March 2019 Meeting Report

On March 4, Assembly 3 hosted a lecture that took members all the way “From Here to Here” courtesy of former S.A.M. Chicago President and current Midwest Regional Vice President, John Sturk. 

The lecture drew a large crowd to the 654 Club, all eager to learn from Sturk’s broad-based and diverse performance experience. In addition to his tenure with the S.A.M., where he’s garnered two Presidential Citations, John Sturk is a multi-award winning close-up and comedy stage magician, an experienced busker, classically trained by Gazzo himself, and holds membership in prestigious magic organizations that include the Chicago Magic Roundtable and The Magic Circle in London. Additionally, he is a co-founder of the Chicago Magic Lounge, a well-known improviser and musician to boot. “From Here to Here” drew on all of this experience to present a well-rounded and entertaining lecture.​

---

At the onset, Sturk exclaimed that his criteria for a good lecture was one where “all participants can walk away with at least one thing they can use.” He stayed true to this promise by featuring a wide-breadth of material from beginner, to intermediate, to advanced. Presentation topics included instructions on creating homemade mouth coils, advanced moves for the linking rings, and a full deconstruction of his popular thumb tie routine. However, it was John’s distinctive style and influences that made the event especially memorable. 

There is something uniquely Chicago about John Sturk’s magic and this was carefully crafted into the lecture material, including a Jay Marshall inspired rising card effect (with a borrowed deck) and Heba-Haha Al’s famous sugar cube routine. Drawing on his improvisational experience, Sturk presented his thoughts on Dai Vernon’s “The Trick That Cannot Be Explained” blending improv with “by any means necessary” magic techniques to locate a spectator’s chosen card. 

Sturk closed the lecture strong, highlighting “on the road” performance anecdotes and inspirations like Patrick Page whose newspaper tear has served as the perfect “magic at a moments notice” routine. He closed in full busking gear with a performance and explanation of his cups and balls routine. 

Future dates are already locked down for “From Here to Here” including the Central Illinois Magic Get-Together in May. For more information on John Sturk or to book him for your next club meeting, please visit www.johnsturk.com. ​