Anything to get people to read, right?

In follow-up to the last post entitled Bach, Fugues and Britney Spears, I thought that I would share more of my love for the self-referential/reflexive art (would that be conceptual, perhaps? Nah… Bream has skill.) that has so influenced my own theater work, as can be evidenced in my creation and performance of Sketches, a humorous and reflexive commentary on modern art delivered through the vehicle of satire and, well, mindreading.

The literary and musical influences to which I am in debt are innumerable, but the subject of this post is the legendary classical guitarist Julian Bream. Please let me extend my apologies to Mr. Bream for potentially belittling him in the title of my post, for he has every last ounce of respect that I can possibly give. I can not say enough good things about this man and his work, and the video posted here is testament to his genius. He truly is a giant.

Back in July, Danielle Egan attended TransVision07 - the 9th annual meeting of the World Transhumanist Association - and New Scientist carries the report this month, along with a great little video interview compilation available via YouTube.

Link to the New Scientist article here - Death special: The plan for eternal life.

YouTube video interview available above.

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October seems to be Hypnosis Month here on Noumenon. With the month being filled with twenty-seven back-to-back performances, along with the many memorable moments that come with the hypnosis shows, it’s not surprising that it’s on my mind. That and, between the shows, travel and an online course, I haven’t had much time to bring you anything else!

Above is a clip from one of last week’s shows. Please excuse the funny costumes - it’s at a renaissance faire, my once-a-year foray into dressing silly… I share it here because it really captures a subtlety that, as a hypnotist, I truly appreciate. Let me explain…

Everyone loves hypnosis shows because of the non-stop hilarity of the actions and reactions of the people on stage. The best hypnosis programs are often the most visual ones. But in truth, as a hypnotist, though I never get bored of the hilarity – it’s different every time – what I appreciate most are the more subtle aspects that often go unnoticed but truly demonstrate the power of hypnosis, even in a stage setting.

Each year the management of the Connecticut Renaissance Faire solicits votes from the community to hand out awards to independent acts, merchants and cast members of the production. With such a huge group of dedicated individuals working together year-round to create the month-long production, it’s difficult to recognize everyone that deserves to be recognized - and the show wouldn’t be the same without even one of the vast crew.

Though there are many acts that deserve the attention just as much as I do, I am happy to report that my hypnosis show generated enough enthusiasm, massive crowds, laughter and buzz to have been noticed by pretty much everyone, and thereby secured the award for Best Independent Act of the 2007 show.

Autumn in New England is a beautiful time of year. With the changing color of the leaves, the hot apple cider and cool nights by the warm wood fire with a book, you couldn’t be more relaxed unless you were hypnotized – and now is your chance to do just that!

The first weekend of the Connecticut Renaissance Faire has just concluded and, by popular demand, I was pleased to present my hypnosis show on the main stage for all to enjoy – and what a fabulous success it has been!

We’ve never presented it in this venue before, but as it turns out it’s ideally suited to the audience. With such creative, imaginative people in attendance, how can you go wrong?

Capitalizing on the success of my sword swallowing show and its history of setting attendance records, we blew all of those records out of the water with packed-to-the-rafters crowds and a level of enthusiasm unseen at any other show.