Guest post: Review of "Puffs" at New World Stages

Guest post: Review of “Puffs” at New World Stages

Guest writer Liat Ginsberg is a mother and former journalist for the Israeli newspaper, Maariv. She has taught at the Film and Media Department at Hunter College.

If you or you kids are fans of the Harry Potter series, the play Puffs is for you. In addition, if your kids have never read the book or watched Harry Potter movies (like my 8 year-old twins), then the play “Puffs” is also for you.

The truth is this play may be more for kids than for adults. My kids enjoyed every minute. They could not stop giggling. At times, I was wondering why do they like is so much?

It revolves around an orphan who has a non-magical life and is sent off to a magic boardig school. He meets two friends there with anger issues and low self esteem. Together they go through seven years of learning, fear, struggle, stressful situations and overcoming obstacles and at the end…voila, triumph.

Teachers are not loved in the play, they are even the obstacles. We accompany the main puff, Wayne Hopkins (played by Zac Moon) through a series of exciting adventures that get increasingly darker. Wayne and his two friends, studious Oliver (played by the wonderful and convincing actor Langston Belton) and Megan (played by Julie Ann Earls), are given very difficult assignments, which they are not sure they can achieve.

The play has many Harry Potter references, but don’t worry if you are not an expert – you and your kids will enjoy the jokes even without the background. Don’t expect magical special effects, but do expect a play with a heart, drive, optimism, sense of humor and encouragement. Puffs make you realize that we are all important. We are all heroes in some way.

Every kid should hear that it’s ok to fail again and again, with failure you get practice and get better.

Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic plays at the New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street. Tickets are currently on sale through January 14, 2018. Running time is 100 minutes, no intermission. Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 (starting June 8); Fridays at 7:30; Saturdays at 3 and 9:30; and Sundays at 3. Tickets are $51.50 – $79.50. For more information and to purchase tickets visit puffstheplay.com)