The Mirror | Issue 1 | October 2021

14 | OCTOBER 2021 E
the MIRROR
ENTERTAINMENT
The magical
world of
PUFFS
THEATER
THE MIRROR | ISABELLA THOMAS
and the
wizards
behind it
PUTTING IN THE HOURS (Top L to R) Dante Damiano,
Breeana Gerdes, Jude Struble, Michelle Levi, Dakota Threats,
April Cho, (Bottom L to R) Rushmia Hussain, Sebastian
Estrada and Gover Olivares practice five to six times a week
in preparation for the fall play.
By GABRIEL CASTILLO &
VANNESA MACHADO
THE MIRROR STAFF
And action!
The drama department
will make a debut after
a year-long hiatus with
their fall production of
“PUFFS, or Seven Increasingly Eventful
Years at a Certain School of Magic and
Magic” from Nov. 18 to 20.
The story of PUFFS follows Wayne
Hopkins, a nerdy boy from New Mexico
who finds out that he is a wizard and goes
to Hogwarts where he spends his years
making friends and learning magic.
Hopkins will be played by senior Jude
Struble.
Though he has worked as part of the
backstage crew in other productions,
this is Struble’s second time being in the
spotlight, the last time being “Peter and the
Starcatcher” as Ted, an orphan boy, in 2019.
“I haven’t done in-person acting in a
year-and-a-half,” Struble said. “It’s weird
having to be in front of people and speak
out loud and physically interacting with
THE MIRROR | ISABELLA THOMAS
other people.”
Alongside Struble, seniors Edgar Muñoz,
playing Oliver Rivers, and Michelle
Levi, assuming the role of Megan Jones,
are excited to make their return to the
stage playing best friends and sidekicks to
Hopkins as he embarks on his journey to
magical discovery.
“Going on stage brings me more joy
than nerves,” Muñoz said. “I expect the
performance to spark joy and laughter
among the audience as much as it has to
everyone involved.”
Alongside the trio, many actors make
their return to stage like junior Dante
Damiano with the role of Ernie Mac and
senior Gover Olivares, who plays both the
charming Cedric and the nefarious Mr.
Voldy.
“It felt like second nature when the
moment came back,” Olivares said. “The
moment I walked onto the stage under
the light and faced the audience, a wave of
nostalgia and happiness washed over me
knowing I belonged there after so long.”
Along with the returning actors comes
some new faces in the ensemble.
PUFFS cast
Jude Struble
Edgar Munoz
Michelle Levi
Julian Pankowski
Narrator
Dante Damiano
Emma Salehi
Hannah
Breeana Gerdes
Leanne
Noa Levy
April Cho
Gover Olivares
• Kevin “Eli” Tessier
Harry
Wayne Hopkins
Oliver Rivers
Megan Jones
Ernie Mac
Sebastian Estrada J. Finch Fletchley
Sally Perks
Susie Bones
Cedric/Mr. Voldy
SUPPORTING CAST
Adrianna Bean, Emily Chavez,
Addison Cudd, Sophia Hillestad,
Maddie KC Jordan, Lilit Aprahamian,
Jimmy Martinez, Ella Robinson,
Ethan Rodda, Jake Ruckman, Angel
Vazquez
LIGHTS, CURTAIN, ACTION! “Puffs, or Seven
Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of
Magic and Magic” premiers on Thursday, Nov. 18 in
the auditorium.