By Joe Szek
I don’t have any background at all in the art of magic, but ‘The Magic Box’ incorporates a good number of theatrical elements upon which I will be able to comment.
In a recent interview, magician Richard Forget told me he loves the element of surprise in front of an audience. This one-night only production certainly did have its moments of surprise plus, from what I could tell, hesitation, and possible frustration but that didn’t deter these performers from ensuring the show went on no matter what happened.
Forget began the show in telling us the importance of the box to a magician and how it becomes part of his or her routine. He makes the connection to the fact we all live and work in our own boxes from our homes, schools, work places, even driving in a box. Richard then proceeds to show us a box he has which contains medals won or earned all over the world along with stickers he has collected from countries visited. This box is then locked and suspended for the duration of the show to be opened at the end during a final audience participation moment. I don’t want to spoil the ending, but it is rather entertaining what occurs at that moment.