When Firestone Theatre presents “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” Thursday, the group will have the unique honor of representing the first school in Ohio to stage the play, which is based on J.K. Rowling’s famous series of the same name.
Written by Jack Thorne, “Cursed Child,” which debuted in London in 2016, takes place 19 years after the final book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” Only this time, the main characters are no longer Harry and company, but rather their children: Harry’s son Albus and Scorpius, the son of Harry’s school foe Draco Malfoy.
“I think the reason we’re doing this play is because the seniors last year thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for the next generation of theater kids,” said Director Elynmarie Kazle.
Based at Firestone Community Learning Center, Firestone Theatre won the “Wands at the Ready” contest, giving them the opportunity to stage “Cursed Child.” In their winning video entry, the theater students explained why Firestone was the most magical school in Ohio.
More than 70 schools submitted videos. Broadway Licensing Worldwide chose 31 to present the high school edition of the play, a shorter version of the Broadway production. Firestone Theatre will stage four productions of “Cursed Child” from Thursday through Sunday.
The first Harry Potter book was released in 1997, long before the Firestone students cast in “Cursed Child” were born. But the magic of the series — which follows a young wizard and his adventures — remains.
Senior cast member Morgan Homoki said the series appeals to kids because they grow up with the characters.
“Especially to me as a kid, it was so nice to see someone go through similar struggles that I did while also being able to cast spells and stuff. That’s really cool. Everyone wants to do that,” Homoki said. “Not only is it a fantasy world to escape to, but it’s also something that a kid can relate to and feel comfortable about.”
That fantasy world isn’t just for kids. Kazle also read the books and saw “Cursed Child” on Broadway. (Rowling did not write the play, but it earned her stamp of approval.) Although “Cursed Child” sees the characters in new roles — as adults — Kazle said the play feels faithful to the original story.
“If you think about it, it’s fascinating — but absolutely accurate — that Harry would have trouble raising a kid,” she said, referring to Harry and Albus’ relationship in the play.
“So that’s the fun part for me,” Kazle said, “seeing how those characters grow and change. These kids, they’ve just brought them to life.”
Sophomore cast member Izzy Eastman plays Rose Granger Weasley, the daughter of Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry’s best friends. Like many of her fellow cast members, she also read the series. For her, understanding the books was key to her role in the play.
“From reading the books and the magic that is inside of the books, and having to take that and put that on a stage, it really has to create a mindset,” she said. “And so I feel like it can always be really hard to realize that what was in that book, you have to find some way to take that from fiction and make it real life.”
In recent years, remarks from Rowling that many view as anti-trans tainted the magic of Harry Potter for some fans. It’s a topic that the teenagers and adults working on the Firestone production are well aware of.
At a recent rehearsal, when asked if Rowling’s comments changed their views of Harry Potter, dozens of hands went up.
“So we’ve all, I think, talked about what she’s done and how, I hope, most of us don’t agree with her view,” said senior cast member Kyle McFalls, who plays Albus Potter. “But I think we can still understand that, at the bottom line, it’s a story and not the person, and hopefully we can separate, try to at least, the art from the artist.”
Privately, Kazle praised her students’ willingness to advocate for themselves and others and openly discuss difficult topics. She didn’t waste many words on Rowling, though, simply saying, “She doesn’t sound like a very nice person.”
For Kazle and the Firestone students, the magic of Harry Potter remains.
“It doesn’t spoil the books for me because what happened to me when I read those books with [my] child is, it was a magical world,” she said. “And when you read a book … you’re making up the characters as you go along in your head. Part of the story is what you bring to it. So she can’t take that away from me.”
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Nov. 7-9, 7 p.m.; Nov. 10, 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $10-$18, plus fees
Firestone CLC (470 Castle Blvd.)
akron.booktix.com/dept/main/e/HPCC
