[Baltimore Sun] Century High School students to perform ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ play
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Harry Potter fans can revisit wizardry at Century High School through student performances of the play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”
“The students are loving it,” said Lucas Hewitt, the play’s director and a teacher at the school, “they are really into this show because there’s so many cool moments, and so many fun, magic pieces to it.”
Performances are set for 7 p.m. on Nov. 15, 16, 22 and 23, and a 2 p.m. matinee show on Nov. 16 and 23. Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased at the door or online at tickets.centurydrama.com/ Hewitt said he recommends buying in advance because online tickets allow attendees to choose their seats and tickets could sell out.
The show is not recommended for anyone under the age of 10 because of darkly mature content, such as evil wizards. Hewitt said there is nothing more mature than the “Harry Potter” books and movies, and there is plenty of the same kind of magical whimsy the series is known for.
“There’s a lot of magic moments in the ‘Harry Potter,’” Hewitt said, “and we’re incorporating magic where things explode and catch on fire.”
The show is technically intricate, Hewitt said, with an elaborate set and special effects. Several times, broom-riding wizards will fly across the stage, using a system operated by adults.
“I love stage magic,” Hewitt said. “Stage magic is one of my favorite things to try to accomplish on stage because the audience response is so cool. It’s like, ‘How did they do that?’ And I really love that kind of reaction.”
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” will be the largest-scale and most-expensive production the school has performed, Hewitt said.
The play tells the story of Albus Severus Potter, Harry’s son, who embarks on his own adventure in wizardry. Hewitt said the show balances audience expectations for what a “Harry Potter” story should be, with telling a phenomenal story in its own right. Those who have never experienced “Harry Potter” will still enjoy the show, as a synopsis of the seven novels is published in the program.
“Having the audience go through the fantasy journey of Harry Potter’s kids and their lives at Hogwarts is this new experience for a lot of people who might not have read the play or seen the play,” Hewitt said, “and it still incorporates all the ‘Harry Potter’ nostalgia that gets people excited about the wizarding world.”
The challenging nature of the show is a testament to student talent, dedication and creativity, Hewitt said.
“This is one of the productions where the students are heavily involved in all of the aspects of the set-building and making the props, and there’s just so much to do that they’ve had to really put their all into the entire production,” he said, “not just like their role, but also into making the magic happen, moving the sets, decorating the sets, making the props, and things like that. They’re really learning all the various aspects of theater and how it all fits together to create such an enormous production, which is really cool to see that they’re using all of their skills, not just their performance skills, but their creative skills, to help make all of the different scenes come to life.”
Hewitt said audience members can attend in costumes inspired by “Harry Potter,” and he hopes they do.
Have a news tip? Contact Thomas Goodwin Smith at thsmith@baltsun.com.
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