Local magician and entertainer, Mark the Magic Man, has two shows scheduled Oct. 15, at The Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton. The first is a 3 p.m. family-friendly presentation, followed by an 8 p.m. show strictly for an adult (18-and-older) audience.
The family show will last 90 minutes and features grand illusions such as Mark escaping from being submerged in 120 gallons of water, making several people “disappear,” and making a real car appear on stage. Audience participation also is an important element of the show, which Mark promises, “will be fun for the whole family.”
The evening show, also about 90 minutes long, is titled “Foresight 2.0,” in which Mark poses the question: “If hindsight is 20/20, then what is foresight?”
The idea for Foresight 2.0 started with a dream Mark had of “the perfect show,” after which he wrote down the details of this dream and locked them inside a box that will remain in the audience’s full view before its contents are revealed at some point during the night. Crowd participation will be key as attendees will have their minds read and some may even come under hypnosis.
It’s those interactions and more that will introduce unpredictability into the performance and could throw The Magic Man’s vision of a perfect show off the rails. Mark also will be using a popular board game’s cards instead of a regular deck of playing cards to make the show more unpredictable and comedic. “It’s a totally interactive show where it’s going to be my mind against the minds of those in the audience,” he said.
Foresight 2.0 is a modern, 21st century show. Audience members will be instructed to use their phones, participate in a social-media post, and even take photos of things happening on stage. Personal touches will be added throughout the show, too, as Mark shares stories from his childhood.
Tickets for both shows are available online now at www. plazacenter.org. Prices for the 3 p.m. family show are set at $20 VIP (includes first six rows center section seating, meet and greet following the show, plus a take-home magic trick); $12 general admission adult; and $8 for ages 10 and under. For the 8 p.m. mature-audience- only show, attendees may choose between VIP (first five rows, plus meet and greet) at $30; or $20 for general admission.
- Contributed