Jude Magnotti ‘26
EE Editor-In-Chief
Abra-Cadbra! Abra Cado? Alkazham!! Nope? Well, good thing I wasn’t selected to go to a certain British school of magic in a very popular universe.
Fortunately, in Puffs, Wayne, Oliver, and Megan all did. Last weekend, Trumbull High put on its very own fall play, Puffs (or seven increasingly eventful years at a certain school of Magic and Magic.)
Directed by student directors George Blake and Britt McGrath, Puffs is a spoof on everyone’s favorite witches and wizards in the most lovable way possible.
The main character, Wayne, played by Mars C, makes friends with a smart Muggle born Oliver and a standoffish, reluctant Puff Megan (played by Ali H and Sam E, respectively.) Despite living in the shadow of the Braves and a certain wizard named Harry, the Puffs find a way to experience their life in the magical world with love, laughter, and tragedy all wrapped into one.
In a jaw-dropping display of hilarity, special effects, and phenomenal performances from the actors, the Thespians brought the story of Puffs to life in front of a sold-out crowd both Friday and Saturday night. With record-setting attendance and a presentation to rival any other school, Puffs has taken the THS fall play in a new, enticing direction.
In the previous three years, the fall play relied mostly on vignette mini-scene style plays such as The Alibis, A Simpler Time, and Almost Maine. Performing a longer, more difficult, more well-known play was a high risk high-reward gamble from the program that could have backfired big time. This was made even more risky by the decrease in student directors from 5 last year to only 2 this year.
Thankfully, their gamble paid off in spectacular fashion, resulting in arguably the best THS fall performance in recent years. After gathering public opinion from the crowd after both nights, some of the highlights of the show were cited as, “The really believable friendship between the three main characters”, “The emotional depth of the show despite it being a comedy”, and “THE INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE OF DEREK MACRI AS ZACK SMITH!!!”.
Excelling in both technical and performative execution, Puffs has redefined the way plays are done at Trumbull High, while still providing a captivating experience for all the cast and crew involved. Trumbull High theater has long been known for leaving its audience’s jaws on the floor after every performance. Next, they will look to do just that in their spring musical, Something Rotten! With auditions from the 17th through the 21st, Trumbull High theater will soon be back in full swing as they strive to deliver yet another groundbreaking performance…
Photo courtesy THS Trillium Yearbook