You may remember us introducing you to Andrew Pinard a few months back. No, not at that office party you’ve blocked out of your memory; here, on these pages, when his “Discovering Magic” show was set to debut at Red River Theaters. Well, the show is back by popular demand after a successful fall season.
The “mind-numbing, jaw-dropping, eye-opening” experience takes audiences on a guided tour of the impossible and the absurd. Using only the most ordinary of objects, Pinard brings the ordinary to life with the most surprising results. The only show of its kind in the New England, audiences have travelled from Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire to experience sleight of hand, con games, psychology, history, science, comedy, cognitive development, political spin, and more through the eyes of a “perceptual engineer” on his quest to explore distortion and guile.
“Discovering Magic” will take place Feb. 12, March 12, April 9, May 14 and June 11 at 8 p.m. at Red River.
Designed for intimate spaces, “Discovering Magic” provides the rare opportunity to sit “onstage” with the performer during each 60-minute performance and experience miracles up close. Members actively participate in the performance, making every show a unique, interactive experience. This is your invitation to leave the mundane world behind and enter a magical realm where nothing is what it seems and no two shows are the same.
“Magic occurs when audiences are engaged emotionally and intellectually in a gentle tug of war between what is possible and what may be possible,” Pinard said. “I think of the experience as transcending reality. The main tools in my bag of tricks are imagination and expectation, both of which are provided by the audience. Add a dash of psychology, a splash of technology, a bit of choreography, a gallon of showmanship and an enthusiastic, engaged audience and you have a unique experience that will be remembered forever.”
Those who attended the first few shows won’t be bored with the new ones, either.
“I look at each performance as an episode in a series. In our first season, I featured classic con games, historic magic and introduced audiences to some iconic performers that they may never have heard of, but whose work influenced me and thousands of other magicians,” Pinard said. “In the upcoming season, I have plans to more deeply involve the audience in the process with some new surprises to come as we explore the world on our quest to discover magic.”
All performances begin at 8 p.m. at the Red River Theatres Simchik Cinema (also known as the screening room). For more information, call Red River Theatres at 224-4697. Tickets are $15 per person and are available online at redrivertheatres.org or at the door (limited seating available). For more information on Andrew Pinard, please visit absomagic.com.
