- OTHER MEDIA
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- Magic Man
- SF Weekly March 19, 2008 (Nirmala Nataraj)
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- In thinking of modern-day magic, it's hard not to consider masters
of spectacle like David Copperfield, who, with their glittery pyrotechnics
and intense grimaces, have made eyes pop -- and roll -- for years. Christian
Cagigal, the creator of The Pandora Experiment, provides a whimsical rejoinder
to all the histrionics and tomfoolery. The title of the performance draws
upon the Pandora myth, but Cagigal is more interested in the dusty keepsakes
of childhood memory than the evils of mankind. The show is deemed an "experiment,"
but it's hardly a disinterested or analytical endeavor. For one, the seats
are set up so you can clearly see everyone else's faces and reactions,
which adds a layer of poignancy to the proceedings. It's the kind of backdrop
in which the timelessness of childlike wonder is cross-pollinated with
an eerie historicity (what with all the old dolls, dusty books, and tinkling
music boxes) reminiscent of early 20th-century parlor tricks. Don't expect
any cheesy pageantry. Components of the show range from simple mind-reading
hocus-pocus to card-dealing sleight of hand. While several tricks don't
particularly seem to merit stupefaction, Cagigal -- one of those rare alchemists
of the imagination who can transport you into the realm of the extraordinary
with little more than a line of poetry -- is so charming that it's hard
not to find yourself swept up in all the enchantment.
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