top of page
paper.avif

Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic

Written by Matt Cox

Production Team

Director - Nic Barilar

Stage Manager - Avery Weston

Assistant Stage Managers - Thomas Hall, Ellie Hemming, River Podjasek

Scenic Designer - Mandy Kolbe

Technical Director - Nate Mohlman

Costume & Makeup Designer - Michelle Collyar

Lighting Designer - Amber Meyers

Prop Designer - Sage Goetsch

Sound Designer - David Harlan

Puppet Designers - Ozzy Glazer, Hailey Kluck, & Miranda Logan

Production Manager - Laurie Kincman

PM 6.avif
P 7.avif

Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, is a comical parody of the Harry Potter universe that follows the Puffs, the rarely acknowledged, fun-loving students, as they explore their fantastical school and find what makes someone a true hero.

​

During year 2, they encounter a giant snake, a creature that paralyzes whoever looks into its eyes.

Concept

One of the main ideas the overall production pushed was that love is magical. Because of this, I designed the snake to drain the scene of comfort. It may come from a fantasy world but it doesn’t have the same whimsy that some of the other magical beings possess. Instead, I chose for it to have more of the frightening and unknown qualities of the world.

I drew upon illustrations of serpents, water dragons, and the Basilisk from the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets film. For the movement of the puppet, I looked into the construction of parade serpents.

P 8.avif
P 10.avif
P 11.avif
P 9.avif

Construction

Click through the image gallery below to follow my construction process

Rehearsal Photos

P 12.avif
P 13.avif

Final Puppet

The final giant snake puppet measured 12 feet in length and was puppeteered by 4 performers. It features a working jaw, retractable tongue, and lights illuminating its ribs.

The cool-toned colors and striking features make for a sharp contrast to the rest of the Puffs' world.

P 5.avif
bottom of page