What a Character

What a Character
By Jeff Stone

I recently attended a Whit Haydn lecture here at our local magic club. Before I met Mr. Haydn, he and I got into a discussion on the magic cafe about our role with the audience, and their role with us. On many levels I disagreed with his perspective, and he disagreed with mine. However, the conversation was product, albeit heated occasionally, but we came out of it still respecting each other it appeared. If you’ve been reading my stuff for more than a couple of issues, you likely know that I hate close-minded thinking, and so I’m always trying to look at both perspectives.

Granted, it’s not always easy, but it is always worth it. When I met Mr. Haydn in person at the lecture, I realized how accurately he applied the principles he believed in when it came to audience response and reaction. He fooled me with simple things that I knew and have even done before. He fooled me with a false count with linking rings. He fooled me with Al Leech’s effect Chicago Opener (aka Red Hot Momma), and so much more. I was blown away by his level of critical thinking and grasp of audience management.

His lecture is one of the best ones I’ve ever been to. At the end of the lecture we briefly talked for a few moments, and I told him that he opened my mind to a few things that I was opposed to. His response was “Don’t open your mind so much that your brain falls out.” To me, that’s even further evidence of how sharp Mr. Haydn is. Even when I agree with him, he basically is saying that I shouldn’t just agree with him all “willy-nilly” as they say. Make sure I really believe it and understand it; don’t just “change sides.”

I am, of course, interpreting what he meant, but even if I’m way off, I learned a ton from his lecture, and I really enjoyed him and his magic. He is a super nice guy, and very well educated on so many levels. So to all you magicians out there who aspire to be great performers, take a page out the book of Whit Haydn by studying him and his work.

As you know, this column, Pillars of Stone is sort of the catch-all column where I (or others) can talk about things that we think are important to your growth as a magician. What’s better to your growth than studying someone who knows what he’s doing. Please do yoursefl a huge favor and study Mr. Haydn’s work.

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