LEHI — Tucked away on Center Street in Lehi, Utah is a cozy little postage stamp of a performance space that I had never had the pleasure of visiting until now. Pulling up to the address, an unwitting patron could be excused for thinking they were in the wrong place. The building that houses the Lehi Arts Council and their theatre space is tiny and unimpressive from the outside. I was convinced before I got out of my car that I was in the wrong place and honestly just walked up to ask for directions. To my surprise and eventual delight, as I entered, having been assured that I was indeed in the right place, I discovered a whole new vibe, a creative energy, and friendly people welcoming me to their show. I was excited to see Puffs- or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic. Written by Mat Cox, this witty spoof on the Harry Potter series takes a look at those chaotic years from the point of view of the Hufflepuff students, with humor and tenderness and silliness and not a small amount of nostalgia. Having never seen a live performance of this play, I could only hope that it lived up to its hype.
The performance space was possibly the smallest one I had ever seen, perhaps 400-500 sq ft in total, with a few rows of seats on three sides. Intimate, to say the least. But what wondrous things were produced on that unprepossessing stage! The scenic design by Kurt Elison was simple; a series of sturdy stone arches that were easily moved around to indicate new locations, with bunting, flags, banners, etc added at times to establish time and place. Very effective and clever. Scene changes were performed by the actors and almost seamlessly kept the action moving smoothly, which was so important in a play like Puffs, were timing and quick changes are vital. In fact, the entire Production Team deserve a standing ovation for their hard work and clever solutions and interpretations.
Puffs plays at Lehi Arts Council through October 26. | Photo Credit: Britt Brown.
This play hits or misses almost entirely on the Production elements, and they did not disappoint. Costumes were chaotic and constantly changing as the actors popped in and out of many different characters- designer Shelby Revill did a masterful job of giving the audience just enough information to let us know exactly who each character was, yet not enough to bog down the quick changes. Wigs, ruffs, capes, hats, glasses were whipped on and off at dizzying speed and kept the audience in stitches.
The lighting designer, Elizabeth Griffiths, also deserves kudos for her intricate and quick cue list. Often, dialogue plays will have a simplistic light plot that only changes when the location moves, or the time-of-day shifts, but Puffs requires hundreds of cues and a light board op with nimble fingers and lightning reflexes. Sound cues must also have numbered in the hundreds and sound board op Mitchell Brown stayed absolutely on top of the madness of spell effects, dings, bells, and whooshes that peppered the performance. With so many moving parts, and the potential for disaster so high, I am so impressed with the accomplishments of this Pro Team, not to mention Production Stage Managers Gwen Elison-Wood and Tali Farrer and Assistant Stage Manager Rachel Vorkink and her crew (can’t fault their ability to keep things running smoothly backstage and in the booth. What a task!)
There is so much to praise about the play and I haven’t even gotten to the directors and actors yet! Directors Gwen Elison-Wood and Tali Vorkink certainly understood the assignment with this show. Pacing and speed are vital to the success of a show like this- there mustn’t be any lag time or opportunities for the action to drag. Wood and Vorkink kept their actors on the move, popping in and out of the scenes and characters, using all the available space, including the aisles and audience, to help us viewers feel like we were also part of the action and story. They found the humor but didn’t sacrifice the tender moments of pathos and soul-searching either.
Photo Credit: Britt Brown.
Their cast was outstanding in every instance. Oakley Tanner as the Narrator sets the tone for the show from the moment she sets foot onstage and doesn’t let up or miss a beat. Charles Damon Hudson, Layleigh Stone, and Ben Reynolds were wonderful as Wayne, Megan, and Oliver, respectively- the Hufflepuffs answer to Gryffindor’s Harry, Ron and Hermione. The trio worked so well together and played off each other brilliantly. We really cared about them, rejoiced with them, and shared their sorrows. Hudson especially channeled the hopeful, geeky attractiveness of a Johnny Galecki into Wayne, our main protagonist. He hits the notes of optimism, despair, hope, and longing so well. It would be easy to let Wayne flatten into a whiney, one note character, but Hudson played all his facets and foibles beautifully.
While Hudson, Stone, and Reynolds (and Tanner the Narrator) stuck to one character each, my intense admiration must go to the rest of the outstanding cast who each played a dizzying array of people, popping in and out of scenes and costumes, without missing a beat. Of special note were Stella Seivane, Sawyer Steck, Eli Palmer and others who were so delightful and engaging to watch. I can’t forget our young hero Cedric, played by Gideon Geisler with bravado, charm, humility, and all-around good guy vibes that we almost can’t believe that he’s for real. But he is! The fact that Geisler does a 180 and portrays the ultimate bad guy as well is impressive, to say the least. The show was well-cast and full of talent from top to bottom.
I have heaps of praise to pile on this lot, and only one or two negatives. While I liked the set design and applaud the ingenuity of using the arches to quickly move from location to location, from my seat in a side section I missed all of the Mirror of Erised moments and half of the letters among the three main characters. Additionally, I froze half the time because a fan was blowing directly on me, but it wouldn’t deter me from going to see another show at Lehi Arts. I’ll just remember to bring a blanket. Given the seating arrangements, I’m sure most of the audience had a great view of almost everything. If you love the magical world of a certain magical school of magic and magic, or love fast paced theatre, or love comedy in general, I’d say it’s worth the effort to go see Puffs produced by Lehi Arts Council. If you can your hands on one of these hot tickets, do it! I drove an hour to see it and I’m not mad. Don’t miss your chance!
