My Problems With Mentalism

In my upcoming print review of  The Milwaukee Rep's Mind Over Milwaukee, I end up criticizing the show on the grounds that it is a mentalism show. I try to avoid this kind of criticism as it's pretty amateurish. I don't like Broadway-style musicals, but whenever I do review of one I try to take it on its own terms. I don't simply criticize it for being a musical. Shouldn't I do the same for a mentalist's show? Well, yes . . . but I have a bigger criticism of mentalism that goes way beyond this one show. As it's kind of lengthy, I wouldn't have the space to get into in the print review. There is no such space limitation here so I have the room to get into it . . . 

In Mind Over Milwaukee, acclaimed mentalist Marc Salem puts together a fairly solid and well-polished 2-hour show. In spite of not really liking the show, I actually like Marc Salem's stage presence. He seems like a nice guy who has a substantial amount of charisma. He's no Gypsy Geoff, but he's got a really casually clever stage presence that's fun to hang out with. Local magician, clown and stage performer Gypsy Geoff may not be as experienced as Salem, but he's far more entertaining. His type of magic is much more dynamic. And his sense of humor is all the more clever. Granted, Salem has the type of stage presence that can make hack stand-up comedy-level humor work, but for the most part, Geoff doesn't require that skill as he's a much more genuinely funny guy.

Of course, the Gypsy Geoff comparison isn't fair. Comparing two different types of stage magic is like comparing two different genres of theatre. On one level it's as silly as comparing contemporary musical comedy to ancient Greek tragedy. There is, however, something to be said about one type of staged magic over the other. Geoff's genre of magic is much closer to what people expect in stage magic than the traditional  mentalism that Salem is working with. 

And make no mistake about it, Salem's work resonates from a tradition that goes pretty far back. Salem's schtick is drawn from a very traditional mentalist bag of tricks. There are the terribly boring numbers gags and those oh-so-endearing sealed envelope tricks. (yawn). I guess the big issue I have with these is that they deal with information. In an earlier era, the act of getting evidently hidden information seemingly from people's minds in an instant was captivating. Someone from the audience says a few things and they appear to have been written down in advance in a sealed envelope that was in no way the product of sleight of hand or any other kind of misdirection. In an earlier era this sort of thing would have been amazing. Today's information-rich society makes such acts seem kind of boring. Guessing numbers and minor bits of information just doesn't seem as interesting in an era when just about any bit of obscure trivia is instantly attainable so long as one has a phone and an Internet connection. Though it isn't coming to your nervous system any time soon, much of Salem's apparent abilities seem to simply be another app that could be downloaded from the Apple store at some point in the next couple of years. Not exactly that impressive. Yes, a lot of work went into putting together the performance, but a lot of work goes into doing your taxes and I really wouldn't want to  see THAT staged. 

Granted, mentalism has a greater appeal than staged tax accounting would, but it's nowhere near as impressive as other forms of more visually dynamic stage magic. Salem doesn't claim to have any kind of supernatural powers. What he's doing is the product of a tremendous amount of discipline and training. I don't claim to know exactly how he's doing what he's doing, but I know the basics behind it. And knowing the basics of what Salem is ACTUALLY doing doesn't make it any more investing because its still just a presentation of information onstage. In an information-based culture this simply isn't very interesting. 

I come from Appleton--the town where Houdini spent his early childhood. In first or second grade, my home room teacher taught us the basics of Harry and Bess' Metamorphosis escape act. It's a highly theatrical trick involving two people, a curtain, a large trunk, handcuffs, chains and the like. I have known the basics of Metamorphosis since early grade school and yet every time that I've seen it performed it has amazed me. This is because, even if you know what is going on beneath the curtain, it's still fascinating to see it executed. It's a trick that involves tremendous physical prowess. There's no mystery as to how Aaron Rodgers can connect up with Donald Driver or Jordy Nelson from halfway down a football field, but it's still amazing seeing it happen. The types of physical and neurological feats that Salem is doing could be every bit as fascinating, but they just aren't very dramatic or dynamic onstage, even in an intimate Rep cabaret setting. 

Gypsy Geoff doesn't do anything anywhere near as impressive as Metamorphosis, but he's hugely entertaining because his act involves more of a physically dynamic kind of a show that appeals to a wider audience. I would wager that a fair number of people seeing Salem's show would probably have a better time with Gypsy Geoff, but that's my bias...and there are bound to be people who still prefer Salem's rather different (and in my opinion, more than a little antiquated) version of stage magic. 

For those interested in Salem's show, Mind Over Milwaukee runs through February 24th at the Stackner Cabaret. A concise review of that show runs in the next Shepherd-Express. 

Gypsy Geoff's next public performance is with Dead Man's Carnival on February 1st. For more info about him, visit his website.