Ring NO. 46, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Seymour Davis Ring
Meets 7:00 pm, 1st Monday of the month at the New Beginning Fellowship Church, 15601 S. Pennsylvania in OKC
LEE WOODSIDE, Secretary. Email: WoodsideLee@hotmail.com.
President Cassidy Smith kicked off our April meeting by performing a routine with a miniature baseball bat and baseball. He performed a “flurry” type effect and ended with the bat and ball both vanishing. Cassidy then attempted a book test with a book titled THE WORD OF GOD. Rick Martin chose a word from the book and Cassidy divined the word “Jesus.” Not the right word, but Cassidy asked, “Wouldn’t it have been a miracle had I been right?”
Our theme for the evening was “Let’s Make Magic,” which has been one of our most popular themes over the years. Members are taught new tricks, often with “some assembly required,” and go home with new props and routines.
Cassidy Smith taught the principal of the eight-card brainwave and provided several variations. David Teeman taught an effect where a participant chooses one of four Aces and the magician shows that it is the only card with a blue back, while the other three Aces have red backs. Best of all, the magician ends clean and the playing cards may be examined.
Inspired by Thomas Henry’s “Rediscovering the Buddha Papers” article in the February 2023 Linking Ring, Lee Woodside supplied all the materials for making up this timeless miracle. Lee themed his effect around a 1939 quote by Winston Churchill that Russia is like “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” Lee added “puzzle” as a fourth layer and noted that the papers remind him of nesting Russian dolls.
Grant Vincent gave us a brief review of his experiences at the annual Cavalcade of Magic in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He said that it was his first ever magic convention and he had a wonderful time and bought a few things from the vendors in the awesome dealer room.
Gary Trosper gave a review of the book MAGIC IS DEAD, by Ian Frisch. He said that it gave an inside look at an organization of card magicians which included quite a few people that many magicians are familiar with. He also said that the book is available through our Metro Library.
Lee Woodside offered copies of our Ring’s annual Grimoire on flash drives and sold out. He promised to bring more to the next meeting.
David Teeman removed a deck of playing cards from a wrapper that had pictures of a face-up deck with one face-down card. He had visitor Calli Brasier select a playing card from the deck. He asked if the card she selected was among the face-up cards on the sheet. When she said, “No,” he said that meant that the face down card had to be hers. When she appeared skeptical, he turned the sheet over and showed that the one face-up card was now her selected card. He said that Bob Caldwell had made this for him.
Michael King invited Calli and her sister Molly to assist him “on stage.” He showed a ribbon and four Chinese coins and proceeded to perform amazing magic, sometimes right in the girls’ hands. The coins melted off the ribbon. It was a charming routine. (Inside pun intended.)
Kevin Brasier turned on a table lamp. He borrowed a one-dollar bill from Michael King and recorded the serial number. When the bill vanished, the lamp went out. Kevin unscrewed the light bulb and showed that there was a bill inside. He wrapped the bulb in a bandanna and shattered the bulb. Sure enough, the serial number on the bill matched what was written down.
Cassidy Smith performed a sponge ball routine using miniature basketballs. He then went from “Conjuring Cassidy” to “Cowboy Cassidy” and demonstrated his expertise with spinning a rope ala Oklahoma’s own hero Will Rogers. He next demonstrating several trick knots. He finished by having a playing card selected and returned to the deck. He dribbled the cards into a paper sack and used a rope to lasso the selected card.
The names of the performers were placed into a hat and two names were drawn. David Teeman became the proud owner of signed lecture notes and Kevin Brasier took home a card magic DVD.
Lee Woodside