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Peter Samelson (US) - Auckland only Lecture

Sponsered by: IBM Ring 160 and Magic New Zealand
When: Thursday 19th February, 7.30pm
Where: IBM Ring 160 Club Rooms, Raye Freedman Library, 788 Remuera Road, Meadowbank.
Price: Adults $25, Juniors (School age) $10, Parents and Partners $5 and financial IBM 160 members $10
Contact: Danny Phillips danny@mostlymagic.co.nz

IMPORTANT NOTICE - If you are planning to attend the Peter Samelson (From USA) lecture in Auckland you MUST pre-registered with Danny Phillips - danny@mostlymagic.co.nz



Peter Samelson (US) Lecture Small Changes
Make a Big Difference
Thursday 19th February


Peter Samelson is a man with a long resumé:
international performer (Private, Corporate, Theaters, Colleges, the top Cruise Lines,) headliner and producer of New York’s Monday Night Magic and Magical Nights, consultant to Movies, Commercials and B’way, star of 3 critically acclaimed Off-B’way shows, and respected lecturer and author.

The lecture is a 2.5 hour event using multi-media to help explore and explain Peter Samelson’s approach to creating Theatrical Magic. The lecture is based on his book Theatrical Close Up (long out of print, available here in a digital edition), and his unpublished Theatrical Cabaret.

In the course of the Lecture, Peter teaches and performs material from his working repertoire with attention to the small details that have a huge impact and the theoretical underpinnings of why those changes matter and why they work.
Program/Lecture Content

Introduction – Sampler, Snowstorm and the Patrick Page Bouquet Production
1. Design for Theater – Video exposés of two illusions – for stage and film
2. Slo-Mo-Show ’N’ Vanish – One Coin as Theater
3. Who, What, Why – Tools for creating “Magic”
4. Heartstrings – Imagery and scripting in Gypsy Thread
5. Justification – Tools for Misdirection
6. The Phoenix – New Life from the Ashes

Short Break
7. Inspirations – The things that inspire creativity
8. Cards #1 – The Invasion of the Body Snatchers
9. Cards #2 – New York Transpo
10. Ring & Rope – 5” Ring & Shoelace
11. Ring & Rose – Ring in Box (Introducing Peter’s Perfect Pocket Perch)
12. Questioning – Final opportunity to cover requested material

Sales of Notes and Videos

Peter Samelson (US) Lecture review
No. 244 Long Island, New York - Frank Garcia Ring
Meets 1st Thursday, Syosset Public Library, Syosset, New York

June is busting out all over and this month we invited Peter Samelson to lecture. He accepted our invitation and I’m sure glad he did. As his website says, “Peter Samelson insists he doesn’t do magic… he only helps people see it.”

“He is an illusionist/entertainer/philosopher, blending simplicity and sophistication as he provokes thought and inspires wonder.”

Peter published a book in 1984 entitled Theatrical Close-up. This book is currently out of print but there is talk about re-printing it later on this year and, if I may editorialize, it would be worth your investment. He performed a number of items from the book, some updated for new millennium technology.

Peter started off with Mimetic Slo-Mo Coin which is a beautiful one coin item that really has to be seen to be really appreciated. He followed that with his ring and rope routine that has alternate endings – one being Ring Flite and the other being Ring in Box. This lead to a brief discussion on three types of justification - logical, physical and emotional. In other words, during a routine, we may have to justify certain actions to the audience and these three methods are a means to an end.

This discussion was followed by a performance of New York Transpo which is Peter’s take on the Chicago Opener plot. This routine originally appeared in his book but has been updated to include state of the art technology. Peter explained that, as a result of rampant exposure on the Internet, we have to re-think our material or give it a new and different spin in order to keep it fresh for our audiences.

Next was his entertaining version of Wild Card that he calls The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Peter concluded with the Phoenix which is a burnt and restored paper napkin effect. He also included an alternate presentation based on the old cigarette ashes in the hand trick. This was a perfect example of re-thinking the old standards. He also included adaptations to make this effect conducive to strolling magic situations.

It is extremely apparent that Peter Samelson is one of magic’s brightest thinkers.
His movements are choreographed and his patter is scripted making for an extremely tight performance. If anyone out there ever attends a Peter Samelson lecture or for that matter, a performance, and I sure hope that you do, and you don’t learn anything, it’s your own fault.

Bill Krupskas, O.M.


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