After a lot of hard work, and a little bit of magic, Shaler Area High School proudly presents “Puffs” this weekend. “Puffs” takes place in a familiar universe, well known for a certain boy wizard, but this play is not about him. Instead, this highlights the most overlooked children during seven increasingly eventful years at a certain school of magic; the Puffs. They just so happened to be there at that time, too. 

This story is about Wayne Hopkins, played by junior Andrew Purucker. When he finds out that he’s a wizard and must attend wizarding school, he is sorted into the Puffs. While discovering many new emotions, and making new friends like Oliver Rivers and Megan Jones (played by freshman Michael Snyder and senior Sophia Trgovic), Wayne learns life lessons about how the most powerful magic is love. 

The story is told through the Narrator (senior Jordan Fowler) who is more of a key part to the story than one might think.

“’Puffs’ is by far the most fun and interesting play I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of. I  think it is very interesting to watch and hear because everyone feels like they truly are the characters, and that is truly a magical thing,” Fowler said.

Director Mrs. Anne Loudon has been talking about performing this show since the end of last year’s play, and now that time has finally arrived. With help of student directors Alyssa Celender and Bella Minyo, the show came together nicely.

“This is the most current show I’ve directed. It’s new, fresh, and modern and I’m excited to share it with Shaler Area,” Mrs. Loudon said.

The stage crew also plays a key part in this production, since there is so much “magic” that goes on that they help bring to life. Without them, this show would not be possible. They showed up every weekend since the beginning of rehearsals to work on the set, props, costumes, and everything else.

The booth also plays a huge part in this show. There are over 1000 lighting cues, compared to the average of 70 lighting cues for play, and over 600 sound cues. Their hard work truly paid off, and they make this show as amazing as it could be.

”The crew lurk in the shadows. Clad in black, and don’t get the glory that the actors do, but their contributions are paramount to the success of this show — a show that involves so much spectacle and stage magic,” Mrs. Loudon said.

This comedy is bound to make you laugh, tug at your heartstrings, and make you aware of the side characters and what could really be going on. In all, this story is for anyone who has never been destined to save the world.

Catch “Puffs” at the Shaler Area High School auditorium on Friday November 22 at 7 p.m. and Saturday November 23 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance through https://cur8.com/18303/project/126641.