TOTAL MAGIC PACKET

David Reed-Brown, Meaningful Magic
680 North Street, Suffield, CT 06078
Direct 860-304-0021 FAX 860-668-2815 Home 860-668-2815
[email protected] www.Reed-Brown.com
Date:
Dear
This is to inform you that David Reed-Brown will perform: Date:
Contact Person:
Time:
Office:
Home:
FAX:
Cell:
Address:
E-Mail:
ILLUSION, WONDER & YOU
Lights
Sound
LENGTH:
AUDIENCE TYPE:
Backdrop Suspension in Air
STROLLING CLOSE-UP MAGIC
Guillotine Intermission
MINI-SHOW: (length)
Organization:
Occasion:
Facility Person:
Phone:
Technician:
Phone:
The FEE for this performance will be $
SIZE:
This includes
FACILITIES: To provide the best possible magical experience, it is understood that David needs a performance area at
least 12 feet wide and 8 feet deep, which is raised at least 1 foot for every 100 people in attendance (e.g. floor level for 75
people, 2 ft for 225 people, 4 ft for 400 people). You will also be responsible for providing 110 volt AC grounded electricity
to within 5 feet of the performance area. This area needs to be in front of a neutral background (usually a solid wall with no
backlight, windows, mirrors, doorways or other distractions). Otherwise, some of the most powerful magic will be limited. If
a meal is being served in the same area, it is understood that TABLES WILL BE CLEARED before the performance starts.
ARRIVAL, LOADING & DEPARTURE: David will arrive 90-120 minutes before the performance. Please have someone
there to assist with unloading equipment before and reloading it after the performance. David is usually driving away 60
minutes following the performance.
PRIVACY: It is understood that in order to provide a mystifying experience of wonder, David will need secured privacy for
setting up his show without being interrupted. He also needs a secure place to store packing cases.
RECORDING: It is understood that there will be no video recording of the performance without his permission.
TAX WITHHOLDING: It is also understood that David Reed-Brown is hired as an independent contractor and not as an
employee. As an independent contractor, he assumes all responsibility for withholding tax and social security.
CANCELLATION of this agreement or any CHANGES to the scheduled date and time must be agreed on by both parties.
KILL FEES: Please note that canceling performance within seven days requires 50% payment. Canceling the day of
performance requires 100% payment.
TO SIGNIFY AGREEMENT, please sign below, make a copy for yourself, and return this original with a 20% deposit
within one week to reserve the date and time. The balance of the fee will be due the day of performance. Thank you.
David A. Reed-Brown
Date
Your Signature
Date
Thank You For Creating Meaningful Magic!
PLEASE
send
driving
directions
ASAP.
“ What Are They Saying? ”
David Reed-Brown presents baffling illusions
with warmth, humor, and style. I look forward
to his next show!
The Rev. Eric S. Anderson
Northford, CT
My daughter has studied magic since she was
five. It's hard to put "anything" over on her.
David suspended her in mid-air during his act,
leaving the audience gasping and my daughter
convinced she was floating. Spectacular!
The Rev. Matt McCaffrey, Bethany, CT
David and his show are delightful, meaningful
and thoroughly entertaining - the talk of the
Estuary! I am looking forward to a future visit.
Ms. Angela Ross, Estuary Council
Old Saybrook, CT
ence participation into his presentation. Everyone feels a part of the show, even those not
called on to assist up front. He has a warm and
pleasing persona which captivates viewers and
draws them right in. As I said, the show was
days ago, but the magic lingers on! David ReedBrown is truly amazing!
Maggie Lewis
M&M Benefit Board, New York City,
Dear David,
Thank you for the wonderful job you did for
our $800,000 financial campaign celebration.
Everyone had a delightful time, and you did a
great job weaving the themes of giving into
your presentation. The finale with Paul in your
guillotine was a riot! People are still talking
about this and will be for a long time. Thanks
again for making our celebration such a joy.
Becky Fuller, Southington, CT
You are wonderful!
Last evening David Reed-Brown entertained the
residents of Chester Village West, a retirement
community in Chester. His performance was delightful & lots of fun for all. He will be a
"repeat" on our schedule.
Mary B. Wheeler, Activities Director
Chester Village West, Chester, CT
David Reed-Brown performed here two days
ago and people were truly amazed at the sophistication and level of difficulty of his program.
Many adults expected just some simple illusions
that children would enjoy but were delighted instead to find themselves entertained and baffled
at the same time. David artfully weaves audi-
Mrs. Martha Oneppo
Voice Instructor & Classical Soloist, Guilford,
CT
Dear David,
What a wonderful evening of illusion you provided for our area youth groups! It is not easy
to keep middle school youngsters engaged
for a whole hour, but you did so with your easy
sense of style and your astonishing illusions.
