January ‘25: Magifest
Every year for over a century, magicians flock to Ohio for the oldest gathering of magi in the United States—its hosts even say it’s the oldest magic event in North America! I had a blast when I first attended Magifest in 2022; I did card tricks with old friends, made a bunch of new ones, and saw magic I couldn’t believe was happening in real life. You can imagine how delighted I was when I was asked to juggle in their late night variety show a couple years later.
Many of my best friends are magicians, so I’ve performed in more magic shows than I can count. I’ve even performed at magic conventions before, but Magifest has an annual attendance of about 1,000 people, and magicians are one of the few audiences who have actually watched a juggling show. With only a couple of weeks to prepare an act, the pressure was on not just to do something they hadn’t already seen before, but to do it well! Since no one had probably seen anything quite like it, I considered taking my new Candlestick Act, but at the time, I had only performed it on stage once, so I didn’t feel totally prepared. Plus, I didn't want candles and matches in my carry-on luggage. I ended up deciding to do one of my classic routines, Tennis Ball Juggling, along with a short bit using a knife & lemon (I also didn’t want a knife in my carry-on, so I mailed it to the hotel instead).
The 18+ show, Magifest After Dark, closed out the first day of the convention; it was meant to be the magician’s version of a stand-up comedy show. My act, of course, was the only one with no magic at all, and it would be a stretch to call most of my jokes comedy, so I knew the juggling would, if nothing else, stand out among the comedians I had seen on AGT and Penn & Teller’s Fool Us. I spent time on the plane ride and in the hotel room writing a few jokes the magicians in Columbus could relate to, then rehearsed my speaking bit in my head to make sure sure I wouldn’t go over the allotted time (in comedy shows, if that flashlight has been on for long, you better catch what you’ve currently got in the air and take a bow).
Besides tailoring the jokes to fit this audience, I was focused on doing my act the same way I had in Arkansas comedy clubs, libraries, bars, and churches. It was important to me that I really bring a genuine version of myself and my act to this show, so it meant a lot when the knife & lemon and my trusty tennis balls were well-received. Most magicians have tried juggling at some point, so they tend to appreciate the difficulty of some of the tricks. And a couple of my favorite performers at the convention even stopped to talk shop about some of the presentational or theatrical details they picked up on. Definitely my kind of audience!
Despite some of the nerves that come along with performing for peers, in a new state, alongside a strong cast, I felt proud of what I could bring to the table. Opting for the fruity knife stunt and my classic tennis balls felt like a good way to represent my work to the world of magicians. This show started 2025 off in an exciting way, and I’m so grateful to Matt Szat for asking me to add some variety to Magifest After Dark.
