RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. — Cordova High School’s drama department can solemnly swear that it is up to no good.
Last month, they reportedly became the first in California to perform the high school version of the “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” play, according to a news release from the Folsom Cordova Unified School District.
Drama teacher Amanda Boyce directed the play and led the project alongside Matthew Compton, a theater production specialist, the district said. Students transformed the Cordova High School Performing Arts Center into a large magic-like experience during the play’s run.
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” documents the titular character’s life after the events of the original seven books but focuses most on his headstrong son, Albus, who befriends the son of his father’s fiercest rival, Draco Malfoy.
The script book was first published July 31, 2016, and was widely available in bookstores. Simultaneously, it premiered as a two-part play in London’s West End.
Parts one and two together ran roughly five hours and 20 minutes not including intermissions. Both parts were either performed on the same day across two shows, or across two days — one show on each.
American performances began March 16, 2018, on Broadway in New York. It won a Tony Award for Best Play later that year.
In 2021, the play was condensed and restaged. It’s now roughly three and half hours and currently on tour in Chicago before it heads to Los Angeles then Washington D.C. in 2025.
The high school edition is anywhere from two to two and a half hours, according to Broadway Licensing Global. Cordova High School held its final performance Saturday, Oct. 26.
“Congratulations to the entire Cordova High Drama Department for achieving this exciting first and for the dedication they bring to arts in our community,” the district said.