Trinity’s Department of Theatre Arts fall production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” put on by none other than Director Kate Reedy and her Theatre Rocks, runs from Oct. 22 through Nov. 1. The show promises to be a magical experience for those who attend.

Reedy and Department of Theatre Arts President and senior Joey Paulin could not be more excited about getting the cast out there to perform the show. It’s worth mentioning, though, that this production has gone through many key formative moments to get to where it is before it goes live.

Reedy said this show has been quite different since “It’s not a straight show, it’s not a musical—it lands somewhere in the middle. So, we are essentially putting on almost a musical in a two-week shorter time span.” While the show is chosen after looking at the actors and technicians the department has, Reedy mentioned she was “not planning to double cast—I didn’t think there would be enough people.” But after gaining 24 new members, making many edits, and reverting back to the basics for them, has been the biggest change in rehearsals.

Making sure the actors stay in character is a key part of a successful production. Reedy talks about how going into the original script is important so the actors can learn more about their characters and then bring that understanding to their imagination. Using methods such as having a stage tug-of-war with towels to keep the tension up is just one of the many things done. She wants her students to use their imagination, and while no one can ever perfectly match the original actors’ interpretations, she says it’s important to keep the same morals as them while having fun at the same time.

One of the difficult parts of this show, Reedy mentioned, is the number of technical elements and keeping up with all of them throughout. Reedy noted some technical stats about the show: “There are 370 sound cues so far, and I’m not done yet. And then there are also 394 projection cues, and I’m also still not done with them.” Bringing magic to life on stage was both simple and complicated. Reedy said she looked back to how magicians do it, using the way people walk and stand behind certain objects, illusions, and lighting tricks.

Paulin has also been hard at work with the show while serving in his president role. Paulin said that being president comes with a lot of responsibilities and behind-the-scenes work. “The biggest thing is representing the entire cast. And you can’t leave anyone behind. So, it’s really hard to make sure that everybody’s interests and needs are being accomplished so they can perform the best they can.”

His favorite part about being president of the department is being able to uplift people and keep everyone together. Paulin’s main goal for this year is to keep everyone unified. “I’ve been trying to organize events that involve the whole cast instead of splitting off into smaller groups.” While it has been a big change in organization from how things worked in previous years, he said he believes that if he can bring people together, the end result turns out better for everyone.

One of the hard parts, though, he said, is that “Sometimes you have to put aside the friendship part of it and look at what is going to be best for the show, and how I need to adapt what I’m doing in order to get that byproduct. Making tough calls and saying things that other people might not want to hear.”

Paulin said he is overwhelmingly excited to get this production in front of an audience and show them the magic that’s happening—not just in the show, but in the theatre itself.

Stepping into Trinity’s theatre this fall, audiences can expect a show overflowing with imagination, teamwork, and true magic. Between Reedy’s dedication to bringing stage illusions to life and Paulin’s drive to unite a growing department, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” promises to be more than just a performance: it’s an experience. Reedy hopes the audience will rediscover the wonder of childhood and the magic of togetherness through this production. Don’t miss a chance to see the enchantment unfold live on stage from Oct. 22 through Nov. 1. Tickets are available now at TrinityDOTA.com.