Struck by Lightning

I don’t remember the name of the first magician I ever saw. I’m sure it started with “The Great” and ended with “-ini”, as all magicians in the 1970s. But there I was sitting among a group of rowdy young boys at summer camp and watching him bring in a colorful assortment of boxes and tables. Over the next 30 minutes, he created a dazzling array of impossibilities. It was then, at the “highly mature” age of eight, I’d found my calling.

Inspired by the Greats

Once my journey into the world of magic began, my curiosity became insatiable, spending many hours in the local library reading about famous magicians long dead—Thurston, Kellar, Maskelyne, and the great Harry Houdini. I saw Mark Wilson and Doug Henning on TV and imagined the possibilities that lay before me. My grandparents took me to the Marine World, Africa USA theme park where I visited my very first magic shop—a small tiki-themed hut where I saw more miracles happen. I begged my grandmother to buy me my first trick—the ball vase (made by Adams). I practiced the effect over and over, to the point of oversharing it with friends and family. I’m sure my parents were sick of the same trick, so that’s how I ended up with my first Royal Magic set on Christmas morning.

Early Years

In my teen years, I gained experience by performing wherever I could, focusing mainly on parlor magic and walkaround, even the local Renaissance Faire. I felt like I needed to be a well-rounded magician and learn every field of magic possible, from stage magic, to spiritualism and escapology. I joined the Society of American Magicians and the International Brotherhood of Magicians hoping to meet like-minded magicians and learn more.

I was a regular at the local magic shop, The Ghastly Gallimaufry, where I met Steve Blencoe (RIP), a great magician who became instrumental in my magic education. He steered me towards "books over boxes" in a decade where David Copperfield was showing the public bigger is better by vanishing a jet and the Statue of Liberty. I became fascinated by the fundamental concepts how magic effects work, the psychology of misdirection, and the importance of routining and showmanship. My performances started getting the attention of the press and I became the subject of many feature stories.

The Great Escape

One thing that inspired me to study acting was a famous quote by magician Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, “A magician is an actor playing the part of a magician.” So I started studying and performing local theatre in addition to magic performances. I was really interested in finding the intersection of theatre and magic and how the intertwining of these two arts could complement each other—and how magic was as much about entertaining as it was the illusions themselves.

I embarked on what would become a multi-year project to write a play about Harry Houdini. Several years of research involved the assistance of magic historian Milbourne Christopher (then later his widow Maurine Christopher) and head of the rare book and special collections division of the Library of Congress, Joan Higbee, to provide historical evidence and insight (this was pre-Internet). I wrote and rewrote until I decided to focus Harry’s relationship with Bess and his later obsession with spiritualism and exposing fake mediums. I incorporated many effects, weaving them into the storyline. Many of my theatre teachers and mentors contributed valuable ideas along the way, which culminated in a play I produced as my final project while studying at A.C.T.

To promote the show, I recreated of one of Houdini’s publicity stunts. Locked, chained, and handcuffed, I was put inside a locked packing crate and thrown into the bay on live TV leading up to a sold out run of The Great Escape at a San Francisco theatre.

Adventures Abroad

Whether I was following in Houdini’s footsteps or it was simply searching for a new challenge to conquer, I went to live and perform in Europe. Through word of mouth, I started doing small performances in Vienna, Prague, and Bratislava. I met an actress who wanted to produce a play and after reading The Great Escape we thought it would be a perfect show, especially if audience members didn’t understand the dialogue in English they’d still enjoy the magic. To promote the show, I did the same packing crate escape, but this time in the Danube river (in winter!) and it led to amazing publicity. I became a celebrity almost overnight.

I did stage performances and TV for several years, including a regular spot on a morning show teaching kids simple magic tricks with everyday items from around the house. My fame led to a command performance for the Prime Minister and President of Slovakia.

The Magic of Christmas

During the last Christmas before returning to California, I reread Dicken’s A Christmas Carol after many years and fell in love with it. I thought it would exciting to create an adaptation that incorporated magic into the storyline. I spent the next two years doing research and exploring ideas. I traveled to Dicken’s home in London and drew inspiration from his study and writing desk, as well as his touring performances of A Christmas Carol. The more I explored various concepts, the more possiblities I uncovered, which eventually led me to follow Dicken’s original presentation and create a solo adaptation that focused on the story. I performed over 40 different characters and incorporated snowstorm, fog, and other atmospheric illusions into the show.

This unique retelling of this holiday classic garnered multiple awards for Best Performance and technical award nominations.

Theatre of Illusion

Today Ron is retired from magic (does any magician ever truly retire?). He occasionally consults with theatre companies on how to incorporate illusions into their performances in new and inventive ways.