A letter from Mark Sturdevant to each member of "The Gathering".

Brothers and Sisters,

I would like to thank all those who braved the snow last night to join us at "the Gathering". Your presence there was appreciated. As Sheryl and I prepare to write a new chapter in our life, know that my time spent with you has been a true blessing to me and the memories will be cherished always. We came together three years ago as acquaintances with a common goal and became friends and family. That is probably the greatest magic we have achieved. I have been around magic in one form or another for more than forty years, and what we as a group have built is what I am most proud of. I hope to see you all again before we leave. I will return as often as possible, until then keep the fires of magic burning brightly.
                                  With love and respect,
                                                                  Mark

Mark Zust wrote a wonderful review of the recent "Miracles and Magic" show in Columbus, OH. Enjoy...

To my Gathering Brethren,

Vinny, Jenny and I thoroughly enjoyed the 5 pm Miracles and Magic gala show/fundraiser in Columbus. The night was clear, almost balmy, as we walked to the Capitol performance hall, a modern performing facility (think Cleveland's newly renovated Hanna Theater, only with an upper balcony) located just down the street from the historic Palace and Ohio theaters. I'm sorry that more of you could not make the trip, as it was an easy drive, a beautiful day and a great show. Let's plan on a stronger turnout for next year. So here are my impressions, rather than a long-winded overview, of the show and what lessons were offered to me as a performer. See you all in April at the next Gathering. Mark Zust :-)

The Theater - Easy site lines, with gently raked seating and lots of elbow room. Although the venue easily seats 500, it felt much more inviting and intimate. A perfect location to watch magic.

The Performances - An extremely lively, well paced 2 1/2 hour show (with one 15-minute intermission), lead capably by speaker/magician Jon Petz. 

Jon was friendly, enthusiastic and a little goofy (as in giddy, thoroughly enjoying himself) and connected strongly with kids and adults alike. How often do we see an emcee who tries too hard to impress or "kill time" between acts? Jon played the role of host who welcomes you into his world and clearly enjoys performing and sharing his message about the A Kid Again foundation. He managed to entertain, get lots of laughs and convey a touching message without lecturing or evangelizing. To see a video of Jon in action and better appreciate his style and approach, go to www.jonpetz.com. Highlights of Jon's time on stage: His video introduction, where he raced around downtown Columbus, meeting sponsors, getting ready for the show (he's caught shaving his legs!) and finally running out on stage with his wheeled bag still in hand, out of breath as he reaches the stage. A fun, clever segue to the live show. Also, Jon's gentle spoof of David Copperfield, where Jon steps into a washing machine to travel to the "land of lost socks", only to vanish and reappear under a sheet (ala Copperfield's steel plate penetration) inside a basket full of laundry! Funny, visual and deceptive! PS - When Jon reappears, (now with a frizzed hairdo, shrunken clothing and wearing a matching pair of socks) dozens of  "lost socks" fall from the rafters onto the stage, where kids appear from the wings, scrambling to pick up "their" lost socks - cute and clever.

Kerry Pollack - Vintage shtick, which the audience loved, and a reminder of how you can create funny, entertaining sets lasting 3-5 minutes each out of the simplest things, including comedy mentalism with a jumbo bar code, a great transpo routine using two lunch bags and the Nielson/Heinz ketchup bottle. Guys, take your coke or ketchup bottle out of the attic and rethink it - this is a great effect to lay people if you don't just treat it as a throw away vanish. It's going back into my act after I develop an original script for it. 

Christopher Hart - He's best known as the hand of "Thing" in the Adams Family movies, and he used the hand theme for a very original and puzzling spirit hand/zombie type illusion that ended with the disembodied lady's hand and forearm pinching his butt and pulling him offstage by the jacket. A little spooky (which is appropriate) and very memorable. What gimmicks and effects do you have lying around that could be recombined into an original treatment? The other lesson from Christopher was his masterful use of music, particularly for his version of torn and restored. He used sheet music of "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" as a woman sang the song. Each time Chris tore the sheet music, the singer would stop! When he matched up the torn pieces, the singing would continue. Lots of byplay here, including a dangling piece that he tapped so that the piece swayed, which caused the singer's voice to repeat the same lyric. An old effect made new again through sound more than visuals. He performed this effect on a chair turned backwards (back toward audience) and lit with a pin spot, making the effect intimate and captivating. He also used the chair back as  a servante to ditch the torn pieces, which Vinny labeled as "Brilliant". I agree. 

Mac King - What more can be said about this modern master. And by "master" I mean a complete showman with the gift of making you feel that this is the first time he's delivered the lines and that everything on stage "just happens". He performed the first half of his 90 minute set from Harrah's. Next time you watch Mac, pay attention to how he cleans up his effects (like putting his tied shoe back on after revealing the giant rock. He never looks at the shoe and its back on and he's moving, talking and displaying the next prop in the blink of any eye. Even so, it doesn't feel rushed or choreographed. It just "happens".  Mac's incredible blocking and timing make his steals and pocketing absolutely invisible. My pick for the two effects that were a "clinic" in routining, scripting and entertainment value? First, his introductory rope routine and his use of EIGHT call-backs to the gag line "two ends, one middle". Mac even went off script when he noticed the 6-8 year olds in the front row diving out of their seats every time he tossed a trimmed rope end into the audience. Rather than continue with his set routine, he snipped three more little ends and tossed them, just to marvel at the feeding frenzy! Very funny and a reminder to be in the moment and let the audience have their fun. This bit of byplay reminded me that the more we rehearse and know all the possible outcomes to an effect, the more opportunity we have to just relax and go with the flow. Mac having fun with the kids was one of the highlights. The second effect I could watch over and over again is the thumb tie. He only did two penetrations - the chair and the women's locked arms, but the interplay lasted five minutes and was hilarious. His acting and perfect timing convinced you that things were not going "as planned". What can we do to make our effects feel less scripted and more spontaneous?

I could go on and on, but....

On the occasion of the third anniversary of our organization, "The Gathering", I received this e-mail from our friend and mentor, Jeff McBride. I hope that you enjoy it and find inspiration in his words, as we venture into another year!   - Vinny 1/20/2010

Greetings Magi!

Magical blessing to all on this auspicious occasion of your 3rd anniversary!

Thanks to your efforts, the flame of magic will continue to burn brightly! The following quote is, by far, one of my favorites. Reading it gives me courage to break out of old ways of thinking, to take risks and to open to new ways of learning. I have a copy of this quote on my desk and read it almost every day!

The quotation is from The Scottish Himalayan Expedition by W. H. Murray, 1951...I hope it inspires you to fan the flame of your magical community and keep it growing.

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets;

Congratulations to all.

Yours in the art of mystery,

Just a note to say thank you to all who attended our 2 year anniversary dinner, in January. It was great to get together and include the significant others at a meeting. I believe that we have put together a tremendous organization, with great potential and I look forward to the future and even more growth. I know that I can speak for Mark, as well when I say that we appreciate your involvement in "The Gathering" and thank you for taking the "leap of faith" with us.

Congratulation to Rick Reid and Joe Lefler, for being our first award winners. Both are well deserved.

I would also like to extend a welcome to our newest members; Bob Cervas, Neil Rozum and David Neuman. We are looking forward to seeing what comes out of the hat next!

- Vinny