Egg Bag - September 2009

Current Assembly Officers:

Lars Klores, President

Cristian Vidrascu Vice President

Joe Tessmer, Secretary and Assembly Reporter

Dwight Redman, Treasurer



AUGUST’s MEETING:

Luck Be a Lady

Following cocktails and dinner, the meeting commenced with the announcement of strong advance ticket sales for the club's September 14 lecture with local magic legend Al Cohen. We then moved into the performance portion of the evening.

August's theme, in keeping with the Rat Pack motif, was "Luck Be a Lady," so of course there were lots of effects involving queens. New candidate for membership Wayne Spillman performed a version of "52 Card Monte" in which he found the four queens in increasingly impossible ways. Incoming Assembly Vice President Cristian Vidrascu showed us his sponge ball routine, his own take on the "Papa Rabbit" theme, and there was much debate about how to tell the "Mama Ball" from the "Papa Ball." Max Eyler did "Monte Mania," a version of "find the queen" which resulted in the queen being nowhere to be found, and a set of 10s in their place. Lee Eyler presented "Sub Trunk - Okito Style," a real fooler of a coin transposition with patter referencing Harry and Bess Houdini, and Bess's attempts to escape her Okito Box restraint. Joe Tessmer performed Chris Kenworthey’s Telethought Wallet, divining a number written on a business card and encased in a leather wallet. Jonathan Walker showed us his handling of the Princess Card trick, with which he had been fooling laypeople in the bar prior to the meeting. Dwight Redman was able to find not only the chosen queen, but all four of them, reversed in a shuffled deck. Noland Montgomery perfomed a flip-stick routine on which he has been working. Hugh Turley did "Swami River Mentalism," his homage to Carnac The Magnificent and predicted the contents of several sealed envelopes. This routine allowed members to practice their Ed McMahon impressions. Assembly President Lars Klores performed Mike Rose's "The Grail," a card at any number (which just happened to be a Queen). Matt Hiller performed "Synchronicity" in which a card lost in the deck appeared in the magician's mouth. Theo Rushin peformed "Rub a Dub Dub," a cups and balls routine with a rhyming, sometimes singing, patter. Ray Eyler finished off the performances with a killer "Marsupial Queens."

Assembly members then voted unanimously to induct Wayne Spillman into Assembly 23. Exhausted and thirsty from the vote, they adjourned to the Reliable Source bar for further sessioning and libations.


THE $100 LARRY WEST PRIZE

In July 2010, Assembly 23 will have a drawing for a $100 magic-shop gift certificate. To be entered into this drawing, simply show up to the meetings. Each member in good standing at each meeting will be entered into the drawing. Every month, you have another chance to be entered, so at the end of the year those with perfect attendance should have 12 entries.

A bonus entry each month will be awarded to the member whose magic performance best exemplifies that month's theme.

DRESS CODE:

Please remember that the Assembly is a guest of the National Press Club. Gentlemen should dress in business casual or better–no Tee-shirts, shorts, jeans or flip-flops to the dinner meetings. Ladies should dress correspondingly appropriately.

ANNUAL DUES:

Dues are now past due! Dues are $10 per year. If you have not yet paid dues for the new fiscal year (April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010), you may pay the Treasurer, Dwight Redman, at the meeting or mail. Make your check payable to “Larry West Assembly 23”.

UP-COMING THEMES & ACTIVITIES OF THE ASSEMBLY – SUBJECT TO CHANGE:

Dinner on Monday September 14th. A few months ago the date of the September meeting was changed to next Monday. Someone reserved the Zenger room for Al’s lecture, unfortunately both the McClendon Room and the mezzanine were booked for the evening. Good fortune smiled on assembly 23 and yesterday, Joe Tessmer went to the press club and working with the Mesfin Mekonen was able to secure the use of the mezzanine for our dinner next Monday. Please let Lars Klores know if you will be attending the 6:00 dinner with Al before the lecture. His e-mail address is klores@gmail.com

(Remember, although we have a theme you may perform something else, the most important thing is that you perform.)

The monthly themes for 2009-2010 are:

September: (Al Cohen Lecture Monday September 14th)

October: Jeepers Creepers

November: Dancing in the Dark

December: I've Got You Under My Skin

January: (Ray and Lee Eyler Lecture)

February: Come Fly With Me

March: You're Getting to Be a Habit

April: (NPC Show)

May: (Lecture TBA)

June: I Got Plenty of Nothing

July: What Kind of Fool Am I?

OTHER NON-ASSEMBLY EVENTS OF INTEREST:

There is a new, eco-friendly option, to new and renewing members at a reduced fee. Members may now choose to go "paperless". For many months, M-U-M, the official magazine of the S.A.M., has been available on-line. Compeers may now elect to receive M-U-M on-line and save $20.00 per year.

It is now required that all members of any assembly be national members of the Society of American Magicians S.A.M.

Over 800 high-resolution professional photographs that document the entire convention, many of which are have been included in this months M-U-M are now available for review by Assembly 23 compeers.

The Kapital Kidvention, a three-day convention for Children's Magic Show entertainers to be held in the D.C. area in January. More information is at http://www.kapitalkidvention.com/.

Congratulations to Ray and Lee Eyler who premiered their new lecture "Inside a Close-Up Session" at the Jokers Gone Wild convention in Fairborn, Ohio last month.
You might want to check out the following You Tube clip of Hans Klok & the Divas of Magic who perform 10 illusions in 5 minutes at

http://www.flixxy.com/worlds-fastest-magician.htm