This past weekend, Jones’ theater department housed a production of the Harry Potter parody Puffs as the fall play. After a smash hit opening night on Thursday, the show concluded performances Saturday night with rave reviews.

“I’m really proud of opening night,” said Marin Havreberg ‘25, stage manager. “I think that the show truly improved every time that we did it, and the growth was exponential.”

Although technology proved quite the challenge, the cast worked hard to bring the play to life for the Jones community.

“I think we were pretty prepared, at least as prepared as we could be,” said Katelyn Noonan ‘25.

Additionally, the combination of hard work from the cast and crew made for a quick process in the leading and performance days.

“There was definitely a lot to manage, but I couldn’t have asked for a better team,” said Havreberg. “Everyone involved poured so much love and passion into this show, whether that’s cast, crew, the art department, or beyond.”

The opening night performance stirred nervousness in the Puffs team, but ultimately paid off when the curtains went up. 

“The humor and tempo of the show really come alive when the cast has an audience, and the energy was palpable on opening night,” said Havreberg. “I distinctly remember everyone backstage getting excited at hearing the audience’s reactions, especially the emotional ones.”

The play also featured many underclassmen in lead roles, something many past shows lacked.

“I didn’t think I’d get a big role or anything when I auditioned,” said Barbara Salaam ‘27. “It was a nice surprise to get to do so much with Puffs.”

Puffs’ humor, perfect for fans of Harry Potter and the 90s, landed well with most audience members.

“My only worry was that people wouldn’t laugh, because I thought the show was funny,” said Noonan. “But it was great having an audience that understood the references.”

Another excellent aspect of the show lies in the ability for the cast to improvise given the opportunity.

“A unique aspect of the Puffs script was that it specifically made room for improvisation,” said Havreberg. “It encouraged actors to use their imagination for jokes, from filling in a location to writing an entire monologue.”

As the show comes to a close, excitement builds in the theater department for the upcoming Spring musical.

“I definitely want to be in the musical in some way,” said Salaam. “It’s usually bigger and even more fun.”

The seniors of the theater department especially anticipate their upcoming final performance.

“I just can’t wait to be a part of one last Jones show,” said Noonan.

In the meantime, everyone that worked on Puffs worked tirelessly to give it the performance it deserved, and in doing so, fostered an environment that united the theater in a very thematically appropriate way.

“This was truly an all-hands-on-deck sort of show, but I think that’s really what made it a community,” said Havreberg. “After all, that is the Puffs spirit.”