The Flash Paper ] July, 2019

The Flash Paper ] July, 2019 Bob Gehringer, Editor Presidential Ponderings competitions were won by magicians, and a series of As you might have heard by postage stamps were published by The United States now, the University of Nebraska government declaring to all that magic was now at Omaha would like for us as a officially an "Art." Slowly it began to dawn on thinking club to begin holding some of magicians the world over that magic was not a closed our monthly meetings on their system as once thought but rather an open system with campus in the new Community an unlimited number of magic tricks capable of being Engagement Center right off invented. We no longer had to protectively huddle over Dodge Street between the bell what we had perceived as a small collection of tower on one side and the UNO library on the other. By secrets. Generosity of knowledge to the seriously visiting our club's website and clicking on the UNO tab interested was possible - confidently knowing that the at the top of our homepage, you can take a virtual tour of vastness of magic's pool of knowledge was the facility for yourself. Your OMS board unanimously unlimited. The scarcity mentality began to dissipate and recommends we explore this opportunity by meeting an abundance mentality began to take its place. there for our September club meeting on Monday night, The OMS board sees September 16th. The theme of the meeting is Close-Up both pros and cons of Magic - seemingly ideal for recruiting interested UNO holding some of our students and seeing the inside of the building first hand. meetings during the With June of this year being my thirty-fifth year of year on the UNO membership in the Society of American Magicians, the campus. One of the evolution of the national magic scene has been an pros is the alluring interesting one to observe. Within the past two decades potential of bringing since the arrival of the Masked Magician television us closer to the generation that we believe needs to specials (1997), exposure of the magician's secrets began experience the fact that YouTube™ videos will never on a scale unprecedented in the history of magic. At the compete with the relationship of a personal mentoring same time, YouTube™ was becoming a prime source for relationship with another more experienced magician new magicians to learn magic. If you knew the name of and all the benefits that includes (i.e. the immediacy of a trick, you could no doubt discover its secret. feedback and the coaching around routining and not just Magicians at the time universally believed this level of moves). The board now desires to hear your feedback, exposure would be the death of magic as we knew questions, or concerns sent either to their emails it. They were probably correct . just not quite in the (published elsewhere in this newsletter) or in person. way they thought. Instead when one set of secrets were exposed, new methods were invented. National talent The Flash Paper July, 2019 Club Meeting secret too far away for even the most discerning June 17, 2019 audience members to find. Ryan’s volunteer for the “The Golden Age of effect was our new friend, Elliot Thomazin. Magic” has historically Ryan also shared two wonderful chop cup routines been used to describe with us—the first was created by the great Don the turn of the 19th Alan, and the second was Ryan’s original routine. Century—a period of The practice and thought that Ryan has invested in time in which the Art this trick-as-old-as-time is inspiring. And his of Magic experienced willingness to share his hard work with us is even tremendous growth more moving. and popularity across Neil Bable followed Ryan the globe. Special Theron Christensen with his own variation of theaters were built the Cups and Balls. Neil’s and dedicated to the performance of magic; huge routine was very polished illusion shows—with teams of elephants, tigers, and creative. Surprisingly, and stage hands—toured the globe; and great the three small red balls magicians, with names like Okito, Thurston, and initially used in the trick Houdini sat in a private sitting room in Omaha, were magically replaced Nebraska to collaborate about the impossible. They by much larger eyeballs, passed around an empty teakettle and held it to and the eyeballs were their ear as it whispered magical secrets they would followed by even larger metallic eggs. Neil taught never forget. us a powerful lesson about collaboration by seeking There are those who suggest that The Golden Age feedback from the group and adjusting his of Magic is gone for good and that there is nothing presentation accordingly. we can do to bring it back. But there are times, as I Johnny Sheibal shared a sit in our monthly club meetings, that I get a tiny gorgeous card effect with glimpse of Abbott’s sitting room and its magical us that he learned from the collaborative atmosphere. Last night was one of book Tricks of My Trade: The those times. Magic of Doug Conn. A Ryan Chandler started the evening by sharing a chosen card, lost in the wonderful gift with our club members. Ryan has deck, magically finds itself recently published a magic book—a book that is sandwiched between two both a magic instruction book and a prop you can other cards—twice! But the use to accomplish a wonderful piece of mentalism. real surprise comes later The effect is that, by simply thinking of one of the when we discover that the illustrations in the book, an unprepared audience chosen card is the only red member can divine two randomly selected playing card in an entire deck of cards and then name the only card in the deck that blue backs. Later, Johnny asked an important has been reversed. Ryan has infused the effect with question to the club that I thought was important layers of dual reality and deception that buries the enough to memorialize. Johnny said that he feels The Flash Paper July, 2019 much more comfortable performing for laypeople of cards—and I think that the books he shared with than for other magicians. He asked what we can do us last night speak to these aspects of David’s to make performing for other magicians less magic. stressful. We talked a long time about how much I think, however, that my favorite moment of last courage and faith it takes to share such powerful night’s meeting was when George Huffaker stood magic with other magicians. We talked about and described two of his favorite books—Strong building a collaborative and creative culture of Magic, by Darwin Ortiz, and an unnamed book by trust and friendship. Finally, we talked about how Michael Ammar. George told a story about how a performing for magicians can often be even more well-timed levitation with a borrowed object can fulfilling than performing for laypeople who are so often be stronger than an entire show of illusions. focused on the effect they often do not get to appreciate the clever and artistic methods and Then George paused and took a breath. When he presentations we create. opened his mouth again, he said something very eye-opening. He said that our club has a unique Dave Arch passed around one of his very favorite culture of collaboration—a culture of sharing and magic books—a book with which many magicians helping each other improve. He said, “I wish Magic Digest George B. may be unfamiliar: , by magicians would have been more willing to help Anderson. Thumbing through the pages, I each other out when I was starting in magic.” discovered that the book is plum full of magic for every skill level. There is close-up magic, card “The Golden Age of Magic was a long time ago,” magic, magic with silverware, saltshakers, and He said, “But for me, the golden age of magic in my handkerchiefs, large-scale illusions, manipulation life is right here, right now—in the Omaha Magical effects, and yes, even mind reading. If you are Society.” - Report by Theron Christensen growing tired of your magic library and looking for a fresh read, I doubt you will go wrong by acquiring a copy of Magic Digest—which, Dameon Lecture incidentally, can be found on Lybrary.com. On July 1 the OMS hosted a lecture by Hal Meyers (stage name DAMEON). This very hands-on David Michael Fox then workshop began as participants picked up a white shared three of his paper lunch sack upon arriving and filled it with favorite books with us: balls, cards, rope, and other items that were used Maximum Entertainment, throughout the lecture. A Piece of Mind, and For the duration of the presentation, Hal took the Confident Deceptions. He time to walk around the room assisting members explained how each of the when needed so that each participant had an books has impacted his opportunity to succeed with whatever was being philosophy, his material, taught and his presentation. If There were six categories covered: cards, balls, you know David, you rope, thimbles, doves and a section on setting up already know about his passion for well-designed for an act. The lecture began with the “BALLS” theater, his obsession with powerful mentalism, category where he taught basic rolls and flourishes, and his reverence for technical mastery with a deck The Flash Paper July, 2019 color changes, vanishes, reappearances and gave My summers can be pretty several tips on palming.

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