Xavia Jones

The actress who plays Xavia Jones, Ellie Philips, told me when Irvin interviewed her about her upcoming departure from the show that she had never been cosplayed. Irvin had long been considering cosplaying Mrs. Jones, but the elaborate feathered trench coat had given him pause. But he knew that he had to cosplay Ellie before she left, so he made sure to get it done, just in time for when TGTSNBN attended her penultimate performance.

The costume was a bit more of a challenge than the usual Puffs costumes. First things first: Irvin needed a new trench coat. He found one on eBay being sold out of an NYC location, so he messaged the seller requesting an in-person hand-off to avoid the time and expense of shipping. That is how Irvin found myself entering a poorly lit building in Chelsea to meet a grizzled old man holding a large bag. Irvin got the trench coat and it fit perfectly, but this was definitely the kind of story that could've had a very different ending - all indicative of the lengths Irvin goes to for cosplay!

The piece de resistance was the feathers atop the trench coat. Rather than go for a permanent solution, which would've resigned the trench coat to only ever be used for Mrs. Jones, Irvin safety-pinned a boa to the top of the coat. And for a signature accessory, Irvin got a chalk board to represent Xavia's Azkaban placard - containing one of his favorite visual easter eggs, an upside-down 24601 (referencing Les Miserables). Irvin called in a favor from a teacher friend to procure chalk, which may be one of the most heinous materials Irvin ever worked with - it ended up everywhere.

In any event, upon arriving at the theater, Irvin was promptly swept up in photo shoots. Since the other actress leaving that weekend played Xavia's daughter, Megan Jones, there were multiple Megan cosplayers, leading to some really nice mother-daughter photos. Irvin also made sure to get a few videos of Mrs. Jones's highlights, including her introduction (where she seems "pretty crazy").

A lot of people had read the interview, so they were all excited that Ellie had finally been cosplayed. But Ellie's reaction upon seeing the costume was priceless - some of the purest delight Irvin's ever seen. She ran inside to get her trench coat and Azkaban placard to take a photo together with Irvin - definitely one of the best reactions Irvin's ever gotten for cosplaying.