Meeting Report: Sep 2020 - Sharing and Open Performances

Ring 216 held a remote Sharing and Open Performances meeting on September 9, 2020. Hosted on the Zoom platform, the meeting began with “Sharing is Caring,” where each attendee was invited to share something magical they have done or enjoyed recently. The shared ideas included sound and light equipment and staging tips for performing over Zoom, recommendations for books, podcasts and videos, the best economical rope, and, of course, the latest tricks to purchase. In the Open Performance segment, Rafael Delgadillo presented cards that changed color, Dan Chan levitated, David Martinez very fairly found a selected card at a named number, Gary Goldberg told a fortune with alphabet cards, and Peter Apel wowed with a fish that swam into his ear and an amazing appearing sopapilla.

Join us for our September meeting: Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020

DATE: Wednesday, September 9, 2020TIME: 7:30 p.m. PDTClick this link to start the meeting in Zoom

For our September meeting, we've decided to take a break and instead just get together and share. We'll divide the meeting into two parts:

• Sharing is Caring: Everyone is asked to share a book review, a trick, a website, an article, a podcast... whatever you think your fellow magicians would like to know about. You'll get up to 3 minutes to tell the audience what it is, why you like it, and why the rest of us will like it.
• Open Performance: Perform a routine in a friendly, supportive, noncompetitive environment. This can be a polished trick or just something you're working on. If you want feedback, we can provide it.

If you're new to our club, this is a great opportunity to perform for the group, which is a requirement to continue to be part of the club.

Meeting Report: August 2020 - First Remote Competition

Ring 216 held its first ever Remote Competition on August 12, 2020. Hosted on the Zoom platform, the rules were six minutes per act and anything goes: close up, parlor, stage, camera tricks – just no pre-recorded video. This was a novel experience for everyone. Approximately 60 audience members and competitors took part, with voting using an online tool (magicians only, no People's Choice award). Tom Collett and John Mosch handled the technical aspects of spotlighting the performers, unmuting spectator assistances and managing the voting website. Gary Goldberg (the author of this report) fumbled his way through as emcee.

In the Standard Division, Rafael Delgadillo kicked things off by triumphing over a mixed up deck to find a selected card using essentially one hand. Suyash Joshi enabled a spectator to magically mark his selected card through the computer screen. Mitch Kothe asked a spectator to select any movie, which he then revealed with a DVD and a magically changing ticket. James Chan, the youngest entrant, performed the three shell game and a four ace routine. The winner of the Standard Division was James Chan.

In the Masters Division, Miriam Al-Sultan caused two selected cards to fuse together in a very twisted way. David Martinez made a ball appear and disappear under a soft drink can, with a fizzy surprise ending. Luke Adams brought a signed card to the top of the deck, then added more impossible revelations until a spectator with another deck online cut to the matching card. Alan Leeds demonstrated with children’s drawings how people can magically match each other’s safety procedures to deal with these anxious times. Dan Chan sent a signed card to many impossible locations. Susan Zeller surprised with her rendition of the linking rings as she recited Edgar Allan Poe to organ music! The winner of the Masters Division was Luke Adams.

Amazingly, both winners were the youngest performers in their divisions! This bodes well for the future of magic—whether online or, we hope, eventually again, in person.

Coming in August: Ring 216 Virtual Magic Competition

In normal times, we would be planning the annual Walk-Around Magic Competition in August. But these are not normal times. So come join us for something brand new: the first ever Ring 216 Virtual Magic Competition. And if you would like to perform, we're taking signups now!   DATE: Wednesday, August 12, 2020 TIME: 7:30 p.m. PDT HOW: Live online via Zoom Invite your friends and family so the show can be more fun!

Competition rules Perform an act up to 6 minutes long broadcast from your location on Zoom The act must be live, not pre-recorded You may call on audience helpers over Zoom to help, but no stooges allowed You can also use an assistant at your location Voting will be done online and will encompass the same categories as the regular competitions Make sure your lighting, camera, and sound are acceptable so that people can enjoy the show No adult-oriented material or danger acts Only paid-up members of Ring 216 for 2020 are eligible to perform, but you can pay for your membership now We'll invite non-magicians to enjoy the show and possibly vote for a people's choice

Meeting Report: July 8, 2020 - Naathan Phan Zoom Lecture

    Ring 216 hosted a live on-line lecture by Naathan Phan on July 8, 2020. Energetic, cheerful and humorous, Naathan entertained with both his innovative magic and his acting skills in his lecture “It’s the Little Things.” 

    Nathaan began with his “Three-Phase Opener,” his go-to impromptu trick, which culminates in the transposition of selected cards between the table and his pocket. Then he demonstrated his “every day carry trick,” a selected card appearing folded in a wallet (a variation of the effect that wowed the panel on America’s Got Talent), explaining the unusual touches he added to sharpen the handling. His enhancement to the “Pen Through Bill” greatly improved the illusion of the penetration and restoration. 

    Naathan then shifted to parlor magic. He demonstrated his clever innovations for the Torn and Restored Newspaper that allows him to tear today’s paper, restore it, and hand it out as a souvenir. In the funny routine “Shake and Splash” using four cans of soda, Naathan is required to avoid the soda can that has been shaken up by the audience as he holds cans with their openings to his face and pops the tops. He succeeds in avoiding drenching himself, and the last can remaining is popped to spray harmlessly. It is a totally impromptu routine that Naathan will do at a moment’s notice on cruise ships. He rounded out the set with one of his favorite routines, the triple-prediction “Not Another Mental Epic.”

    Throughout the lecture, and for over a half an hour at the end, he answered many questions asked by the Ring members. He talked about how he applied his background in acting and stand-up comedy to his magic. He emphasized the importance of showing yourself in your magic: “It’s the YOU show, not the floating lady show.” A particular delight was when he demonstrated how he could speak in a wide range of accents, a skill he had developed as a Vietnamese-American youth growing up in Scotland. Ring 216 thanks Naathan for the wonderful time!