Magic on Stage

Over the years, I have been both a student and a teacher of magic. My friend and mentor, Eugene Burger, has shared many of his thoughts with me about his creative process. Together, we have been teaching magic for over ten years. I am happy to present some of our ideas on how to go about creating better magic. For many magicians, just getting into the habit of a rehearsal discipline is often...

The Theory and Art of Magic

Last month in these pages I presented an overview of “The Theory and Art of Magic” program that was held at Muhlenberg College during September and October of 1999. This month we begin running a series of talks drawn from the program with the first of two pieces by Eugene Burger. As most readers know, Eugene Burger is one of the brightest stars in contemporary magic. He is two- time...

Fear

NIL TERRIBLE NISI IPSE TIMOR. (Nothing is terrible except fear itself.) Francis Bacon, 1623 In the minutes before my show I could feel it creeping up: snakebite, poison in my veins. Stomach churning, palms sweating, heart racing, hands trembling — Stage fright. Virtually every performer who has ever faced an audience has experienced stage fright. Strangely, given its universality, the...

Who Cares?

“After all, when was the last time a layperson said to you, ‘So, you’re a magician! Can you put a cigarette through a quarter?'” –Darwin Ortiz, Strong Magic “There are many rooms in the house of magic,” says Eugene Burger. Over the past decade Eugene and others have opened yet another door with “Meaningful Magic” etched prominently into the...

The Magician’s Wand, Part 1

INTRODUCTION The magic wand is the instrument and symbol of the magician’s power. As author Henry Hay once wrote: “The touch of the wand for the… purpose of causing a magical transformation assists… in leading the audience to believe that such a transformation did take place at that particular moment.” The magician should always have a wand to define his character...