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Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: Campus Life

When you think of a magician, a young, inspiring man isn't the first image that comes to mind. Especially not one who captures audiences with the same shock value as Criss Angel and humor like Dane Cook's.

That's Salem native Jason Greenamyer, a senior exercise science major at Youngstown State University, who is already more than halfway to fame.

In the spotlight

Greenamyer, who goes by the name Jason Alan on stage, said that one of the most difficult things about being an entertainer is trying to change people's skepticism of magic.

"People have to know how things work," he explained. "People go through their everyday lives seeing the same things over and over again, rarely seeing anything new and exciting," so they have constructs that explain the world.

Greenamyer said a magician's purpose is to completely destroy these constructs.

When you see a car, your mind immediately knows it's a car, but when you see a magic trick, your brain can't comprehend the functions or the reasoning for it, so people get frustrated or immediately deny magic.

"Some of the smartest professors can't figure out my tricks, but when I do kids' shows, they know exactly how I do my tricks. I just never tell them they're right," he said.

When performing, one false move and the trick could "bomb" as Greenamyer calls it, but the art of improvisation is what separates the magicians from the true entertainers.

Greenamyer's improvisational skills were tested when his suitcases of magic props were stolen before a show. He had to improvise the show without props, finding anything he could use to make a magic trick. He recalls that show as a turning point in his act, saying that he realized how important audience participation was and how it makes the show more personal for them.

"Before a show, I like to go out and warm up the audience. I like to go around when they're eating if I'm performing at a restaurant and do a small trick or two," he said.

"That way I get to know the audience a little more and see who would be willing to come up on stage and participate in a trick with me," he said.

The business of magic

The showbusiness life of a magician is very unpredictable to say the least. Greenamyer was at one point driving from Youngstown to Cleveland every night of the week to do shows at restaurants, hotels and parties. In the Youngstown area, though, he said he is lucky to get two shows a month.

Continued...

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