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Magician scores bloodless coup with 'Mysterian'
Wednesday, May 10, 2000
By JOE ADCOCK
Relax. Or get all excited. Anyway, enjoy.
"Mysterian," the current attraction at the new Illusionz Magic Theatre in Issaquah, is the delightful opposite of everyday strain and struggle. In a world of hype, most of us spend a lot of energy, time and money in an effort to avoid being duped, deceived or deluded. Magician Steffan Soule, however, is a master of pleasant dupery, deception and illusion.
His fingers turn into burning candles. One of his lovely assistants eventually occupies no space at all in a little house that was tiny to begin with. As more and more of the structure is excised, common sense tells us that the woman must be reduced to nothing more than a hand and a wrist (which we can see). Not so!
Mysterian. A magic show devised and performed by Steffan Soule. At the Illusionz Magic Theatre, Town and Country shopping center, 1025 N.W. Gilman Blvd., Issaquah. Through May 28. Tickets $10 for 12 and under, $15 for 13 and older; 425-427-2444; www.illusionz.com
Another lovely assistant is skewered. She looks like the beginning of a lady-kebab. But no; not even a drop of blood.
Soule himself appears to give birth to a lovely assistant. She seems to sprout from the rib area, like Eve emerging from Adam.
Soule makes good use of volunteers; birthday kids get preference. One youngster sees her missing $100 bill (really!) pulled out of a lemon. Another volunteer seems to be sliced in half by a rope wielded tug-of-war style by two other kids. Again, no damage. Not a drop of blood.
One of Soule's assistants, a guy in aviator goggles, has trouble putting a Seattle P-I back together once it has been torn to shreds. Not to worry. By the end of this 50-minute show, the trick seems to have been mastered.
Soule is a familiar asset at the Seattle Children's Theatre, where he designs special effects. It's good to see him on his own.
He weaves a story into his show -- something about Mysterians overthrowing the evil Hasamar. As a writer, however, Soule is no threat to J.K. Rowling of "Harry Potter" fame.
P-I Theater Critic Joe Adcock can be reached at 206-448-8369 or joeadcock@seattle-pi.com
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