July 10 meeting: Open performances with critique

For the meeting on July 10, 2019, we invite you to show us your stuff: You can perform a routine, sleight, or presentation and get valuable feedback from other members. This is the perfect way to get help and ideas from your fellow magicians in a low-stress environment. To make it as useful as possible, we're going to have a short presentation on how to give and receive feedback.

For whatever time remaining, we'll have casual time to catch up and re-connect with your friends, learn something new, and enjoy some fun magic.

We will also have a raffle for members, and we may have some surprises. Come join us!

Announcing the 2019 Auction and Flea Market!

Got magic stuff you want to get rid of? Is there anything you have your eye on? Bring your magical friends and join us at our next meeting on Wednesday, June 12, beginning at 7:00 p.m. to shop the collections of your fellow magicians — and/or sell the stuff you don't use anymore.

Flea Market
Tables for the flea market are available now on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserve your table today using our easy online form. The costs are:

• Full table: $15 for members, $20 for non-members
• Half table: $10 for members, $15 for non-members

You can view a layout of the tables when you reserve, and you can make a request for a particular table (although requests are not guaranteed). The earlier you reserve, the more likely you will be to get your preferred location.

RESERVE NOW›

Auction
There will also be an auction of magical goods. If you're interested in the auction, just show up. Anybody can sell at auction. The club takes a 10% fee for auction sales, but no fee for table sales.

Make a Donation
If you have some unwanted stuff, consider donating it to the club. We'll auction it off that night, and the proceeds will go to Ring 216.

Evening Agenda
6:30 p.m.: Sellers may arrive to set up their tables for the flea market.
7:00 p.m.: The doors open to buyers.
8:15 p.m. (approximately): The auction begins.
9:30 p.m. (approximately): All sales end and it's time to pack up.

Want more details about the auction? Read our FAQ.

So bring your friends and your stuff — and your cash.

Meeting Report: May 2019 - Kayla Drescher lecture

      Kayla Drescher shared her experiences in the world of bar and restaurant magic in her “Tips for Tips” lecture at the May 2019 meeting of Ring 216. She has the distinction of being the Ring’s first female lecturer—and one of the themes of the night was the small representation of women in magic. After the lecture, an episode of the Shezam! podcast was recorded live at the meeting with Kayla and friend Carisa Hendrix, known widely for her character Lucy Darling. (Available at www.shezampod.com.)
 
The meeting began with a color changing bottle cap workshop, one of the routines Kayla devised working as a magic bartender—bottle caps being one of the more plentiful items at a bar. Then she delved into the many ways the bar can be gimmicked with duct tape, magnetic tape, trick coasters and ready-for-work straws. The real secrets came next: how to maximize tips. It was a topic she had researched with statistical methods, as her livelihood depended on tips far more than on salary. Wouldn’t you like to borrow a $100 bill from a spectator for a trick and have them voluntarily let you keep it at the end (without it dripping with lemon juice)? Kayla explained how she developed her technique to do just that, as well as revealing the best color to wear to get greater tips, and numerous other tactics that supported her and gave her the record for one-day tips at the Chicago Magic Lounge.

The Shezam! podcast afterward discussed the statistical work Kayla and Clarissa had done on the topic of women in magic. They estimated that about two to five percent of performing magicians are women. Few of these lecture to other magicians, and they credited John Reed of New York for encouraging women to come out as authorities in their fields. They noted men think they’re experts if they know sixty percent of the material, but women won’t consider themselves experts until they’re sure they know one hundred percent (or more). A quiz and question and answer session completed the live podcast. If you ever wanted to hear some Ring 216 member asking questions on a podcast, this is your chance!

May 8: Workshop and Lecture with Kayla Drescher

Join us on Wednesday, May 8, for a workshop and lecture by rising magic star Kayla Drescher.

ABOUT THE LECTURE: "Tips for Tips and other Secrets of the Restaurant Entertainer"
Please note: the information in this lecture can be applied to all performing environments.

