PUFFS Summons New Sets, New Creatures and More for New World Stages Opening

PUFFS or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic & Magic continues its remarkable journey as it moves from Off-Off-Broadway to Off-Broadway to Off-Broadway-er with a transfer to its new home at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).

The new open-ended production celebrates its official opening night performance this evening, Monday, July 17 as it expands to six shows a week, including the two weekend matinees designated "family friendly."

After entertaining over 25,000 audience members, this summer the show introduces new sets, new creatures and new family friendly performances, but the same beloved Puffs!

PUFFS - presented by Tilted Windmills Theatricals (John Arthur Pinckard & David Carpenter) - takes a second look at everyone's favorite world of wizards through the eyes of the Puffs, a lovable group of magical misfits. The sold-out sensation originally opened at New York's Peoples Improv Theater before an extended run at the Elektra Theater in midtown. Puffs is written by Matt Cox and directed by Kristin McCarthy Parker.

For seven years a certain boy wizard went to Wizard School. This, however, is not his story. This is the story of The Puffs... who just happened to be there too. This is a play for anyone who has never been destined to save the world. Puffs, or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic & Magic is a Potter inspired comedy for anyone who has ever felt like a secondary character in someone else's story. The play gives you a new look at a familiar adventure from the perspective of three new heroes just trying to make it through magic school.

The full company features Langston Belton, Madeleine Bundy, Jessie Cannizzaro, Nick Carrillo, Anna Dart, A.J. Ditty, Julie Ann Earls, James Fouhey, Jake Keefe, Andy Miller, Zac Moon, Eleanor Philips and Stephen Stout. Puffs has production and costume design by Madeleine Bundy, lighting design by Herrick Goldman, sound design by Matt Cox and original music by Brian Hoes. Jumpstart Entertainment serves as general manager.

The show is produced by Tilted Windmills Theatricals (John Arthur Pinckard & David Carpenter), Stamatios Tom Hiotis, John Paterakis, George Stephanopoulos, Invisible Wall Productions, Letter Blue Entertainment, Sally Cade Holmes, Heather Shields, The Harris Brothers, and Alan Koolik/David Treatman, in association with GG Entertainment, Mark & Alison Law, Paul C. Bongiorno, Oliver Baer, Eric Kelhoffer, and Stephen Stout and Colin Waitt. It was originally produced at The Peoples Improv Theater by Stephen Stout and Colin Waitt, and developed in part during a residency with the University of Florida, School of Theatre + Dance, Jerry Dickey, School Director.

Matt Cox (Playwright) is a playwright, actor, and improviser based in New York City. His plays include Puffs Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years At A Certain School Of Magic & Magic; Cool Chefs Jr.; Adult Mutant Ninja Turtles; The Madness of Captain Dread; and the three-part epic Kapow-i GoGo (Time Out New York "Critics' Pick," Theatre Is Easy "Best Bet"). He also authored the radio play El Hombre Bovino for WNYC's The Greene Space, and contributed to The Flea Theater's The Mysteries. His work has been produced at The Peoples Improv Theater, The Tank, and The Flea Theater, among other places. Matt has studied at The Upright Citizens Brigade, The Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Tarleton State University, and is a member of The Story Pirates. He is currently working on a book about an Orc. www.MattCoxLand.com

Kristin McCarthy Parker (Director) is a director and founding member of Recent Cutbacks. Her work includes Matt Cox's Kapow-i GoGo, Recent Cutbacks' KEVIN!!!!!, Hold On To Your Butts, and Fly, You Fools!. She has directed and developed work at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Ma-Yi, EST, The Amoralists, 59E59, The Flea, HERE Arts, Columbia University, Atlantic Acting School, and the University of Florida, among others. She also worked on Season 1 of the web series The Weekend Detectives. Assistantships include Ed Iskandar, Michael Greif, Wendy Goldberg, and Trip Cullman.

Tilted Windmills Theatricals (Producer) is a producing partnership between David Carpenter and John Arthur Pinckard. The company's mission is to be a disruptive, forward-thinking innovator that presents fresh, unexpected, and culturally current theatre for both the seasoned arts patron and the audiences of tomorrow. David Carpenter's Broadway career has taken him from industry powerhouse Dodgers Theatricals (Jersey Boys, Matilda) to DreamWorks Theatricals. John Arthur Pinckard's producing career began over a decade ago with the cult festival hit Silence! the Musical. Soon he won the prestigious T. Edward Hambleton Fellowship for Creative Producers from Hal Prince, the 21-time Tony Award winning producer and director whose 60 years of hits range from Fiddler on the Roof to Phantom of the Opera. John's work as an independent producer has garnered him four Tony Award nominations and two wins, for Clybourne Park and A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder.

Stephen Stout (Original Producer) is an actor, producer and Artistic Director of The Peoples Improv Theater. He co-produced the original sold-out run of Puffs at The PIT as well as the geek theater epic Kapow-i GoGo. He co-created and produced the sold-out, late night hit SERIALS at the Flea Theater from 2011 to 2014. He also ran the New YorK Wing of The Old Vic Theatre's Old Vic New Voices and produced programming at 3LD, Soho House, The Vineyard, The Public and The Old Vic itself.

Colin Waitt (Original Producer) co-produced the original sold-out run of Puffs at The Peoples Improv Theater. He produces SERIALS, the Flea Theater's late night short play competition. Additional credits include cult sensation Kapow-i GoGo (The PIT), I Want To Be Your Man (Feinstein's/54 Below), and Our House in Concert (Associate Producer, The Savoy Theater in London's West End).

Jumpstart Entertainment (General Manager: Roy Gabay & Daniel Kuney) general manages Broadway, Off-Broadway and touring productions. Built by industry veterans, Roy Gabay and Daniel Kuney, who have more than thirty years of combined experience on Broadway, Jumpstart productions have won thirteen Tony Awards, 14 Drama Desk Awards and three Pulitzer Prizes. Past productions include Rock of Ages, The 39 Steps, Honeymoon in Vegas, Heathers, Fela!, Metamorphoses, The Last Five Years, Wit, The Laramie Project and How I Learned to Drive. www.letsjumpstart.com

Photo Credit: Hunter Canning