Niwot High School's upcoming fall production of "Puffs"

"Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic" is Niwot High School's fall theater production. This show is entertaining, comedic, and witty. It is also rated PG-13 because it includes adult language and situations at times. Amanda Foust, Niwot High's theater director and teacher, has put an immense amount of thought and effort into this show.

The production has two full casts, both of which are full of talent.

The characters in this show each have very unique personalities, one of which is played by Prugh Dunfee. "I love feeling like I get to be a kid again, like a silly little kid who gets to run around all the time," said Dunfee when asked about her favorite aspect of playing Leanne, a lighthearted and joyful character.

These unique personality traits of each character make the experience for both actors and viewers engaging. Ash Kissinger, who plays both Ernie Mac in the first cast and Cedric Diggory in the second, says that his favorite part of playing both characters is getting to "experiment with so many different character choices and be in all four shows." Another unique thing about this show is that the cast ranges from ninth to twelfth-graders. Reagan Lachky has had a great time playing a lead role as a ninth-grader. When asked about how she feels playing such a large role as a freshman, she said, "I love it. I'm so grateful for this experience and I love working with the cast."

The first cast, performing on Thursday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m., and Saturday Nov. 11 at 7 p.m., features James Miller, Alex Fick, Kate Nelson, Ace Schuler, Ash Kissinger, Sophie Arnett-Simon, Aiden Sagner, Prugh Dunfee, Maya Netel, Audrey Owen, and Casey Sangelo.

This cast has bonded throughout their time rehearsing together, and have built quite a community. "I think it's a play that connects people really easily," said James Miller, a sophomore at Niwot playing the role of Wayne Hopkins in the first cast, and Ernie Mac in the second. "You get to know a lot of people and I think it's the best production I've ever been in."

All of the extras, the Braves, Snakes, and Smarts, are performing in both casts, and will be in all four performances of the show. The Braves include Olivia DeRose, Mathew Teegarden, Anna Schnell, and Cas Clark. The Snakes are made up of Elliot DeBusk, Grace DeRose, Ivan Valdez, and Cayla Piper. The Smarts are portrayed by Julian Wu, Elyse Prestopnik, Miriam Lakein, and Kennah Brackett. "My favorite part about being in the 'Puffs' cast is probably the amazing community," Brackett said. "Everyone is just so sweet and gets along so well. I think it's also just such a fun show and I love watching everyone on stage acting their hearts out!"

The second cast, performing on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 11 at 11 a.m., features River Osgood, Fred Zorgdrager, Pali Sauer, Reagan Lachky, James Miller, Reese Lavigne, Jasper Allison, Tayler Studebaker, Rori Ann Barchers, Mimi Archibold, and Ash Kissinger. This cast includes multiple talented actors, including Barchers, who is a Colorado State Thespian Officer. This cast has bonded over their shared love of theater, and they make a great team.

Every "Puffs" actor has a favorite moment during their time with the cast, and Sauer, a 10th-grader, immediately responded with hers. "I feel like the most memorable moment was when I first saw the set because it was bigger and more elaborate than I had thought it was going to be and rehearsing on it for the first time was also a core memory."

This year's technical theater team did not disappoint with their elaborate set that includes lights, handcrafted doors, puppets, and more. When asked to speak about her experiences and favorite parts of being in tech, Paige Hahn said, "I think my favorite part of technical theatre is working with other people to make a creative product. The feeling of putting together a show that goes excellently is unparalleled."

Tickets can be purchased at https://www.vancoevents.com/us/events/landing/35733, or in the bio section of Niwot Theater's instagram (@niwot.theater). Get them fast before they sell out.