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The following review appeared on page 46 in the June 1998 issue of M-U-M, the official magazine of the Society of American Magicians. WOMEN-IN-MAGIC Reported by Dot Rosenbaum The second annual Women-In-Magic Conference, held in Hollywood, California, March 27-29, continued to empower and instill confidence in women to be successful in magic. Under director Anne White and assistant directors Nora Susko and Diane Herrera Shepard, 42 women enjoyed a weekend filled with education, entertainment, friendship, sharing, and support. On Friday, the conference opened with a reception hosted by Anne White and honoring Celeste Evans. Celeste was recognized for her contributions to magic and honored for her upcoming induction into the S.A.M. Magic Hall of Fame. The reception gave women a chance to meet and mingle, setting the tone of the weekend, one of sharing, caring, and fun. Participants ranged in age from 10-70 and came from as far away as Germany and Alaska. There were motivational speakers, close-up and stage performers, clowns, balloon artists, corporate magicians, illusionists, children's entertainers, mothers of magicians, and lovers of the art of magic. On Monday, March 30, 1998, Dinner was served in the Studio Room on the 23rd floor of the Hollywood Holiday Inn; the facilities and food were excellent, the view spectacular. After dinner we were treated to Celeste Evans' opening talk, "Yes, Women CAN Make It Big in Magic!" With wonderful humor, she shared the determination, dedication and marketing smarts that enabled her to succeed at a time when female magicians were almost unheard-of. Celeste is a wonderful female role model, and her story is truly inspirational. Christina Hart, a Hollywood acting coach, followed with a presentation on "'Developing Character and Stage Presence. " Two of her students demonstrated different acting exercises, then invited the women to join them on stage. The formal activities of the evening ended with a fashion show, "'Sharing the Secrets of Women's Costuming," hosted with typical good humor by Bob Markwood and assistant Libby Larsen, featuring conference participants modeling their costumes and sharing the hidden magical secrets. Saturday's activities began with breakfast, followed by an inspiring lecture by Trixie Bond of Houston, Texas. She movingly told of the impact that last year's Women-in-Magic Conference had on her. (See M-U-M, January 1998, pp. 28-29.) It motivated her to set goals, go after them, and achieve them, moving "From Children's Birthday Parties to Corporate Performing." It will be exciting to see what her new accomplishments will be at WIM 3. Suzanne, from the Twin City area, shared her talent in ""Restaurant Magic," demonstrating how she approaches and interacts with clients. Jen Adams followed with a presentation on "Comedy for Women," illustrated with video clips of famous comedians. The next lecture was "Creating More Powerful Magic" by Luna Shimada. We were treated to a video of her act, and discussion of how each effect, prop, color, music, theme, and every aspect of your act needs to have its own "magic." "Me strongest magic comes from within," said Luna, "and has deep personal meaning." Her presentation and video were both very spiritual and beautiful. Lunch was followed by an outstanding afternoon of programs. Gay Blackstone gave a moving program on her life with and without Harry, and shared her successes the past year in running the Blackstone Foundation. She has been, and continues to be, an amazing woman, not only on stage, but also with so many behind-the-scenes talents. Joanie Spina presented concepts and staging ideas for "Putting Your Act Together." Joanie was David Copperfield's choreographer for many years, and now is performing her own magic in Las Vegas and consulting for other magicians. The presentation emphasized the importance of creating a flow throughout the act, using choreography and music to enhance the magic. The afternoon ended with Anne White sharing her expertise on "Promotional Materials that Work." For dinner this now tight group broke up. The 21 and older crowd headed over to the Magic Castle for an excellent dinner and an exciting evening of magic, culminating with some of the participants sharing their talents in the Peller Theater. The under-21 crowd were accompanied by Bob Markwood for dinner and a show at Wizardz at Universal Citywalk. Sunday morning brought the Next Generation Stage Show, with the hilarious Jen Adams as Emcee. First up was the 13-year-old Lizard Wizard (a.k.a. Brittany Malatesta from New Jersey) who did a wonderful stage act with lizards, snakes, and other creatures. The act was well-routined, the costuming and character unique and creative. 15 year-old, Sarah Stevenson from southern California followed with a polished and very entertaining classical magic act. The closing duo, Katy and Allie Rose, ages 14 and 11 respectively, from North Carolina, performed an upbeat, gypsy-themed illusion act that included a variety of productions, manipulations, and humor. To quote Jen Adams: "'Me future of Women-In-Magic is secure with such talented young women." It will be enjoyable watching these young ladies mature in magic. The conference concluded with a wonderful brunch, followed by Bob Markwood standing in for Gary Ouellet, who got stuck in the LA Marathon traffic and never made it. Bob's spur-of-the-moment presentation gave us a clear idea of what is required to get on TV. After thank-you's to everyone who worked so hard to make the conference a success, door prizes were given out to several lucky winners. Romany from Germany was awarded the Molly Ann Squire cash prize; Diane Shepard -won the free Anne White photo shoot; and Patricia Weiss, Sarah Stevenson, and Katy & Allie Rose won the Triny Peller and Bob Markwood full scholarships to attend Bob's 1999 Professional Performer's Workshop. The weekend was a huge success. All who attended were amazed at the quality and amount of information that was presented. Unlike most conventions, there were no tricks taught, no evening shows. The focus was on how to succeed through creating, marketing, and presenting your magic, not how to perform a specific magic effect. The most overwhelming feeling was the care and genuine desire for each participant to succeed. There was no competition, no jealousy, just a forum to learn more about the potential of women and magic. Thank you Anne White. For More Information Contact: |
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