When I saw that trick (above) I just remember thinking “there’s no way possible” and feeling like I need to explain the realm of possibilities.

Is that the feeling you try to duplicate for others now that you’re performing?

The first thing I want is to cause the average person to forget. I want them to forget and escape everything that may be bothering them, and I think magic does that.

Second, I want to open their minds to other things that could be possible. Keep hope/faith in other words. If a person thinks its not possible and they believe that, that can be sad. There are people walking that were told by doctors, they couldn’t, and they are now– thats magic. someone believed in it and it came true.

Dewayne Works a Picnic

You perform in many types of venues including corporate meetings, comedy clubs, baseball stadiums and schools. How do you modify your act to meet the needs of these venues?

The first thing is for me to understand the crowd. I ask “what type of crowd will be there” that answer tells me what show (of the 3) to do. Then I find out how they want things, i.e. close-up or stand-up. There are times when they say close-up and I tell them its best to do stand-up because of the layout of the venue, or vice versa. But I have my shows with me at every performance, so I could be ready to change game plans at the last minute. Sometimes, I’m not really modifying tricks, its more what comedy to do and what to leave out.

What type of magic do you perform in your stage act?

90% of my stage show are things I have made up or modified to fit my style/jokes I need. A magician may see something in my show start off the regular way, but at the end it will be different.

Do you — thinking of Robert Houdin’s statement that “a magician is an actor playing the role of a magician” — see yourself as a comedian doing magic or a magician who is funny?

I see myself as a magician who is very funny. When I decided to start to do that, I wanted my show to be able to have funny moments at jokes, with amazing magic. not corny one-liners that get chuckles. Or a comic doing silly magic shop gags. Dealing with comedy clubs and billing yourself out as a magician you learn the difference really quick. I really wanted the comedy to be able to stand out, and sometimes it puts pressure on you as a performer because they (your client) will intro you as a comedy magician, people really expect you to be funny. Now when I learn a new trick or make up one, I ask myself “is this funny” and I have a minimum number of laughs I want during that trick, if they aren’t there, I re-write it or throw it out. For the last few years, that has been my focus, is to make it as funny as possible.

Is it hard to do a “clean” act in the nightclubs or comedy clubs?

At first it was, but after a while, you get in the habit of writing clean. I have friends that are comics, and we talk about various jokes they are doing and I help them find a cleaner way to do it. Now its second nature, like doing an Jordan count or a double lift. Plus I learned early on, the more I was clean the more venues I could work. Dropping F-bombs wont get you a lot of corporate or general public work, and as a magician I think you need that to make a living.

How do you help to encourage others to pursue magic as an art?

I tell them to have fun, and understand that some magicians are a–holes. and don’t let it get them down. I tell them to have their own selfish reason for wanting to do magic and always remember it.

If you weren’t a magician, what would you do? An actor/director.

Now you well asked, if you weren’t in entertainment? my answer — law enforcement, probably the FBI.

Dewayne with High Schoolers

What are your thoughts about the present state of magic?

I have no complaints about magic in general. I think a lot of problems lie within some of the people, and stupid games/ one-up-manship. Different hobbyist complain about professional magicians doing this or that, but they fail to see, magic doesn’t move forward by sharing certain secrets in a hotel room at 2:00am, with a bunch of magicians that are your friends either.

I never liked that, because I never felt like I was in the inner circle. The good thing is that I knew how to handle it, but I’ve seen it turn a lot of people off to the art. I understand them not wanting other magicians performing their stuff, then just tell them “hey don’t do this” and they shouldn’t.

What are your plans for the future?

I want to get a little more involved within the magic community, write a book, I want to be ready for the convention season of 2004 and go out to lecture a little bit, and I would like to write a column for a magazine, like a review column for magicians and new stuff thats coming out. Maybe for Inside Magic. You all have a great site.

Thanks for the interview, I have a show to get to.

Thanks Dewayne. We’d love to have you write a column about anything you’d like!