Sublime

At a time when the Victorians prided themselveson science and rationality, the two quiet young men from Buffalo, New York began a confusing debate about just how honest a magician needed to be or could afford to be.

Penn & Teller have never shied away from revealing the secrets behind some of their tricks, especially if divulging the method will make the audience’s experience more memorable. “If you understand a good magic trick, like if you really understand it down to the mechanics and the core of its psychology, the magic trick gets better—not worse,” T

As a showman, he saw these exposures as fuel to the fire, a bucket of kerosene rather than a bucket of water.

His novel presentation focused on the thousand people in the audience who did not step up onstage, calculating that by quietly exposing the trick to a few, he was creating a miracle for everyone else.

Penn spoke in one continuous stream. I said maybe six words the entire hour we were with him. He told stories about performers who inspired him, including Billy the Mime, who is known for his sociopolitical-themed performances, as well as Johnny Thompson, a legendary Polish magician. Penn also confided in us that he is not allowed into London’s Mag

“HONKER believes that WHAT YOU WATCH and WHEN YOU WATCH IT should be a matter of personal choice, and such decisions are not appropriately made by third parties or organised pressure groups. Nonetheless, for the deranged few who feel that censorshipis a good idea, HONKER provides NO-D GLASSES so they can do it to themselves.”9 While all these proje