![The 'Harry Potter' series illuminates the minds of young and old alike by reminding them of the goodness that exists. [Gabriela Palai/Pexels]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2018/4/5/660x290/b_502x220x82/the-harry-potter-series-illuminates-the-minds-of-young-and-old-alike-by-reminding-them-of-the-goodness-that-exists-gabriela-palaipexels_1928401.jpg "The 'Harry Potter' series illuminates the minds of young and old alike by reminding them of the goodness that exists. [Gabriela Palai/Pexels]")
The greatest mythical wizard, Albus Dumbledore, once proclaimed “Of course [things are] happening inside your head. But why on earth should that mean it is not real.”Like many other muggles, I grew up believing in witchcraft and wizardry, in Quidditch and unbreakable vows. The world of "Harry Potter" illuminated my world in a way in which I am still trying to accurately put into words. The voice of JK Rowling reverberates through our nation and leaves those who adore her work in a state of awe.
A fantastical world brought to life
7 books, 1 boy, a noseless villain and a whole lot of trouble.
That pretty much sums up "Harry Potter" in a nutshell. Or that’s kind of what it appears to be if all you’re referring to is the movies. Shame on you. Didn’t your mother teach you to reach for the book before plopping down in front of the movie? Anyway, I digress.
The world and characters that JK Rowling brought to life are truly unbelievable and believable at the same time. On one hand, you’ve got an orphan raised by his sadistic aunt and uncle. He’s bound to cause some mischief. Add a wand, an old guy that barges in and says “yer a wizard Harry” and a few unforgivable curses and you’ve got yourself one hell of an acid trip, to say the least. Okay so maybe some of what happens in the books can only exist within this mythical world but it’s amazing how believable parts of it are.
Transfiguring the unbelievable into something believable
The other night, I went to see “Potted Potter” which is a 75-minute reenactment of the highlights and lowlights of young Harry Potter. I have to admit I was skeptical at first since trying to portray everything that happened in such a short period of time on stage seems just about as gnarly of a task as two blast ended skrewts...well, I think you know what I mean.
Anyway, the minute one of the actors, Dan, fist-bumped me beige, the show started, and I knew this show was going to be spectacular. Without giving too much away, this show is essentially a two-man (or should I say two wizard) reenactment of all seven of the "Harry Potter" novels. Quaffles fly, children are called upon to interact as young witches and wizards in the story and the main points of this series are captured in a truly comical way.
Jokes are made, laughs are shared and those who come to watch leave the show happy. While there are many misfortunes that Harry experiences throughout his magical journey, "Potted Potter" takes these and spins them in a different, lighter direction. The actors light up the room with their witty comments and relatable jokes. There were points at which many of us were practically in tears.
A lot can happen in 75 minutes and my mindset about this show certainly changed in such a short time frame. I went from feeling a little bit pessimistic to feeling in some ways, empowered. The actors took the negatives that Harry encounters and transformed them into positives, which I think is quite admirable.
So would I recommend this show? Absolutely. Maybe not to the younger witches and wizards but for those of us who read the books and missed our opportunity to receive our Hogwarts letter, I truly feel this is a show for you. It is funny, relatable, and just really well done. I commend the actors for their dedication to the work of JK Rowling and for their illuminating way in which they chose to portray the series. Until next time, my fellow witches and wizards.
And now I say, Mischief Managed.
