Magician brings tricks of his trade to theater
By Joanne Fox Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, November 09, 2007
At a young age, Tristan Christ would make others ooh and ahh with his magic tricks.
Over the years that interest has grown into a full-time profession as he now travels with one of the largest touring illusion shows in the Midwest and performs over 250 shows a year, including several this weekend at the Sioux City Community Theatre.
With a theatre and dance background, Christ brings a variety of experience to the stage. He earned a 2006 Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Technology and Design from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, studied dance with the Milwaukee Ballet School, and has performed magic professionally for over 12 years.
"I got some magic stuff for a birthday present and started doing card tricks, at first for family and friends," he said in a phone conversation. "In high school, it really took and I thought that magic could be more than a hobby."
Following his college graduation and armed with a theater and dance background, Tristan decided to pursue his love of magic.
"I wanted to take all the elements of staging and put them all together in a presentation," he explained. "Magic and illusion features all of those, so it seemed to be the perfect fit."
When most graduates would just be getting their feet wet in the real work world, Christ had already been doing magic shows at campgrounds, RV parks in the summers, scouting events, "just about anyone who would hire me," he said with a laugh.
What that enabled Christ to do was build up a base of people who knew his abilities. He made himself available to theaters as well as performing seven days a week as a magician at Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wis. Much of this was done during the summer months, Christ explained.
"Then I decided to make magic my full-time work," he said. "I had a friend who ran a theater in Milwaukee help me put things together and he, acting as my agent, got on the phone and started to make calls."
Christ, 24, said that the opportunities have "taken off," and he has traveled all around the Midwest, with a 16-foot box truck that totes the items needed to pull off the illusions. Christ's performance includes audience participation and interaction, an impossible demonstration of mind reading, and "The Death Tank," an escape from a locked container of water.
The Sioux City Community Theatre is presenting "Illusions of Reality," featuring Tristan Christ, at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday. In addition to the two live performances, Christ will be conducting a magic workshop at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Sioux City Community Theatre, 1401 Riverside Blvd. The cost of the workshop is $20 and includes a ticket to the Saturday evening performance. Workshop reservations are necessary as space is limited.
Tickets are available by calling the Sioux City Community Theatre Box Office from 1 to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday at 233-2788 or online at www.scctheatre.org, or at the door.
Over the years that interest has grown into a full-time profession as he now travels with one of the largest touring illusion shows in the Midwest and performs over 250 shows a year, including several this weekend at the Sioux City Community Theatre.
With a theatre and dance background, Christ brings a variety of experience to the stage. He earned a 2006 Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Technology and Design from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, studied dance with the Milwaukee Ballet School, and has performed magic professionally for over 12 years.
"I got some magic stuff for a birthday present and started doing card tricks, at first for family and friends," he said in a phone conversation. "In high school, it really took and I thought that magic could be more than a hobby."
Following his college graduation and armed with a theater and dance background, Tristan decided to pursue his love of magic.
"I wanted to take all the elements of staging and put them all together in a presentation," he explained. "Magic and illusion features all of those, so it seemed to be the perfect fit."
When most graduates would just be getting their feet wet in the real work world, Christ had already been doing magic shows at campgrounds, RV parks in the summers, scouting events, "just about anyone who would hire me," he said with a laugh.
What that enabled Christ to do was build up a base of people who knew his abilities. He made himself available to theaters as well as performing seven days a week as a magician at Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wis. Much of this was done during the summer months, Christ explained.
"Then I decided to make magic my full-time work," he said. "I had a friend who ran a theater in Milwaukee help me put things together and he, acting as my agent, got on the phone and started to make calls."
Christ, 24, said that the opportunities have "taken off," and he has traveled all around the Midwest, with a 16-foot box truck that totes the items needed to pull off the illusions. Christ's performance includes audience participation and interaction, an impossible demonstration of mind reading, and "The Death Tank," an escape from a locked container of water.
The Sioux City Community Theatre is presenting "Illusions of Reality," featuring Tristan Christ, at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday. In addition to the two live performances, Christ will be conducting a magic workshop at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Sioux City Community Theatre, 1401 Riverside Blvd. The cost of the workshop is $20 and includes a ticket to the Saturday evening performance. Workshop reservations are necessary as space is limited.
Tickets are available by calling the Sioux City Community Theatre Box Office from 1 to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday at 233-2788 or online at www.scctheatre.org, or at the door.
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