By Amelia Tarallo
Hometown Weekly Staff
Over a year ago, Dover-Sherborn High School's talented actors, musicians and crew members found out that their musical was canceled due to COVID-19, just a week before the curtain was set to lift.
After a lengthy pandemic hiatus, the theater department returned with a punch over the weekend with its production - its first in-person one in sixteen months - of "Puffs or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic", abbreviated as "Puffs". With some major alterations to make the performance socially distanced and safe for cast, crew, and audience, DS Drama made it clear: they're back, and ready to entertain.
So high was the enthusiasm for the return, in fact, that the cast was split into two separate contingents of actors, each performing two of the four shows. I had the pleasure of attending the Saturday evening show, but will list cast members of both productions.
Those who know the saga of "Harry Potter" quickly catch on to the plot of "Puffs". However, rather than focus on the actions of the main characters of the traditional "Potter" story, "Puffs" turns towards the inner workings of the Hufflepuffs, the Hogwarts house known to be the most welcoming of the four, during the seven-year span of the "Harry Potter" plot arc. Wayne Hopkins (Mason Rauch; Bradley Hodson-Walker in second cast) joins fellow Puffs Oliver Rivers (Oliver Morgens; Jamie Davis), and Megan Jones (Taylor Melenovsky; Arden Caldicott) on a seven-year adventure as they deal with the typical problems of adolescents - and those of the magical variety. The narrator (Izzy Taylor; Amelia Hodson-Walker) helps guide the audience through the subtle "Harry Potter" nuances that may be lost to those unfamiliar with the original "Potter" storyline.
Other fellow students represent parodied characters from the original source material, including Ernie Mac (Alex Versaw; Patrick Lombardi), Hannah (Jenna Eitevn; Anna Davis), J. Finch Fletchley (Ashen Schultze), Leanne (Ashleigh Versaw; Addie Abstoss), Sally Perks (Shreya Atluri; Evan Charneski), and Susie Bones (Kate Hammerness; Avery Charneski). Minor characters like Harry (Kelli Kamphaus; Rori McManus) and the infamous Puff Cedric (Dylan Melenovsky; Nick Mangiaratti) also make an appearance. The villainous Mr. Voldy (Sterling Willaims; Anna Mulrooney) and Xavia (Grace Mulrooney), and the hilarious - though still concerning - dragon (Julia Martin) cause conflict during the student’s seven-year stint at their magical school.
Interspersed through the play was a musical revue of picks from different musicals and productions, pre-recorded and displayed on the big screen behind the stage.
Actors, crew, and staff were ecstatic to bring back Dover-Sherborn Drama with such a fun and unique show. With COVID-19 regulations in place, all shows were held outside, a first for the Dover-Sherborn theater. “Certainly, the outdoor venue was entirely different. While it meant battling with the weather, it also gave the students an exciting different theatrical space. Also, the LED screen and edited musical numbers and scenes that accompanied the show were technologically complex but truly rewarding,” explained Director Scott Walker.
While most actors were on stage, a few played their parts with pre-recorded videos projected onto the screen. “By far, the hardest part of the show was balancing all of the technically complex components of the show afloat in split-second timing. The show is written to have a small cast play 50 roles, which requires precise entrances and exits, exact sound and lighting cues, and, of course, effective use of the LED screen and all that entailed,” explained Walker.
Mixed in with comedic spoofs, hilarious monologues and moments of familiar teenage awkwardness, "Puffs" tells an underdog story at a time when the world seems overwhelming and terrifying.
“The pandemic began for our group by canceling our musical a week before performances. I feel like this gave everyone a lot of hope that we are transitioning towards normalcy. 'Puffs' was a true sign that there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” explained Walker.
Beyond that, it was entertaining as all get-go.
Whatever DS Drama takes on next will surely be great, but this outdoor, post-pandemic production was unforgettable.
