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229: Francis Menotti - The Absurdist Magician

Francis Menotti is a most interesting and refreshing magician. It is hard to put a label on Francis (mentalist, magician, script writer, artist, or ???). Perhaps he is an enigma from the Renaissance. I almost entitled this podcast as "From a Tangential Mind" because we went off in so many directions during this podcast. Certainly when there is no direction or script, it is easy to get off target. But then again, if there is no target, then how can you veer from it? Hmm. I think you're starting to get the idea.

Francis recently passed through Houston on a nationwide lecture tour and stopped to chat about his magic and his philosophy. It is hard to quantify Francis and for those who haven't heard of him before, then you will get a better picture of the inner workings of a "mind constantly at work" in this podcast.

Francis Menotti's Close Up Act at the Magic Castle, 2008

No cats were harmed in the making of this video. Tweet it - http://bit.ly/qJZry7 Facebook it - http://on.fb.me/rfgo9J minutephysics is now on Google+ - http://bit.ly/qzEwc6 And facebook - http://facebook.com/minutephysics Minute Physics provides an energetic and entertaining view of old and new problems in physics -- all in a minute!

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This discussion covers a lot of territory from stage performance, to lighting the audience, script writing, structuring a show, philosophy, theory, audience management, volunteer selection, handling butterflies, and so much more. Francis touches on Schroedinger's Cat with a brief explanation, but you can get the one minute education in the video embedded in this blog.

The Absurdist Magician
Francis Menotti

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Time is ticking away for you to register for FISM 2015 in Rimini, Italy from July 6-11. Click on the banner above for more information.

Time is ticking away for you to register for FISM 2015 in Rimini, Italy from July 6-11. Click on the banner above for more information.

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Register today for the I.B.M. convention in Jacksonville, Florida. Lots of great talent like Tom Mullica, Boris Wild, Eric Buss, Paul Cummins, the Outerbridges, David and Leeman, Soma, Bill Abbott, Chad Long, David Kaplan, and a lifetime award and t…

Register today for the I.B.M. convention in Jacksonville, Florida. Lots of great talent like Tom Mullica, Boris Wild, Eric Buss, Paul Cummins, the Outerbridges, David and Leeman, Soma, Bill Abbott, Chad Long, David Kaplan, and a lifetime award and tribute to Fantasio plus many, many more top international performers. Click on the banner above for more information. Join your friends and sign up today!

Tagged with Francis Menotti, Schrodinger's Cat, surreal magician.

June 25, 2015 by Scott Wells.
  • June 25, 2015
  • Scott Wells
  • Francis Menotti
  • Schrodinger's Cat
  • surreal magician
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The Magic Word The Magic Word

A Podcast for Magicians, About Magicians, Hosted by a Full Time Professional Magician, Scott Wells

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In May 2024, Scott Wells had the distinguished honor of receiving a “Special Fellowship” from the Academy of Magical Arts (The Magic Castle) for the Magic Word Podcast which promotes “not only personal stories of fascinating individuals, but also fellowship amongst our extended family of artists and entertainers everywhere.”

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Judge Gary Brown - U.S. District Judge Gary Brown is also a magician, lecturer, author, and historian. This week he talks about many of his passions including wands, Al Flosso, and Alexander, the Man Who Knows. #magicwands #magic #alexanderthemanwhok
Doug Gorman - Let Me Tell You A Story - Doug Gorman takes a back seat to no one. Quite literally, he is the driver for Richard Turner as they traverse the country. Doug is a professional magician and creator of close-up props and stories for the biza
Bob Bengel - The Dream Job - For many years, Bob Bengel held an enviable job as a full time employee of Hitachi playing golf and performing magic at all their trade shows. #bobbengel #magic #tradeshow #tradeshowmagic #hitachi #golf
Magic Collector Expo 2026 - Daily Report Daily reports from the Expo in New Jersey featuring conversations with organizers, talent, speakers, dealers, and more. #newyork #newyorkpubliclibrary #magiccollector #magiccollectorexpo #magicconvention #magi
I am so excited to be in the Class of 2026 being awarded with the honor of the Milbourne Christopher award. The ceremony is still months away, but I just couldn't wait to share this announcement.
Bill Malone - Bill Malone - Comedy close-up magician, Bill Malone, talks about his career, learning magic, working in bars, trade shows, his health, and his upcoming book. #comedymagic #billmalone #tradeshowmagic #chicagomagic #malonesmagicbar
You never know who you'll meet in an elevator. Thanks to Boris for snapping this great selfie at the recent F.F.F.F. close-up convention.
Judge Gary Brown - U.S. District Judge Gary Brown is also a magician, lecturer, author, and historian. This week he talks about many of his passions including wands, Al Flosso, and Alexander, the Man Who Knows. #magicwands #magic #alexanderthemanwhok
Academy of Magical Arts annual awards banquet in Hollywood  #magiccastle #amaawards2026
Doug Gorman - Let Me Tell You A Story - Doug Gorman takes a back seat to no one. Quite literally, he is the driver for Richard Turner as they traverse the country. Doug is a professional magician and creator of close-up props and stories for the biza Bob Bengel - The Dream Job - For many years, Bob Bengel held an enviable job as a full time employee of Hitachi playing golf and performing magic at all their trade shows. #bobbengel #magic #tradeshow #tradeshowmagic #hitachi #golf Magic Collector Expo 2026 - Daily Report Daily reports from the Expo in New Jersey featuring conversations with organizers, talent, speakers, dealers, and more. #newyork #newyorkpubliclibrary #magiccollector #magiccollectorexpo #magicconvention #magi I am so excited to be in the Class of 2026 being awarded with the honor of the Milbourne Christopher award. The ceremony is still months away, but I just couldn't wait to share this announcement. Bill Malone - Bill Malone - Comedy close-up magician, Bill Malone, talks about his career, learning magic, working in bars, trade shows, his health, and his upcoming book. #comedymagic #billmalone #tradeshowmagic #chicagomagic #malonesmagicbar You never know who you'll meet in an elevator. Thanks to Boris for snapping this great selfie at the recent F.F.F.F. close-up convention.

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