Thank you for involving the young people as
participants in the show. They really enjoyed
that! Let's plan to do this again.
The Rev. Peggy Allen
North Guilford Congregational Church, CT
What Needs to be Done?
To help make your event as
magical as possible, please read
the following VERY CAREFULLY. Be sure to keep this
page in a safe place. THANKS!
CALL DAVID THE WEEK OF
PERFORMANCE 860-304-0021: We will
finalize details and last-minute changes.
CONFIRM PUBLICITY: Check to make
sure flyers, posters, newspaper articles, tickets
and or radio announcements have been done.
FACILITIES: It is understood that to provide the best possible magical experience,
David needs a performance area at least 12
feet wide and 8 feet deep, which is raised at
least 1 foot for every 100 people in attendance
(e.g. floor level for 75 people, 2 ft for 225 people, 4 ft for 400 people). You will also be responsible for providing 110 volt AC
grounded electricity to within 5 feet of the
performance area. This area needs to be in
front of a neutral background (usually a solid
wall with no backlight, windows, mirrors,
doorways or other distractions). Otherwise,
some of the most powerful magic will be limited.
DIRECTIONS: Please send directions to
David at 8 Prospect Street, Essex, CT 06426.
You may also e-mail directions to
[email protected]
PUSH BROOM & VACUUM FOR
CONFETTI: Please have someone on hand
to help clean up a significant amount of confetti in the stage area.
READ THIS!
ARRIVAL, LOADING &
DEPARTURE: David will arrive 90-120
minutes before the performance. Please
have someone there to assist with unloading equipment before and reloading it after the performance. David is usually
driving away 60 minutes following the
performance.
PRIVACY: It is understood that in order
to provide a mystifying experience of
wonder, David will need secured privacy
for setting up his show without being interrupted. He also needs a secure place to
store packing cases.
LEVITATION & ILLUSIONS: If
David will suspend someone in the air or
perform another illusion for your guests,
please have that person arrive one
hour before the performance. Lighter,
more slender people work well for his
illusions. David prefers to levitate
women, and he will only put a man in the
guillotine.
RECORDING: It is understood that
there will be no video recording of the
performance without his permission.
TAX WITHHOLDING: It is also understood that David Reed-Brown is hired
as an independent contractor and not as
an employee. As an independent contractor, he assumes all responsibility for withholding tax and social security.
CANCELLATION of the performance
or any CHANGES to the scheduled date
and time must be agreed on by both parties. Please refer to the confirmation letter. Thank you.
The Pictorial Gazette
Do you believe in magic?
Rev. David Reed-Brown does
Old Saybrook, Connecticut
By Steven Scarpa Staff Writer
ESSEX -"Did you know you have magic in you?"
With these simple words, the Rev. David Reed-Brown
can begin to evoke wonder. Reed-Brown, of the First
Baptist Church in Essex, is an accomplished illusionist
who will perform at a benefit. for "My Brother's
Keeper," a home for HIV positive men in New Haven.
The benefit will take place at the Ivoryton Congregational Church Friday, May 14.
"A good magician will say, 'I am a magician and so are
you'," Reed-Brown said quoting one of his mentor's,
the award-winning stage illusionist, Jeff McBride.
Reed-Brown, 31, has been performing magic since he
was 8 years old. "My grandfather did parlor tricks for
company and he passed it on to my father and
brother," he said. Reed-Brown tells the story of how, at
age 4, his brother would tease him by making pennies
appear out of thin air in front of his face. "It drove me
up a wall," Reed-Brown laughed. So, young David
hunted through his brother's room while he was away
at camp and found the magic set that his brother
owned. By the time his brother returned home, ReedBrown began mastering his own tricks.
Although his performing looks effortless, nothing is
further from the truth. Reed-Brown continues the
process of improving his skills by rehearsing about 10
hours a week and attending a magic school under some
of the foremost illusionists in the country, including
Jeff McBride and six-time close-up magician of the
year, Eugene Burger.
"Even though it looks smooth, every last detail I scrutinize," Reed-Brown said.
Reed-Brown equates his illusion act with a profound
belief in the spiritual. "Magic is about 'wow,'
amazement, mystery, and wonder. That is also
what my ministry is about. The focus is that God
is there and on all of God's mystery and wonder,"
Reed-Brown said.
Reed-Brown believes that both magic and religion
provide similar outlets for human beings to examine the world. "It is sparking a sense of wonder
and awe in something else," he said.
