A Puff and Proud Of It

I will tell you in all honesty that my middle daughter was super not excited for high school. Yes, she was totally miserable in 8th grade but also spent the summer dreading the 9th grade. I'm not sure exactly what she thought the problem would be. I think it had something to do with the fact that all the same people from junior high would be going on to high school with her. I tried to tell her that she wasn't taking in to account the fact that there would be three additional years of students at the school - the range would be much wider. She would have none of it. Here she is finding her locker in August during registration. I basically had to drag her up to the forth floor to find it.

Happily it was not long before Romney found a spot. Like I mentioned, she decided on her own to take early morning seminary because she wanted more time in her daily schedule for some electives such as theater and choir. Not only is she absolutely loving her drama class, but she auditioned right away for the first play of the year and got a part. Not only that but several of the theater kids are also in her early morning class. She, within two weeks, was thrilled about her new high school life. Really really dear friends, classes she mostly enjoys (sorry P.E, you are not her favorite) and a part in the first play of the year.

This first play was called Puffs. It was Off-Broadway in New York and was very successful. It is the re-telling of the entire Harry Potter saga from the point of view of the Hufflepuffs. It makes hundreds of references to both the books and movies - if you're a fan of either, there was so much to laugh at. It was hilarious but also poignant and sad and sweet. Romney was gone every single day after school for weeks and was so excited. I couldn't really imagine what was in store. On opening night I was just absolutely thrilled. And charmed. And entertained. I went back and saw it two more times and just loved it every single time.

Romney played one of the Hufflepuffs - of course, due to copyright issues, every single name and reference was changed just slightly from the actual Harry Potter names. She played Susie Bones and her schtick was that she made this face for the entirety of the show:

She never broke once. Okay, there was one scene when she was charmed with a cheering spell and her character became terrified by the smile that broke out on her own face. She was so funny. At the school dances, at the tournaments, she never made any other face but this one. We were dying.

We were so happy that Sheri happened to be taking classes in town while Romney's show was opening - so she got to see it. So did Kate, and so did my dad, although he really wasn't able to follow it. I wish I could have seen it again. There were some bits that were improved and different every single night and had us rolling.

So thank you to her wonderful theater teacher and to the amazing and wonderful group of kids who so immediately welcomed Romney into the theater family. Like I said, she is going to the same high school I went to and is participating in the same program I did. Romney tries to tell me stories about things like the amazing and weird freight elevator and I just say, I KNOW! I know all about that crazy elevator! It's so fun. It makes me feel like I'm friends with all those Puffs kids too....which weirds them out when I say hello. So I have to control myself a little bit.

Here are some shots of those crazy lovable Puffs:

Awww...writing this makes me want to see it again. Romney is now involved in two productions - a small part in The Secret Garden. She really wanted the lead in that show but she learned and grew a lot by auditioning for it, not getting it, and seeing the part go to a wonderful friend from Puffs. We are excited for that. She also has a bigger part in a student-written one-act coming up in February. 

I'm so thrilled that she is so happy.