Wayne Hoffman Interview

Wayne Hoffman has been entertaining college audiences all over the USA and was even awarded “Novelty Entertainer of the Year” in 2006 by NACA. He currently is on his European tour aboard Princess Cruise Lines performing a magic and mentalism show.

How did you get started in magic?

I got started in magic when I was about 7. My initial interest in magic was spawned after I learned a few tricks that I got as a present from my mom. A few years later I moved to a new neighborhood and was riding my bike down the main street in town and I saw a magic shop. So, I chained up my bike and went inside. That moment changed my life forever. When I walked into that magic shop I instantly became obsessed with the art of mystery entertainment and it became my passion.

At what point in your career did you feel mind reading would fit your style?

After pursuing magic as a hobby for several years I started to perform professionally. I would entertain at small house parties and the traditional venues any amateur entertainer would run into. Only later did I start playing in major theaters. After taking several courses in psychology in college, I realized I could incorporate what I call the “science of the mind” into the magic show I was already performing. It helped to create an amazing journey into my audience’s thoughts.

How does mind reading differ from magic and is it possible to blend the two art forms together?

Magic and mentalism are different but yet similar. Both take the spectators imaginations through a wild journey with twists & turns. Magic entertains the visual aspect while mentalism entertains the psychological aspect. Many magicians and mentalists reject the theory that anyone can successfully mix magic and mentalism in the same act. Many feel that magic undermines the serious aura that surrounds psychological experiments. While others suggest that mentalism tears down the upbeat tempo of the traditional magic show. I think that the general public can tell the difference between an effect that’s created by sleight of hand and one that is based on human behavior and psychology. I also feel that they appreciate them both at the same time and in the same show.

My personal goal is to usher in a new wave of mystery entertainment that legitimately mixes both magic and mind reading effects into one show. In my show the magic will stimulate the audience visually and the mentalism will capture their imaginations on a level that makes them question the potential of the human mind. With both combined, I hope to create an all-encompassing and mind-blowing show properly titled ‘Mind Candy’.

What are some of the craziest things you have done, and why? Has anything ever gone wrong during a dangerous stunt?

Often people ask me to describe some of the crazy things I’ve done during my career. Most often I describe the escapes or the publicity stunts. A few that come to mind include the time I drive a custom built car over 16 miles completely blindfolded, through traffic. Another stunt that I feel was the most thrilling was being confined to a straitjacket that contained a poisonous African scorpion. After I was strapped in, I was lifted 100 feet in the air by my ankles and given two minutes to escape.

The scariest for me was in April of 2003. I was performing at a large theater in Pennsylvania and I had an escape planned for my grand finale. The local police department agreed to be present at the show and handcuff me, place me inside a 55 gallon drum that was filled with freezing cold water. After my head was submerged under water an airtight lid was placed over the top and it was chained down…on the outside. I was given three minutes to escape. I could hear my heartbeat echo through the water as I struggled to free myself. My hands actually started to get numb from the cold water and I had trouble feeling anything. That was truly the scariest moment of my life. The reason I perform these dangerous things stems from my insatiable need to test my physical and mental limits as a human being. I also use it as a way to communicate to people that they can achieve anything if they are properly motivated. Plus being insane helps a lot.

Tell me some funny things that have happened to you during a show.

When you perform professionally, you see a lot of weird and sometimes-funny things happen. I can remember a few times that I actually wondered myself how they could have happened. The one that comes to mind is a time I was performing at a country club and I had stuck a playing card to the ceiling while nobody was looking. I did it to ‘mark’ the fact that I had performed there. This was a common habit for me at the time. Seconds after I had gotten finished, a member of the band that was also playing there came in and asked to see a trick. So, without missing a beat I asked him to name any playing card. He said “The two of diamonds”. I told him to look at the ceiling. His jaw hit the floor. There, 20 feet up, right next to the chandelier was the two of diamonds. I often wonder what I would have done if he said any other card. Another story that I remember is when I was at a restaurant casually performing some small bits of magic for my friends while we waiting for our food. I made a sugar packet magically disappear. Just then, the waitress laid my drink on the table and ironically, there was a matching sugar packet stuck to the inside of the glass. So in essence, the fact that they didn’t properly wash their dishes helped create an unbelievable reappearance of a vanished sugar packet! I’m sure they’re still blown away.

Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?

In five to ten years from now I can see myself touring the country doing what I enjoy doing the most, performing mystery entertainment. Although I perform feats of precognition in my show, it is very hard to say where I’ll be that far down the road. I’m sure I’ll have many shows under my belt and I hope I can look back and read this only to see that my prediction of success and happiness was correct.

What advice can you give to someone who is interested in mind reading?

If anyone is interested in learning more about performing in the field of mentalism I can suggest three things. First, surround yourself with people. Interact with as many people as you can and begin to learn what the human race is all about. Second, talk to someone who performs mentalism already. The greatest knowledge you can ever obtain can come from someone who has walked down the path you would like to travel. And last, realize that mentalism is something you must learn to do over time and you must actually perform it in order to practice it. Because you can’t sit in front of a mirror and practice reading your own mind!

Did you have any mentors?

I’m often asked if I went to school to learn all the things I perform, and if there is a magic college. Another big question is if I had a ‘master’ who I studied under. Although there was truly any “magic college” or “secret master sensei”, I think there are many people I can thank for helping down the long path. First, I owe many thanks to Wayne Shifflet who is the owner of the Mingus Magic Shop in Reading, Pa. Without his dedication to the art of magic, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I owe him everything. Second, I have to thank all of the magicians who I have crossed paths with that helped inspire me to continue learning.

Why do you think society views variety acts as second rate?

Many people continue to see variety acts as a lesser competitor in the world of entertainment. The biggest staples in the entertainment industry have always been music and comedy. Variety acts have seemed to fall victim to theses monopolizing threats. I don’t believe there is a real answer to why and I don’t think it is necessarily a bad thing. I think the more specialized and poignant a type of performance is, the more valuable it is to the audience who watches it. Music will forever reign as the king of entertainment because music is the soundtrack of life. You will always remember the song you were listening to when you had your first kiss or your wedding song. However, I think variety acts give you a kick in the pants that will forever keep life interesting and exciting.

Watching a guy levitate a woman 5 feet off the ground, or watching someone juggle 8 balls without dropping one, or watching someone hammer a nail into his head while eating a light bulb, or hearing a performer tell somebody in the audience the exact thought they had in their head, will always help spark the questions “Is there something more than this?” And “Are there any limits to what I can do?”

What can be done to change this view?

I think over time the tides will change and variety entertainers will have there time as the major form of entertainment as it did in the days of Vaudeville. Until the time when history decides to repeat itself, I’m not sure there is much anyone can do to act as a catalyst to promote that forward motion. I just have faith that the world will never lose interest in variety entertainers. Patience is the key to success.

In closing, remember that variety entertainers have been around since the idea of time itself was created. There will only be two things left in existence after a nuclear holocaust: cockroaches and a guy who can read your mind while levitating, juggling three chainsaws, and making doves appear from thin air.


View Wayne Hoffman’s Website