April News

For our April meeting, the slightly pixelated membership of the Hat & Rabbit club met virtually, joined by David Parr. Originally scheduled to visit for a live lecture in the before-time, we were finally able to connect with David live from Chicago.

For his lecture, David chose an unusual theme which resonated very strongly with the group: taking magic from his childhood and finding ways to present that material in ways that would make sense for a grownup performer. He was inspired by his work serving as the magic consultant for a 2014 play Gilbert the Great in New Haven, Connecticut. (AC Gilbert was the originator of the Mysto magic set.) This process involves stripping away the uncomfortable moments which embarrass the audience, or rub their noses in the fact that the magician just knows something they don’t.

David’s performances of the Twenty-One Cent trick, Tenkai’s Rope Decapitation, the card through the handkerchief and Card at Any Number clearly resonated well with the audience. David also shared thoughtful advice for remaining happy as a practicing magician, which took longer than expected owing to unexpected tangents involving embarrassing stories about Eugene Burger. – James Alan