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From
the ashes…
a new vision for the art of magic, pt. 2
"Tricks are for kids. Magic is forever."
--Kenton Knepper
Birth…
The first event was the welcoming ceremony. I expected a brief
overview, perhaps with some refreshments afterward. Foolish me to
expect anything ordinary from this extraordinary group.
 The
assembly filed quietly into a room. On a stage at the far end was
an eerie, unmoving human tableau. Alain Nu, dressed in doctor's
scrubs and surgical mask, stood with a crystal-topped caduceus wand
in his hands. Beside him, a woman lay on a table, legs spread but
discreetly covered, ready to give birth. A pierced and tattooed
nurse stood by with a large book inscribed with a magical emblem,
while a punk rock father, in black trench coat and boots, hovered
nervously in the background. The hushed crowd sat expectantly.
The nurse opened the book and began reading about the life cycle
of the phoenix, a mythological bird. "Birth," she concluded,
and the tableau sprang to life. Alain Nu reached between the woman's
legs and pulled out a child, hidden in blankets. But this was no
ordinary child -- a brilliant light shone from within its wrappings,
lighting up the doctor's face. Dr. Nu showed the glowing child to
the mother, then to the nurse, then to the father, when suddenly,
in a literal flash of light and flame, the child exploded and disappeared,
leaving only an empty cloth.
The crowd burst into applause. The Phoenix Gathering had just begun.
Small Circles
Immediately following the birth Mystery Play, all the participants
joined in "Small Circle Meetings." Composed of about 8
persons each, these small circle groups proved to be of immense
value. At most magic conventions, the attendees are jumbled en
masse into large lectures. Small group interactions are at a
minimum. In contrast, the Phoenix Gathering Small Circles bring
together magicians of differing talents, ages, and philosophies.
At the first small circle, the groups were asked to contemplate
the birth of magic. Alain, leading my group, posed the first question:
"What was the birth of magic for you?" I thought back
to my childhood, to my father amazing me with card tricks, to the
stories he told me of a ventriloquist he met in a South Baltimore
park. The memories branched out, like fractals: the Ouija board
that seemingly spelled out messages from another dimension, the
time I succeeded in hypnotizing myself, the magical moment in time
when I stood onstage and made an audience laugh…
Everyone's story was different, but as the conversations converged,
we all realized that there was at least one moment, one powerful
moment, where a sense of mystery and wonder had captured us all
and made us believe that life was composed of more than the mundane
and the ordinary. That awe-inspiring moment in time was what we
were all chasing and trying to recreate in others as magic-makers.
That moment was the reason we were all sitting in a circle together,
asking questions and pondering the future of our art.
Lectures
 Hiawatha
gave a the keynote lecture, which combined music and rhythmic, repetitive
speech into a cross between a motivational talk and a fire-and-brimstone
sermon. Alain Nu spoke on "The Art of Mystery" and illustrated
his concepts with laws-of-physics-warping spoon bending -- the metal
seemed to melt in his hands like taffy. Just Alan spoke on "Our
Creativity," exhorting the gathering of magicians to avoid
imitation and "bring to your magic the things that delight
you." Other lectures included John Tudor on "Magic
Theatre," young card wizard Kostya Kimlat on "A
Thinker's Presentations," dance/magic/playwright/movement artist
Margaret Steele breaking gender stereotypes on "New
Pathways for Men and Women in Magic," chemistry professor,
magician, and alchemist Kevin Dunn on "Magical Constraints,"
Harley Newman on "Confessions of a Sideshow Geek,"
and master of artistic legerdemain Jeff
McBride on "Power, Passion, and Performance."
The lectures, while varying wildly in topic and presentation style,
all pushed the attendees toward growth and exploration and away
from the tried and true "Watch
me pull a rabbit out of my hat" mentality. A constant emphasis
was the need to experiment, to push the boundaries of what is considered
standard magic into a more artistic and fertile future and
out of what Tatiana Nu calls "the ghetto of the entertainment
field."
Feedback Sessions
Also setting the Phoenix Gathering apart from the norm was the
inclusion of feedback sessions. Each registrant had the opportunity
to perform before his or her peers and receive written feedback,
an experience that can be as gut-wrenching as it is valuable. Knowing
that Las Vegas-caliber performers like Alain Nu and Jeff McBride
are watching your every move can cause even the most practiced amateur
to go blank, drop a palmed coin, or spray a deck of cards all over
the stage. Nonetheless, many of the participants relished the opportunity
to take the stage and find out what their fellow mystery makers
thought of their works. It was a valuable experience that magicians
too infrequently get to enjoy.
Next... Rebirth
Part 1... Part 2... Part
3
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