“Puffs,” a play written by Matt Cox and known for its humor and celebration of the underdog, is officially coming to Loyola’s McManus Theater from Nov. 14-17. The play is the culmination of an unexpected journey that began with Director Ange Dickson ‘25, who discusses how they fell into their passion for theater.
“Ever since my first year, I sort of got involved in theater almost by accident… You know, I didn’t really think I would be pursuing a career in theater, as I have sort of turned now, but that experience was incredibly positive, and I kept auditioning for student-directed shows, or kept working on student-directed shows, and have just been absolutely delighted,” Dickson said.
The play’s opening line, “heroes made not born, except sometimes they are born,” encapsulates much of the story’s message in Dickson’s mind. This ethos has guided the rehearsal process, beginning from day one when students engaged in an activity of picking houses out of a hat, designating them as either Puffs, Braves, Smarts, or Snakes. Throughout the rehearsal process students could then be awarded points on behalf of their house by going above and beyond during practices, and gain eventual bragging rights.
A particularly enjoyed element from audience members is the show’s innate humor, which comes from placing ordinary people in an extraordinary world. This contrast allows the play to poke fun at familiar tropes, creating both satire and sincerity within the story.
“Part of figuring out the more serious grounded moments is heightening the comedy. To some degree these characters are relatively normal people… but for all intents and purposes they are the outcasts, the sort of ordinary everyday people in this extraordinary crazy world,” Dickson said.
The decision to direct “Puffs” was not Dickson’s initial plan. However, as they read through the script, the relatable themes of community and resilience struck a chord.
“‘Puffs’ wasn’t my first thought but as soon as I found the script and actually started reading it, I was just absolutely delighted, I could not stop chuckling at all these little cheeky stage directions. It was such a beautiful thing about community, about joy, about being the underdog but being able to make the most of that in your own life,” Dickson said.
Tackling “Puffs” provided some unique challenges for the Evergreen Players, with eleven actors portraying around 50 characters and managing over 100 props. Despite these hurdles, Dickson feels energized by the creative potential the play allows.
“It’s an incredibly ambitious show I’ll admit… Definitely on the more technically challenging side but there’s a lot of creative freedom there for both myself as well as the designers,” Dickson said.
As a student director, Dickson has come to realize that theater might just be their long-term home.
“Even through all of the stress and the late nights and sleepless days, I still have found such a spark of joy and delight in realizing I could do this everyday for the rest of my life. If nothing else, I’ve really found at Loyola that theater is my home and would love to be able to keep doing it for as long as I can,” Dickson said.
In Dickson’s mind, the characters and their relationships to one another can help impact the everyday student who happens to watch the show.
“One of the taglines of the show is that ‘this is a story destined for those who were never intended to save the world,’ and the reality is that that’s most people. I think there’s a universality to be found in the characters’ connection with one another. What gives them meaning is those relationships,” Dickson said.
To get tickets to “Puffs” click here. To keep up with Loyola’s Evergreen Players check out their Instagram.
