A Century After Houdini
Next month marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Harry Houdini. Houdini had an over-sized influence on American society! Still today, if you ask someone to name a famous magician, “Houdini” is likely to roll off their lips. Beyond his influence on magic, he was highly influential on the modern skepticism movement. He spent the latter part of his life debunking fraudulent mediums. He even testified before the House of Representatives in support of a bill that would outlaw fraudulent spiritualist practices. James Randi clearly followed in Houdini’s footsteps.
Houdini spent his childhood in Appleton, Wisconsin and was first exposed to magic in Milwaukee. Wisconsin is memorializing the centennial of Houdini’s death in a variety of ways. The Houdini Club of Wisconsin conference will be happening in Milwaukee on the anniversary of his death, for example. Perhaps my favorite event is being hosted by the Milwaukee Rep Theater. Their “New Play Development” program is featuring a work written and performed by Katie Bender entitled “Instructions for a Séance.”
Step into an unforgettable adventure of mystery, mischief, and messy humanity. Katie Bender transforms the theater into an intimate DIY séance, daring to summon the spirit of Houdini—and maybe wrestle with the chaos of her own life along the way. Equal parts hilarious, haunting, and heartbreakingly honest, this one-woman show fuses memoir and live magic to explore ambition, motherhood, and the craving to break free. Expect laughter and glimpses of the extraordinary hidden in everyday life.
To accompany the show, on October 25th, I will be offering a magic workshop at the Milwaukee Rep. Attendees will learn some magic inspired by the effects in “Instructions for a Séance.” However, they’ll also be offered a peek behind the psychological curtain that makes these magic tricks work and will learn more about the rich history of interaction between magicians and scientists in the state of Wisconsin. Register here: https://milwaukeerep.fillout.com/magicworkshop