From November 7 to 9, Brighton High School Dramatic Arts brought the comedy “Puffs” to the stage, drawing in students, families and community members for three nights of energetic performances. The play, a parody of the “Harry Potter” universe told from the perspective of the overlooked Hufflepuffs, quickly became a favorite among some of the cast and audience members for its lighthearted tone and humor.
The show follows the Puffs through seven chaotic years at a magical school, and this time, it’s not the heroes in the “Chosen One’s” epic take-down of “You Know Who” who are being put in the spotlight but the people who are heroes to and for each other. Senior Bee Canfield, the narrator, said the production’s mood made it especially memorable.
“My favorite part of this year’s play specifically was the lightheartedness it held,” Canfield said. “It wasn’t very intense like some of our other plays have been, and I felt like I made a lot of connections.”
Although the play’s humor was a major part of the show, putting the show on stage was a serious commitment. Canfield, whose role included a nearly constant dialogue, described the challenge of balancing the show with academics.
“I had a ridiculous amount of lines to memorize. I played the narrator, so I was talking almost all the time,” she said. “One of the challenges was not only memorization but keeping my voice healthy because I do a lot of choir stuff as well.”
She added that resting her voice and giving herself time to recover helped her push through.
Younger cast member also took on large responsibilities. Sophomore Nikolai Dunn played multiple characters, including Blondo Malfoy, Viktor and DJ. Dunn said playing Viktor was especially enjoyable.
“I think he is funny, and he doesn’t have a lot of lines. It’s just cool to, like, walk around and just be there,” Dunn said.
Splitting time between three characters required focus, and Dunn said getting into character relied on mindset.
“Malfoy is the easiest to get into character. I act pretentiously, like I’m better than everybody else,” he said. “And then Victor is just like, act like you’re better than everybody else because you are better than everybody else.”
The cast agreed that time management was one of the biggest challenges. Dunn explained that the after-school and weekend rehearsals could be demanding.
“I think the time commitment was pretty challenging,” he said. “Just find the gaps of time where you can rest and focus on schoolwork and use those to your advantage.”
For Canfield, however, the hard work was part of what made the experience meaningful. She has been involved in theater for four years and joined originally for both the community and the love of performing.
“I initially got into it because I really love the stage and I wanted to make friends, and it’s been a huge part of my life,” she said. “Every year I do it, and I just really enjoy being on stage and working with all of these amazing people.”
While the show ran smoothly, it still came with its share of memorable mishaps. Canfield recalled one performance where her shoe fell off in the very first scene.
“Everyone saw it, and they had to put my shoe back on like nothing happened,” she said. “Backstage, I just laughed about it. I was like, how does one lose their shoe?”
Despite the challenges, both students said the experience was worth it. Canfield encourages other students to get involved.
“You should join the play because it’s really fun, even though I’m not going to be there [next year],” she said.
With its humor, fast pacing and dedicated cast, BHS’s production of “Puffs” provided an entertaining and heartfelt highlight of the fall season, highlighting how even the most unexpected characters can take the spotlight.
