The Lincoln Theater Team set off this new year in shows by performing “Puffs”, a parody of the “Harry Potter” book series by J. K. Rowling. “Puffs” is shown from the perspective of the Hufflepuffs, a group of well-meaning, loyal outsiders with a thing for badgers. Watching this expeditious, clever, and inventive play was an exciting experience.

“Puffs” is the story of Wayne Hopkins; a boy who discovers he’s a wizard and goes to school in England where he makes two best friends and has bizarre adventures. His parents were British but passed away, leaving him to live with his uncle in Arizona before finally going to Hogwarts.  Wayne is sorted as a Puff, the play’s name for Hufflepuffs, and he and the others learn magic and avoid evil wizards. There are plenty of references to the “Harry Potter” fantasy books and you get some great deep-cut wizard jokes. Though, the play can’t reference the explicit “Harry Potter” mentions because of copyright issues, hence the term “Puffs” instead of “Hufflepuffs”. 

This is a play about growing up, making new friends, and enjoying being young. The characters all have their individual moments and stories, where they go through difficult journeys, dealing with death, identity, relationships, and what it’s like to feel unimportant. 

One of the things I loved about this play is its 90s references, including callbacks to N’Sync, Spice Girls, and the movie “Free Willy”. The overall humor of the show is silly, ridiculous, and laughable, with a few dirty jokes for the grown-ups. Nevertheless, it’s still age-appropriate.  

The best part about “Puffs” is the actors and production. The acting was dramatic and enhanced, mimicking the youthfulness of these characters. Some would go on long tangents, eliciting laughter from the audience. Each person had their own original personality, charm, and habits that I found amusing. 

Junior Tyler Martinez, played Wayne Hopkins, a heroic, loyal, and friendly pop-culture geek.  He did an amazing job acting the part and having everyone root for him. His depiction of Hopkins was top-notch. Senior Abigail Lawrence played the moody and rebellious Megan Jones, who in the play is the daughter of a powerful evil wizard. She struggles to fit in, and Lawrence depicted her complicated emotions so well. Her commitment level is through the roof and she was my favorite character by far. Senior Nate McCanna also showed a high level of commitment. He played Cedric Diggory, the head of the Puff house, and Lord Voldemort. McCanna is hilarious, loud, and expressive. There is no doubt that he was the crowd’s favorite. While these actors were some of my favorites, everyone did an incredible job creating an atmosphere filled with sorcery and magic. 

Overall, “Puffs’” is a super funny and entertaining show to watch, even if you aren’t the biggest Harry Potter fan. It depicts heavier topics in a light-hearted way and doesn’t fail to make you feel young again. Everyone should give these actors so much credit. Balancing both school and personal life while learning lines for multiple parts is extremely challenging. Not only that but performing in front of a large audience for three days straight is difficult too. These students definitely deserve a lot of recognition.

If you want to support them, you can donate to the Lincoln Theatre Guild and watch out for the next play “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”.