Kayla is best known for her bar magic experience. Her full bar show, which has been seen in restaurants and venues all over the country, is often featured at the Magic Castle’s WC Field’s Bar. She currently works as one of the principal entertainers at “Magic Bar,” a weekly magic show in Encino, California. This lecture is very hands-on, so be prepared to participate!

You will learn :

• The routine that earned Kayla the title of “The Next Great Magician” from David Copperfield and NBC’s Today Show,
• Ways to gain the most from your restaurant tips,
• How to set up a bar for your full show,
• Tips all restaurant magicians should know,
• Making your magic as powerful as possible.

No RSVP necessary... just show up!

TIME: 7:30 –9:30 p.m.
PRICE: $15 for members, $30 for non-members
(Annual membership is $25 and you can sign up at the lecture.)

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: A Hands-On Personal Training Session
Bring a few of your favorite routines or ones you are working on. Get real time feedback from one of the Magic Castle’s University teachers. Learn about deepening your character or persona and strengthening your routine quality. Limited seats available.

TIME: 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
PRICE: $30 for members, $45 for non-members

LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE! You must sign up ahead of time by sending email to president@ring216.org. No exceptions!

BONUS: Shezam: A Live Recording
After the lecture, join Kayla and her co-host, Carisa Hendrix in a live recording of their podcast, Shezam! Shezam, the podcast that hopes to make itself obsolete, works to address issues effecting women within the magic community. This podcast isn’t just for women, though. Kayla and Carisa investigate performance theories from treating your audience with respect, costuming, props, and much more. Shazam has quickly become one of the largest podcasts in the magic and entertainment industries. Bring your questions and comments for this live recording!

ABOUT KAYLA DRESCHER
Kayla has been a touring member of the Champions of Magic Illusion Show. She’s performed for clients all over the nation and has won multiple awards, including the Society of American Magician’s Presidential Citation and Boston’s 2013, “Magician of the Year.” She’s also appeared on television numerous times, including NBC’s “The Today Show,” where she won David Copperfield’s “Search for the Next Great Magician.”

Learn more about Kayla at www.magicinheels.com

Meeting Report: April 10, 2019 - Workshops and Open Performances

April 2019

The April 10, 2019 meeting of Ring 216 welcomed the magic students of Robert Strong. We were happy they could make it to the meeting and see the variety of magic we had that night: of three Workshops and the Open Performance Night.

The workshops were kicked off by Gary Goldberg as he demonstrated how privacy wasn’t safe today, using a deck of cards as a database and a cryptic mathematical principle. Cal Tong taught a multiphase two-coin routine illustrating relationship problems that employed some diabolical sleight of hand. To lead us into the open performances, John Mosch presented a set of constructive guidelines on giving and receiving feedback, based on the thoughts of Kayla Drescher. Remember, when you receive criticism, “It’s not about you, it’s about the work.”

Open performances were in the corners format: three groups of audience members table-hopped from one clutch of performers to another, a method that gives heightened feedback and chit-chat opportunities. David Martinez presented a bold routine with a poker chip and a very closely watching spectator. Phil Ackerly made a short movie incredibly appear on a small plastic device from his pocket (I think he called it a “smart phone”), and in this movie he made a table float and a spectator’s ring vanish and reappear on her finger. He sought and received technical advice on improving the ring effect.

Mitch Kothe showed off his movie mentalism. Danny Cheng charmed with his cups and balls done entirely in Chinese. Grant Gomez had a startling three coin routine. Rafael Delgadillo had a fooling effect with a mixed up deck. John Jay had three card selected using randomly chosen times that impossibly revealed themselves. Bill Jacobson let spectators have a free choice of envelopes, yet somehow he ended up with the envelopes containing the money. Dan Chan revealed a chosen card on his Instagram account viewed with a spectator’s phone.

Now here's your quiz: How many magical effects did people see that night? How much did they learn? Weren't you glad/don't your wish you were there?