Navigating Magic School, High School, and Future Careers through Theatre

From November 14-17, 2024, Culver City High School students from the AVPA Theatre Program will present four performances of their fall play, “Puffs or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic” at the Kirk Douglas Theatre located in downtown Culver City. Written by Matt Cox and directed by AVPA Creative Director of Theatre Lee Margaret Hanson, this whimsical journey through the wizarding world follows three unlikely heroes who navigate the challenges of magic school, friendship, and epic competitions. 

Puffs marks a departure from the more serious works that AVPA Theatre took on over the past few seasons, such The Laramie Project. Instead of exploring dramatic undertones of a script, the students are learning how to create a fun and enjoyable experience for the audience, which is not as easy as it may sound. “I feel like it’s actually more challenging to find the comedic timing within the show while also finding the balance of telling a great story,” explains cast member Annie Francuz. Isaiah Griffin agreed, adding, “In this show, all of the characters are silly and funny, and yet every single one of us finds a different way of portraying those characters. It really allows for a different character choice, different motivations, and you can really see that through everyone’s acting.” 

In addition to acting techniques, student participants are receiving skills training and mentorship from KDT staff. Annie shared, “The first second we stepped into the Kirk Douglas Theater. It was incredible seeing this professional space and envisioning a life of having a career in the performing arts, which is something I aspire to have. To work with the people who actually work at this theater, who show us how it really looks to have a career in the arts – it was the most eye-opening, magical experience.”

Cast members of Puffs emphasize other skills they have honed through this experience, such as public speaking and social emotional regulation. Isaiah Griffin described how “Acting has allowed me to explore my emotions and choices in life, and it really has allowed me to feel like I fit into different groups,” since school is “a place where people develop communities. They develop friendships that could influence them for the rest of their lives.”  Added Charlotte Hamill, “Time management is a big thing when you have a time-consuming extracurricular like theater. It has given me the tools to work with the people around me and persevere if I’m not getting something right away. I have been able to put that in my academics, too.”

Donations to CCEF and AVPA help CCUSD students to connect with professional teaching artists of the Kirk Douglas Theatre (KDT) and other local arts organizations in non-traditional ways that encourage them to learn more about themselves, the world, and the arts. “It’s amazing to have these professionals who want us to be here [at the Kirk Douglas Theatre]. They want us to succeed. They want us to have a good show, and they want to help us. And it’s nice to have theater adults, helping to support theater kids. That’s why I love being at the KDT,” stated cast member Ryan Vermette.

Don’t miss this clever parody that will elicit joyful laughter and 90’s nostalgia. Only four performances will be held this Thursday to Saturday, November 14-16 at 7pm and Sunday, November 17 at 2pm at the Kirk Douglas Theatre or call the Center Theatre Group box office at 213-628-2772. Tickets are on sale online. For more information visit the AVPA website.