Chartiers Valley theater gets crack at Harry Potter play
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Chartiers Valley thespians are bringing a Broadway show to Collier.
The high school’s theater department is presenting “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” making it the first school in Western Pennsylvania to perform the show, said Director Kim Giffin.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, Nov. 13-16, at the high school auditorium, 50 Thoms Run Road. Tickets cost $15.
“It’s an interesting undertaking,” Giffin said. “When we heard it was released to high schools, it was surprising, and we were like, ‘Really?’
“How do you not try to do the show?”
For children — and adults who grew up reading the wizarding Harry Potter series — the play is a whimsical story on identity, legacy and parenting. The story takes place 19 years after the original Harry Potter series and follows Harry, his family and a new generation at Hogwarts.
About 40 Chartiers Valley students — including cast and crew — are part of the production, Giffin said.
The performance is more challenging than a straight play, she said, because of its technology elements for magic. The complexity of the play features different illusions, potion effects, lighting programming and more.
“It’s much more of a cohesive production,” she said. “Even if you’re not typically a Harry Potter fan, it is a unique theatrical experience.”
Even more unique is that the show will still be on Broadway while Chartiers Valley students perform it locally, Giffin said.
“If you’re never going to get to Broadway, it’s an opportunity to see a Broadway show,” she said.
Giffin said the students have risen to the challenge of performing the play.
“This is a really entertaining show,” she said.