Monday, November 3 - 6:30 PM
Magic Inc, 1838 W. Lawrence Ave, Chicago IL 60640

The power of the mind takes center stage for MENTALISM NIGHT at Assembly 3. 

The floor will be open to any members wishing to share their mindreading and telepathic skills with the rest of the group. Prepare to have your mind blown wide open!

The return of an ancient and annual tradition!
 
Assembly 3 will hold the longform Initiation Ritual for any member in good standing of the S.A.M. who wishes to participate. This is the only meeting we hold each year that is strictly MEMBERS-ONLY, but it can be any National S.A.M. member, regardless of Assembly 3 membership or not.

Please RSVP to let us know if you wish to participate in or observe the ceremony.RSVP by clicking here
Please RSVP by Friday, October 11!

Following the Initiation Ceremony, refreshments and New Member Performances to follow.

Should you have any questions about your membership status, or about the ceremony (and there's only so much we'll answer about that, wink), please contact us at [email protected]

Our program for the September meeting was a lecture held in combination with SAM Assembly 3 by internationally renowned magician Joshua Jay. This all new lecture focused on his book, "The Particle System".  This innovative new system from Joshua Jay revolutionizes memorized deck magic. The Particle System contains a variety of clever built-in benefits and is far easier to learn than many other stacks.

Josh's first effect was a backward card trick called Time Travel. To begin, everybody applauded as they normally would at the end of the trick. Next, Josh "found" a card (3C) before a volunteer had a chance to pick a card. The volunteer then shuffled a deck and the 3C was found to be missing from the deck. After producing the 3C Josh showed that the shuffled deck had magically returned to new deck order. As a final effect Josh showed that the wrist watch he had removed at the start of the effect had reappeared on his wrist. 

Josh picked two volunteers from the audience. They picked a card (8C) and randomly placed it face up in the deck while Josh looked away. They then placed the deck back in the card box. Josh correctly predicted that their card would be found 24th from the top, which it was. 

One volunteer merely thought of a card (JH) and Josh asked him to cut the deck. It was shown that he had cut to the selected card! The other volunteer named the 6D and Josh instantly cut to the 6D!

Josh then named three cards and volunteers touched three cards in the fan. The touched cards were turned over and found to be the three cards Josh had named!

Next up, Josh demonstrated a number of card effects using his Particle System stacked deck. Josh went over the Particle System in great detail, including some tricks you can only do with the Particle System. The card deck he uses is a beautifully made marked deck with several special cards that can enhance the effect. For the lecture, the deck was a mere $10. I bought one!

Josh next did an amazing version of Any Card At Any Number (ACAAN). He named a number (15).  A volunteer named the value (4). A second volunteer named the suit (Diamonds). The four of diamonds was found to be the 15th card in a deck that had been sitting on the table the entire time! 

After the break Josh told the story of a couple who met over a card trick. Josh and a volunteer each shuffled decks of cards they both turned over the top card and the two cards matched! Josh then began turning over more cards and every card in the two shuffled decks matched the order of the other deck!
The couple in his story was actually Josh's parents!

Josh finished off the lecture with a slide show of people around the world that he had met and performed for. Each of 52 slides featured a local individual, often in native costume, picking a card from a fan of cards which Josh held. It was a wonderful souvenir of his travels around the world performing and teaching magic.

-- John Hutsebaut

SPECIAL DATE AND LOCATION
Sunday, September 21 - 2 PM 
Rhapsody Theater, 1328 W. Morse Ave, Chicago, IL 

Jointly presented by S.A.M. Assembly 3 and IBM Ring 43
Free for Members of S.A.M. Assembly 3 and IBM Ring 43 - $20 for Guests

About Joshua
Joshua has performed in over 100 countries, and was awarded the top prize at the World Magic Seminar in 1998. He fooled Penn and Teller, and holds a Guinness World Record for card tricks. Jay has done magic on numerous tv shows, including Masters of Illusion, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and The James Cordon Show. His new, bespoke lecture, which will focus on new and unpublished material using cards, coins, matchbooks, and dollar bills. It will be an even mix of close-up and parlor, mentalism and magic, easy and difficult. Best of all, you’ll hear insight into how Joshua has developed an entirely new show, which he debuts this month at the Rhapsody Theater. This is a rare opportunity to see one of magic’s most accomplished performers, authors, and lecturers.

For further information please contact Mike Kamlet at: [email protected] or (312) 213-3001

Training Grounds - Cosmic Underground's Magic Open Mic
Date: 8/31 at 7:30pm
Run time about an hour
Location: Cosmic Underground Theater: 3433 W Fullerton Ave

Spots are limited to 8 people that would like to participate and everyone gets 7min. If interested in signing up email: [email protected].

If interested in attending, tickets can be purchased at this link or at the door.

All profits from the evening go towards scholarships for The Magic Institute. ​

Chicago Open Mic Magic
VITO'S VAULT, 5901 W LAWRENCE
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18- STARTING AT 7 PM
Open to all! $5 suggested donation
If interested in performing, please email Ben Huizenga at [email protected]

In June, several members of our Assembly took a field trip to Michigan to visit the village of Colon, home of the Abbott Magic Co. and Lakeside Cemetery, where many notable magicians have been interred. Following that, the group traveled to Marshall, MI, location of the American Museum of Magic, and received a VIP tour. 

Monday, August 4
6:30 PM
@ Magic Inc, 1838 W. Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60640

Ready to roll up your sleeves and get your fingers flying? Join us for Move Monkey, a meeting dedicated to the bold, the knacky, and the just-plain-impressive sleight of hand techniques that separate the casual from the committed.

Whether you're obsessed with passes, palms, shifts, changes, steals, or one-handed miracles, this night is for the dedicated technicians of magic. Bring a move you're working on, a sleight you’ve mastered, or a technique you've always wanted to understand better—and share it with your fellow sleight nerds!

Also, May the Force Be With You is a chance to display your favorite forces. Bring some creative ones to share and swap!