A hilarious madcap series of adventures is taking place at the Shea’s Smith Theatre for the next few weekends concerning an orphaned boy wizard who attends a certain school for magic.

Meet Wayne

A hilarious madcap series of adventures is taking place at the Shea’s Smith Theatre for the next few weekends concerning an orphaned boy wizard who attends a certain school for magic. His name is Wayne. Wayne? That can’t be right. Ah, but it is.

In most adventures and stories, both fictional and real, minor characters come and go, and one does not necessarily think much about them. But they have stories, too, for which they are the central characters with joys and sorrows, mountains to climb and rivers to cross, or as in this case, spells to learn and monsters to slay. So, while that other boy wizard and his friends are the center of some famous stories, there are many others just as meaningful happening at the same time and in the same place. Wayne’s is one of those.

Those Puffs

Narrated by the delightfully droll Nathaniel Higgins, who takes us through all seven of Wayne’s adventures, we meet the members of Puffs, the children consigned to being the losers at Hogwarts, the ones no one else wants to eat with at lunch. Wayne, the boy from – New Mexico? – who wants to be a superhero and save the world, played very earnestly by Nicholas Lama, is joined by his new friends Oliver (Christian Hines), a confused math maven, and the very angry Megan (Kris Bartolomeo). Along with the rest of the Puffs, other characters from Hogwarts – you know, that annoying suck up HP and his friends, along with faculty and yes, the Dark Lord himself – Wayne and Co. suffer and struggle, win and lose, experience highs and lows, etc., etc. You know.

Written by Matt Cox, Puffs is a riot. In his script, he skewers the famous and infamous alike. References to film and well-known cultural figures abound, from John McClane to Sharknado. It is 110 minutes of insanity.

Joey Bucheker directs this madness. He keeps the pace fast, the props flying, the cast changing characters and costumes in a flash, has them racing in and out of at least 11 entrances and exits, and generally takes the audience on a Hogwarts experience like none other.

The cast of 11, plus Swings, is excellent, most playing more than one part. David Wysocki is outstanding as Cedric/Mr. Voldy. In addition to those already mentioned, Marissa Biondolillo, Mike Benoit, Gabrielle Nunzio, Daniel Lendzian, Jenn Stafford, and Sabrina Kahwaty all handle their many parts with gusto and aplomb. Vincent Murphy and Stephanie Warnick are the Swings – actors who know many parts and can go on stage at a moment’s notice, almost a necessity in a play like this in the time of Covid.

Costumes by Sara Jo Kukulka are fun and outrageous. Ms. Kahwaty’s pink tutu and bright yellow tights are quite fetching, and Mr. Voldy’s costume is laugh out loud funny. There are many more. Well done, Ms. Kukulka. Lighting Designer Matthew DiVita and Sound Designer Matt Cox had their work cut out for them and were well up to the task, as was Alley Griffin in charge of Properties.

Here for the Laughs

Goofy, funny and raunchy (so not for the little kiddies), Puffs is a delight, and a reminder that everyone matters. If it preaches just a little bit, it does so in a most charming way, and why not, for goodness’ sake.

Puffs is produced by O’Connell & Company and will be providing madcap fun at Shea’s Smith Theatre through February 13^th.