Podcasts

Learn more about Rory Rennick by visiting his website and following him on Instagram and Facebook.

Magic historians have consistently overlooked the significant contributions Black magicians have made to the craft. Perhaps no magician in history has a more fascinating backstory than Henry “Box” Brown. Born into slavery, Brown mailed himself to freedom in a box, and then became an accomplished touring magician. To help us recount Brown’s fascinating life, Jay enlists Henry’s biographer, Rory Rennick.

Henry Brown was a slave in the 1850’s who thought of a very novel and magical way to disappear. Magician Rory Rennick has done extensive research on this amazing piece of history.

Backstage S.A.M. is hosted by Bruce Kalver and presented thanks to a grant from The Society of American Magicians Magic Endowment Fund. Support the podcast by joining the S.A.M. at www.magicsam.com

The show this week is a special episode produced in collaboration with Liberty Magic, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and Eric Jones. Last week on the live stream Liberty Magic At Home Eric Jones facilitated a conversation between Ran’D Shine, Rory Rennick, and Tessa and Jeff Evason who are known professionally as the Evansons, around social injustice within the community of magic theatre and cultural appropriation in the history of the performance of magic. This is a special edit of that broadcast, and the full show can be seen at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKNNgh221Ik with more information at TrustArts.org. Included at the top is a brief history by Rorry Rennick on America’s first African American magician Henry Box Brown.

On the show this week Erik Tait takes a step back to elevate the voices of some persons of color. Rory Rennick, one of the foremost scholars of historical black magicians facilitates a conversation with Ran’D Shine and Paris the Hip Hop Juggler.

Ran’D Shine has been a featured performer at two presidential inaugurations, as well as Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and was the subject of the 2015 short Film Three Quarters.

Paris was given the name “The Hip Hop Juggler” by Al Roker himself, and has been dazzling audiences with his brand of juggling for over a decade. He trained David Blaine for his Electrified stunt, and has appeared on Sesame Street and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

More information about these performers can be found at their websites:
www.randyshine.com
www.hiphopjuggler.com
www.roryrennickmagic.com