Kira Rangel, Izzy Dudek, Emma Regnier, Dorothy Turner, Jessica Taylor, Joel Vanderbush, Brent Tubbs, and Rachel Vickers in Puffs
Full disclosure: Although decently familiar with the franchise, I am not a hardcore Harry Potter fan, so a good handful of the jokes and spoofy bits in the Spotlight Theatre’s Puffs likely went over my head – but I still had fun and laughed a lot. So if you’re a Potter-head, I'm sure you'lll have a magically good time.
The show’s story is essentially seven years at that “certain school of magic and magic” in a two-hour-plus play, told from the perspective of the “Puffs” house (so called in author Matt Cox's play as to not infringe on copyright). It follows a group of misfits as they try to be the third-best house at the school, and as directed by Andy Koski, this entertainment is filled to the brim with plot and nerdy, eclectic characters.
Narrating the whole shebang is Doug Johnson, who led Friday's opening-night presentation with great intrigue. While not directly a part of the story, he matched the wackiness of the rest of the cast, and helped carry the audience through Puffs' magical world.
Our protagonist/other-boy-who-lived is Wayne Hopkins, and portrayer Izzy Dudek exuded a hopeful and charming energy through the whole show. Wayne was part of a dynamic triad of Puffs misfits parallel to the Potter/Granger/Weasley trio in the J.K. Rowling franchise. Amongst this trio, Megan Jones (Kira Rangel) is an angsty goth Puff who is stand-off ish at first, but warms up and breaks out of her shell as the seven years commence. Rangel’s performance was driven, and performed with great presence. Completing the threesome is math whiz Oliver Rivers (Tommy Ratkiewicz-Stierwalt), whose complete-opposite qualities from Megan Jones make for an entertaining storyline. Ratkiewicz-Stierwalt’s Oliver was fully realized and also exuded a great amount of charm.
Other major Puffs include the adorably eager and energetic Leanne, played by Jessica Taylor in her long-overdue return to the stage. Last seen in area theatre nearly five years ago, Taylor's stage presence and instincts, even in this light comedic role, were on-point. Cedric Fierce is a celebrated and strapping Puff in this story, and Zach Zelnio played him with great confidence. Zelnio also doubled as the Dark Lord named “Voldy” in this telling, and between his turns as the eager young Puff and his take on The One Who Shall Not Be Named, it was enjoyable to see the actor's range represented.
One of my favorite moments of this Puffs came from Spotlight co-owner Brent Tubbs, who plays a variety of characters. One in particular, the coach Zach Smith, gives a hilarious, four-minute-long speech to the Puffs … one that I later found out was completely improvised (as were other bits from various actors). It was impressive, and made me want to soon see Tubbs in one of his ComedySportz matches. In total, there are too many characters to mention in my mandated word count, but Koski's entire Puffs ensemble appeared very committed to the spoofy fun of the piece.
While largely entertaining and boasting a generally strong cast, the show's staging did grow a bit stale after a while. I did, however, appreciate the enthusiasm and range of characterizations across the board, and it seemed like the cast and Potter fans in the audience were having a blast. This production was also different than many of the others I’ve seen at the Spotlight, which was refreshing. Puffs didn’t require much crazy-big design, and I was happy to see scenic designer Tubbs' set composed entirely of stage flats that intentionally faced the “wrong way,” evoking a back-hallway feel in tandem with the Puffs – who, after all, are the Rowling franchise's background characters. It was a simple set, but well-designed to serve a variety of locations, and one of my favorite scenic plots I’ve yet seen in this space. (Tubbs also contributed to Puffsin a variety of other ways, including serving as lighting designer, projections designer, sound designer, and castmate – big kudos and special shout-out to Tubbs!)
I was also happy to see more side-lighting instruments – mostly moving lights – added to the space, and a few issues aside (for example, actors not being in light in a few places), this is the best lighting design I've seen in this space to date. It’s great to see the Spotlight evolving and growing in this regard.
Tubbs’ projections were also a fun addition to Puffs' ridiculousness that helped fill out the space. One of my favorite examples involved an animated graphic sequence that played during what felt like a minute-plus-long, silent, third-place-victory moment. There are many bits similar to this, but you'll have to experience them for yourselves to wholly appreciate the comedy.
Because Puffs boasted a mostly minimalist unit set, the show also relied on great costumes and a good deal of props to fill out the storytelling, and Heather Blair’s costumes and Noah Hill's props both achieved their intended effects, delivering just the right amount of charm, magic, and playfulness through bright colors and satire. Potter fans: As a Muggle who isn’t as cultured in this magical world as some of you but still had a fine time experiencing this show, you certainly don’t want to miss this one.
Puffs runs at the Spotlight Theatre (1800 Seventh Avenue, Moline IL) through August 13, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)912-7647 and visiting TheSpotlightTheatreQC.com.
