From Jan. 15 to 18, the Hopkins Center for the Arts hosted illusionist and mentalist Scott Silven and presented his performance piece “Wonders” to sold-out audiences at the Daryl Roth Studio Theater. “Wonders” blends a standard magic act with theatrical composition in a way that provokes a unique sense of awe, inspiring not only intrigue about the world and its surroundings, but insight into yourself and those around you.
Scott Silven has spent the majority of his life involved in the worlds of magic and mentalism. But aside from his training in magic, Silven is also a skilled actor and performance artist. This is what makes his act so unusual.
Despite its use of familiar tricks and fanfare, “Wonders” deviates from the traditional magic show. Silven crafts his performances with a flourish of dramaturgy by weaving his illusions into narratives about his childhood in Scotland and perspectives on the world. This element of storytelling and personal anecdotes demystifies Silven and allows the audience to share in his own love of curiosity and discovery.
Director of programmatic affairs for the Hop Johanna Evans ’10 said the Hop’s programming team first saw the show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe where its fusion of drama and illusionist flair distinguished it from the thousands of other performances at the festival.
“[Wonders] really stood out by creating a special feeling of connection and shared experience among the audience,” Evans said, “which, for us, is a big reason why we do the arts we do.”
Evans said she was looking to bring a powerful, interactive production to the College that epitomized why audiences consume performing arts in the first place. “Wonders” filled that niche.
“You’re living an experience in the room with your classmates, with your neighbors, with your professors, people within the Dartmouth community,” she said.
The small, minimalist scale of “Wonders,” its high level of audience participation and moody atmosphere perfectly suited the Daryl Roth Studio Theater. According to Evans, it has been a struggle to fill the theatre while competing with the Hop’s larger and less-specialized venues.
“Wonders” hinged on the Daryl Roth Theater’s unique layout that allowed every member of the audience to engage with Silven’s act. The front rows consisted of dining-room-esque tables, so there was little tangible separation between audience seating and the flat stage. Silven meandered through the space to rally audience members. Avoiding eye contact didn’t exempt audience members from participation: Every attendee had to write, pass around and tear up pieces of paper several times throughout the experience.
Jake Keil ’29 was most struck by the show’s intimacy, which he thought stemmed largely from the venue. Keil is from Nevada, and contrasted Silven’s performance with the larger magic shows of Las Vegas.
“It was a lot more personal, [compared to] shows in Vegas,” Keil said. “We’re in giant auditoriums [in Vegas], so I feel like [only] people who wanted to be involved would be. This was a lot more personal.”
Lilla Bozek ’27 attended the show as a Hopkins Fellow. They emphasized that Silven’s “narrative journey” was “really engaging” and central to the emotional impact of the show.
Despite the fact that they ultimately enjoyed the performance, Bozek entered the show with skepticism.
“I’m not inclined to believe in magic, but this guy may be onto something, actually,” they said. “I was nervous the entire time that he would mess something up and then [it would] be awkward for everybody. But at the end, when he flipped those boards, everyone was like, ‘whoa!,’ and we experienced something together. That was just one of those fun little moments of humanity.”
Silven’s character on stage elevated the performance for Bozek. His lilting Scottish accent drew the audience into his stories. His all-black outfit and coiffed hair gave his stage presence a sense of grandeur.
“The most memorable thing, I think, was the volume of his hair,” Bozek said. “That was a real magic trick.”