A trick Reed-Brown does in this vein is to ask a
person to write their name across a playing card
and place it into the middle of a deck. As this is
done, he asks whether or not the person had ever
been lost as a young child. After receiving an affirmative answer Reed-Brown speaks about how
scary it can be to be lost and how you begin to
fear that you might never be found again. As this
happens he shuffles the cards and his reflection
shifts to how similar that feeling is to being without God. By the time he is done speaking about
the joy of being found by God, the card appears
in a tiny box that has rested on the table the
whole time. "The magical effect becomes a metaphor," Reed-Brown said.
Of course, as Reed-Brown is quick to point out,
religious content in his shows is used only in the
appropriate setting. But as he says, there is always
"some mystery and goodness and hope."
"It is a lot of fun and extremely interactive,"
Reed-Brown said.
Interactive can also describe Reed-Brown's intense relationship with the community and his
parish. He has been at the First Baptist Church in
Essex, Connecticut, since 1994, and he is chairman of the Shoreline Soup Kitchen Board of
Trustees. This summer he will also be taking
young people to Vermont to help rebuild lowincome housing.
Reed--Brown
The Meaningful Magic of David Reed
Corporate Customers & Schools
The Griswold Inn * Liberty Bank * Pizza Hut * Newport Creamery
Bishop’s Orchards * Amerbelle Corporation * Jackson Chevrolet
Deep River Elementary * Essex Elementary * St. John’s of Old Saybrook
David Reed-Brown
“Amazing, baffling and charming. A
joy to work with! “
The Griswold Inn, Essex, CT
“David is a class act all the way.”
Mayor Lloyd Beachy, New London
“That was absolutely wonderful!!
A sheer delight.”
Chief G’tine’mong
Mohegan Tribe of Indians
Join Me
on a magical
journey of
mystery, meaning
and hope.
Rediscover the
amazing joy of
WONDER!
Who Knows…
You might just
find some special
magic within
yourself!
I Will
Perform sleight
of hand in
YOUR hands!
Read your mind!
Find money in
impossible
places.
Float objects &
friends!
Provide fun,
laughter & joy
for all
Perform Grand
Illusions
Meaningful Magic
For Special Occasions
Delightful Stage & Stand-Up Shows Grand Illusions
Mysterious Strolling Close-Up Magic Master of Ceremonies
Private Parties Special Custom Events
Direct: 860-304-0021
[email protected]
www.Reed-Brown.com
“Suspended my daughter,
leaving the audience gasping…”
Rev. Matt McCaffrey, Bethany, CT
“David presents baffling illusions with
warmth, humor & style”
Rev. Eric Anderson, Seymore, CT
“David will be a repeat for us!!”
Old Saybrook Estuary Council
“David delivered precisely what he
offered and more - a full evening standup show of incredible & meaningful
illusions flown to Kansas City! ”
The Rev. Michael Crane, Kansas City
“People were truly amazed at the
sophistication… David artfully
weaves audience participation… He
has a warm and pleasing persona which
captivates viewers and draws them
right in. The performance was days ago,
but the magic lingers on.”
Maggie Lewis, M&M Benefit Board, New
York City
Choose the Right Package for Your Event
ILLUSION, WONDER & YOU This stand-up show will keep people talking
about you and your event for years to come! The forty-five minute act is for audiences
of 25 to 1000 or more. Stunning and inspiring magic includes advanced sleight of
hand manipulation, special effects, uplifting audience participation and grand illusions
(guillotine and / or a floating woman). The show is self-contained with lights, PA,
wireless sound and beautiful music. The theme and length of the show can be customized to your event and is perfect for banquets, cabaret, stage, clubs, community
groups, schools, religious organizations, retirement communities and benefits.
STROLLING CLOSE-UP MAGIC David moves among smaller groups of
your guests to share apparent miracles only inches in front of them and even in their
hands. It is great for successful parties, receptions and restaurants who want to create a
memorable and successful atmosphere.
THE PARTY SHOW This is a thirty minute show of fun, amazing magic for
smaller, private audiences. It can even be done in a living room. Options include
Grand Illusions and animal balloons for children when appropriate.
GRAND ILLUSIONS David can bring a memorable and spectacular flair with
his heroic guillotine or by helping a volunteer suspend herself in mid-air - for a
small additional fee.
MASTER OF CEREMONIES Assure yourself of a great event by having David
present a customized set of magic and humor as Master of Ceremonies for your next
event. He can customize the magic to suit the purpose of your function. This is a very
effective way to blend multiple presentations with fun, wonder and variety.