Behind the Scenes: Designing Puffs

Coming to Anderson Theater on October 17th, 18th, 20th, 24th, and 26th, Puffs blows audiences away through the incredible skill of the actors, and everything developed behind the scenes. The effort put in to create a beautiful production has taken months of after-school rehearsals and dedication. One of the Sound Tech Heads, Jeffrey Pickell (11th), confirmed this by saying “I’ve been at every rehearsal, so each day I get to see how [the show] progresses and changes… almost like its own being.”

While the audience will see wizards, witches, and wands on stage, the real magic happens in the wings. The Shop is overseen by the two Set Tech Heads, Uriah Shaffer (12th) and Hayes Rosprim (11th). Rosprim praised “the overall process of putting the set together,” enthusiastically stating “That’s one of my favorite things about set. Letting us figure it out and challenge ourselves.” Shaffer agreed with his co-Head about figuring things out independently, saying it “allows for a lot more output without restrictions, because a lot of the time having super harsh supervision suppresses student’s creativity.”

The Props Closet is run by the Props Tech Head, Maya Fuller (12th), who mentioned how she loves “to see [her] props […] come to life on stage.” She explained that “Props is all about thinking creatively on how to make objects out of different materials, and […] using your imagination to make visions exist.” The Costumes Closet and dressing rooms are kept in order by Costumes Tech Head, Jacqui Buckland (11th). Buckland said “what [she finds] most interesting about [her] job is being able to bring the characters to life and [be immersed] into the world of the play.” There have been challenges to costuming Puffs, and Jacqui admitted it can be “hard to add every aspect or small reference to Harry Potter,” which is what the play is based on.

The booth is where lighting and sound technicians prepare their cues. Sound Tech Head, Gianna Navarro (12th), recalled “being able to experiment with the Q-Lab application and [creating] a surround sound effect in the theater.” Lighting Tech Head and Technical Director, Ellie Tumbusch (11th), insisted “adding lighting to a show transports the audience in a way that isn’t possible without [it].” She established that “seeing all the technicians […] putting on a show they are proud of, and being the one to give them that” is her favorite part of the job.

With all of these students working together, Puffs is an incredible experience and should definitely be seen before closing night. Buy tickets at https://andersontheater.ludus.com/ and witness the results of hard-work, dedication, passion, and student leadership!