On Friday, March 31st, the Lowellville Drama Club had the opening night for their show, Puffs directed by Ms. DiRienzo. The play is a Harry Potter parody that tells the story of all Harry Potter books/movies through the perspective of the Hufflepuff house. The Puffs have their own trio, similar to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Puffs is a hilarious comedy that kept the audience engaged and laughing the whole time.
The show followed the school life of Puffs, Wayne Hopkins, Oliver Rivers, and Megan Jones. Oliver and Wayne are Americans who are new to magic and Megan is the daughter of The Dark Lord’s most esteemed follower. Cameos were made by popular characters such as Harry and Dumbledore. Most of the supporting characters were taken from actual background characters in the franchise, such as Leanne Laughland and Susan Bones.
The cast featured students from each high school grade, as well as 6th grader, Steven Yon (Bibby). The seniors featured were Devan Andrews (Megan Jones), Yalexa Santiago (Oliver Rivers), Maggie Carney (Wayne Hopkins), Frankie Lellio (Viktor), Chris Cascerelli (Second Headmaster, Professor, Ernie Mac), and Ashley Noon (Sally Perks). The juniors included Landon Frohman (J. Finch, Blondo Malfoy, Voldy, First Headmaster), Casey Gordan (Cedric, Zach Smith, Sal, Ric Gryff, Uncle Dave), and Natalie Parry (Leanne, Frenchy). Sophomores were Bobby Loftus (Stewie Bones, Clumsy Longbottom), Hadassah Rivera (Narrator), and Sydney Littleton (Harry). Laila Stevens (Professor, Xavia Jones) and Reese Agee (Professors, Helgga, Rowena), new to the drama club, were this year’s freshmen. The crew was made up of Aidan Debeaulieu, Danielle Cisco, Spencer Simione, Cheyenne Bott, Kaylee Brenner, and Laila Mccaughtry. Almost all of the cast members played multiple roles throughout the show. Practice began in early February and was everyday after school. At these practices, the cast had to stage the play and memorize their lines, while the crew was responsible for lights and sound effects. Many people in the Lowellville community worked together to create the set for the play. Bob Coppola was a huge help this year. He built the big pieces needed for the show. Once those were created, students who were not even involved in the drama club helped Ms. D paint, make props, and lay wallpaper.
Originally, the club planned on performing three days: March 31st, April 1st, and 2nd. Unfortunately, a power outage on April 1st did not permit the second show to happen. The drama club still met at Buffalo Wild Wings in Boardman, and celebrated a fantastic opening night. On April 2nd, the power was back, and the club was able to perform their 2 o’clock matinee. Although there was an issue with the stage lights, the drama club pushed through because “the show must go on.” The performance was amazing once again, and the club was satisfied with the two performances they were able to give.
After the show, Casey Gordan said, “I felt very accomplished. This play was hard to put together and took a lot of hard work from everybody. I was sad we didn't get to have a Saturday show, but I was glad we still got to go to B-Dubs to have a drama club dinner with everyone.”
Frankie Lellio joined the show the week of play due to a cast member being unable to fulfill their role. Frankie said, “I have always wanted to join the drama club, but some fears held me back. When the opportunity arose for me to take the stage, I took it and was so happy I did. I am so glad I had the experience with this club, even if it was only for a short time.”
Natalie Parry, a returner to the club, could not have been prouder of her fellow cast and crew. She said, “This was a huge play, so our small club being able to not only pull it off, but really make it an amazing performance was so impressive. So much hard work went into this, and I am glad that this was the note we ended on for Ms. D’s last show with us. I could not have been happier.”
The matinee show on Sunday was especially important to the Drama Club as it marked the last show being directed by Ms. D at the school. Although everyone was ecstatic because of how well the performance went, the night was also filled with tears and happy memories. After a heartfelt message from Ms. D on stage there was a gift presented to her from the club. After a big group hug on stage, the club went backstage and spent time with each other and their families. They looked back on happy memories, shared tears, and hugged.
Comments