The College of Central Florida’s theatre department will be presenting “Puffs”, a play about the wondrous world of magic. The play will be held Thursday, Oct. 24 through Saturday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. and on Oct. 27 at 3 p.m. at the College of Central Florida, Ocala Campus in the Dassance Fine Arts Center in Building 4. Tickets will be free for all CF students, faculty and staff who present CF I.D.s, $12 for adults and $6 for students who do not attend CF.
“Puffs” is based on another world of wizardry with the comedic story of a group of young wizards who attend a school of magic. The play will take the audience through a seven-year journey of fantasy that will tell the story of the Puffs, an assorted grouping of students who represent an underappreciated side of their magic school.
“In the magical world of magic, there’s going to be some things that audience members will get.” Said Willow Forbes, who portrays an ensemble Puff. “Some easter eggs, certain lines and jokes, but even if you don’t know that level of what it’s based on, you can still get the immersion and enjoyment from the production itself. You don’t have to have the background knowledge to enjoy the show.”
Although the play is fun and comedic, the cast works hard to bring their characters to life, offering different personalities, stories and experiences to their individual characters. Geovanni Jimenez, who portrays Oliver Rivers, describes the personal development of Oliver.
“He starts off very shy and then he has a really big character arc. He’s very funny. I would say he’s very comical. He is the laughing stock.” Said Jimenez. “He begins to grow a little bit more confidence in himself as the show goes on to the very end.”
Ava Blair, who portrays Megan Jones, followed up with the dark persona that Jones begins with before the development of her personality and the relationship that blossoms within her group.
“Megan Jones has this kind of gothic style to her. She starts off very independent, very rude and bratty. She doesn’t really want to talk to anyone; very cold. She doesn’t like being a Puff. She doesn’t really like any of the Puffs.” Said Blair. “As the story continues, she starts to warm up to everyone. She starts to be more comfortable with being a Puff. She starts getting closer to her friends, Oliver and Wayna, and at the very end she starts to fully accept being a Puff.”
Sarah Dowlah, who portrays Wayna Hopkins, follows up with her character’s unique experience within her friends of making the discovery of being a wizard and what that meant for her.
“I would say Wayna is just very excited to be a part of all of this. She finds out that, apparently, she’s a wizard and has to go to school and meets a whole lot of people, like every type of person you could ever imagine.” Said Dowlah. “She’s just having fun. I think, honestly, she just wants to be seen by everyone else.”
“Puffs” has one of the larger casts that the theatre department has worked with. The ensemble plays an important role in the entire production. Willow Forbes describes her experience as ensemble and what it means for the production.
“A lot of the ensemble helps put together the show and makes it really immersive,” said Forbes. “It’s a very busy cast, it’s a lot of students and there’s a lot going on. The Ensemble helps to really immerse that magic in there. In Hamilton, there’s that book guy and I fully believe that he’s one of the main characters.”
Although the characters have their unique experiences and personalities, they still form a bond that continues to develop throughout the play. There are a few things the audience can take away from the musical, but there’s one thing the cast agreed on.
“I definitely think at the end of the day, the Puffs are all united.” Said Jimenez. “As much as they bicker with each other, they all love each other.”
Attendees can buy their tickets and reserve their seats by visiting the CF theatre ticketing website or by calling 352-873-5810.
