“Puffs,” a comedy play written by Matt Cox, is a parody of the Harry Potter series. The show premiered in New York on Dec. 3, 2015, and is set primarily at Hogwarts. This fall, Arlington High School put on its own rendition under the direction of Ms. Emily Collins, marking her first production at AHS. The performance was well-received and offered a fun, creative take on the source material.

Collins said she was thrilled with how her debut production turned out.

“It was an incredible experience, a cool group of students and honestly the ideal first show as my directorate debut at Arlington,” Collins said.

The show drew an audience of roughly 150 to 200 people—nearly a full house—which Collins said exceeded her expectations.

“I thought it was a really great size for not only the first show of the season, but also for a straight play that’s not very well-known,” she said.

We also spoke with cast member Kevin, who played lead character Wayne Hopkins. This was his third show at Arlington.

“It was a great time on stage,” he said. “It was a great opportunity to play Wayne Hopkins. It was definitely challenging.”

Audience members responded positively as well. Senior Conner Peter praised both the show and Collins’ leadership.

“I think the school is heading in a great direction by hiring Emily Collins,” Smith said. “She has been very inspirational with these theatre kids.”

The theatre department has announced its next production, “SpongeBob the Musical,” which will take place in March. Auditions begin Dec. 3.