Saturday
Jul092011
JONATHAN PENDRAGON'S GRAIL QUEST :: PART 4
If you follow Alan Watsonʼs newsletter, you are probably aware that there has been an ongoing controversy involving props Charlotte sold to other magicians. Seven illusions had been left in Trinidad two years ago; three of these were among the props sold. None of our illusions were sold with my knowledge. This was particularly painful for me because among them were several illusions I designed, including Clearly Impossible, the original Fire Cage—both built for me by Bill Smith—and my Broom Suspension harness. I was able to negotiate a return of Clearly Impossible with Scott McFall, who graciously agreed to a trade. Trinidad was a much greater problem, and it has taken me more than a year to retrieve the props. A few I will keep but, as I stated in Alan Watsonʼs newsletter, I will honor Charlotteʼs sales and turn over three illusions to their new owners.
In order to get the props out of Trinidad, I agreed to perform three full-evening shows with the original promoter, who had gone to great lengths to care for our illusions, keeping them in climate-controlled storage for two years. Since I no longer perform with Charlotte, I had to train a new assistant to perform the illusions with me. Fortunately West suggested I use her daughter, Jacosa, who is a talented trapeze artist. This appealed to me because of my own background in gymnastics; we spoke the same language. Mystina worked as both magician and assistant, presenting two of her acts and helping me in between. My brother Mark took control of backstage—a job heʼs done for me throughout my career. West not only learned how to produce a show, but also how to “call” it (which means she sat in the light and sound booth, directing all the cues). Her performance garnered praise from the promoters, and the crew. For me, she was simply miraculous.
I know—it sounds like a Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland movie... which is appropriate because we were performing in an arena that would dwarf most MGM soundstages. I never would have made it through the experience if it wasnʼt for the support I received from my crew. Emotionally I was raw. This was the first full evening Grand Illusion show I had done in two years. Even assembling the illusions evoked a mixture of nostalgia and loss. The energy that fueled the show was a collective force of will. everyone involved believed in me and I, in turn, relied on them to make me look good. Jacosa was a natural: lithe and beautiful, and the strength of her performance matched my notoriously energetic style perfectly. Mystina took on the challenge of my Broom Suspension harness, though nobody but Charlotte had ever previously managed to meet the physical demands of the abbreviated design. She did it so successfully that I immediately resolved to ask the new owner for the occasional loan of the prop (Sam Ferenz and I built the harness by hand more than thirty years ago; I canʼt imagine trying to reproduce it). Mark—my legendary twin brother—not only worked his ass off backstage, but also got to do bits onstage... as himself!
I wasnʼt certain that I could present a full evening show as an individual, and not as a couple. I have done cabaret and close-up by myself since I was 17, but The Pendragons was a collaboration. Walking on as “Jonathan Pendragon” was new, and yet oddly comfortable. I realized that I still had something to give to Grand Illusion, and that my new efforts must include the style I have always loved.
To be continued.... Jonathan Pendragon
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