"Smoke and Mirrors" at The Road Theatre Company

Smoke and Mirrors

What are you afraid of? This simple question is asked multiple times throughout “Smoke and Mirrors,” the long running magic-play currently in production at the Road Theater Company in North Hollywood. Audience members are even asked to divulge their greatest fears at the start of the show, writing them down on a piece of paper (which is used later in a great mind trick). Fear is the villain of this story, discouraging our protagonist Albie (the writer and star of the show) from achieving true freedom. Our hero Albie must conquer his fear of failure to achieve wonderful success as a master illusionist.

I heard so many good things about “Smoke and Mirrors” from Los Angeles critics, and a show that has been running since September of last year is a “must-see” in my book. It is truly commendable that they continue to sell out houses eight months later. In fact, this is the first sold out show I’d seen since I’d started my little “theater going quest”.  Interesting, since it’s not a traditional theatrical production at all due to the presence of magic.

Written by and starring Albie Selznick, “Smoke and Mirrors” tells Albie’s biography, starting at the age of nine with his father’s death. To deal with his grief, he turns to magic, thinking that one day he would be able to contact his father in the afterlife. As he grows, he deals with his fears of failure and missing his father with new and harder tricks, hoping to one day be distinguished as a Master Illusionist at the Magic Castle, a premier magical organization in Los Angeles. Through Paul Millet’s clear direction, the show takes us on this journey, showing us some astounding magic along the way, while also employing the use of film and sound to show the parallels between Houdini’s life and Albie’s own. Much like Albie, Houdini tried for many years to contact his dead mother through mediums, and his wife even attempted to contact Houdini for ten years after his own death.

Dealing with the death of a parent at a young age was obviously traumatic for Albie, and he dealt with his pain through magic and by creating an imaginary friend, a bunny that helps tell his story. Watching the show made me consider my own parents. Thankfully, they are both still alive, but if they did pass anytime soon, how would I work through my grief? I imagine that I would have several days of paralysis, unsure of what to do. But eventually my mourning period would pass, and I would be able to live my life again. Albie’s story is one of triumph: He is able to move past his father’s death and find purpose and passion in his life through magic. It’s an encouraging story, reminding us that we can conquer our past, and live a fulfilling future. Grief can and will be overcome.

Selznick is a charismatic storyteller, juxtaposing presentational and traditional magic show elements next to simplistic and self-explorative monologues of his own fears and thoughts. His charm is palpable, and I was intrigued by his journey from childhood dreams to successful adulthood. A lot of the show involves audience interaction, the way any traditional magic show would, and Albie did a great job making everyone feel at ease when they interacted with him and the rest of the cast. He even spoke to a couple of little boys in the audience, and let them participate in some of the tricks.

One of the best parts of the show was the “Oracle on the Hill,” a huge face projected above the audience using various special effects. The Oracle performs an impressive mind reading trick, and the audience member who’d been picked seemed genuinely awed by the Oracle’s knowledge. The actor playing the Oracle (whose name is not revealed in the program) had a hilarious affectation to his voice, and incredible timing with his quips and witticisms. Some of this part of the show is improvised, and the quick mind of the Oracle was very funny. I really enjoyed watching him, Albie, and the audience member Mike interact, discussing fears and childhood memories.

Overall the show is great, and, despite a few swear words, perfect for families. There were several kids in the audience, and they seemed to love the show, really responding to questions, and trying to figure out how the tricks worked and why certain jokes were funny. Afterwards, Selznick and the other actors greeted the audience members, and kids and adults alike could talk about the magic they’d seen, and the themes of the production.

The Road Theatre Company’s Smoke and Mirrors 
written and performed by Albie Selznick 
runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 3:00 pm 
at 5108 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601. 
As of this writing, there is no end date for the run. 
Call (310) 450-2849 for more information, or visit www.SmokeandMirrors.me.