast member of the show, I can personally say that I had an amazing time putting it all together. I was so excited to work with such funny, talented people who helped me improve my acting skills in a supportive environment. But of course, I needed to see if my fellow cast members shared my thoughts, so I did a quick interview with three of my favorite people (although I love everyone) to hear their opinions on the experience.
Q: What was your favorite part about working on Puffs!?
A: “Working with the cast and getting to meet amazing and talented people.” - Scott Moeller, Ernie Mac/Others
“Everyone is amazing and talented and we all just have a really fun time together.” - Milo Thomas, Harry/Others
“I love the cast and crew and just being a part of the whole production. We all work really well together and are able to bring so many different and amazing talents to the table.” - Isabella Hoadrea, Xavia Jones/Others
Q: How did you feel when the play was postponed?
A: “Pure agony and defeat.” - Scott Moeller, Ernie Mac/Others
“I was definitely sad. We were all looking forward to the show and we were working all week building up to the shows, then it got postponed. But I also think it was nice to get some extra time to work on everything.” - Milo Thomas, Harry/Others
“I honestly felt glad the play was postponed, I felt that we were not as prepared as we should have been. I am happy we got another week to practice and make sure that we performed the best version of our play.” - Isabella Hoadrea, Xavia Jones/Others
Q: What was your favorite character to play?
A: “Zach Smith. Getting to make my own monologue and being a frat bro was just so much fun. It was a lot to memorize but I pretty much improv’d the entire thing.” - Scott Moeller, Ernie Mac/Others
“Definitely Harry. He’s very outgoing and kind of annoying, which is really fun to play.” - Milo Thomas, Harry/Others
“It has to be Xavia Jones. I have never played a villainous character before and playing her was so much fun. I loved how much freedom and fun I had with the character.” - Isabella Hoadrea, Xavia Jones/Others
Q: How would you like the audience to feel at the end of the play?
A: “I hope they all have a great laugh and a warm feeling inside.” - Scott Moeller, Ernie Mac/Others
“Definitely happy. It’s a really funny and exciting show and I hope the audience feels like a part of that.” - Milo Thomas, Harry/Others
“I would like the audience to feel happy that they saw the play. It was such a joy to perform so I would want the audience to feel the same way.” - Isabella Hoadrea, Xavia Jones/Others
There you have it! Please join us for our Spring Musical, Into the Woods!
Sources:
Interview with Scott Moeller [Personal Interview]. (2022 November 28).
Interview with Milo Thomas [Personal Interview]. (2022 November 28).
Interview with Isabella Hoadrea [Personal Interview]. (2022 November 28).