I.B.M. Ring 362 The Maine Mystics Bangor, Maine
Home WEAR 2007 Photo Gallery Press Releases Documentation Coverage MySpace		Worldwide Escape Artist Relay 2007 - Press Releases Press Release   Date   Source Call for participants   January 2007   Dr. Wilson Houdini's Spirit   September 2007   Dr. Wilson Arthur and Helen Coghlan   September 2007   Arthur Coghlan Knotty Bits Sideshow   September 27, 2007   Gwyd Sidhe Dave Matkin   September 28, 2007   Dave Matkin Phil Dalton   October 7, 2007   Phil Dalton Jonathan Bryce   October 14, 2007   Jonathan Bryce Tony Chapparo   October 14, 2007   Tony Chapparo The Great Cindini   October 15, 2007   The Great Cindini Thomas Blacke   October 25, 2007   Thomas Blacke Dr. Wilson "Presence"   September 28, 2007   Dr. Wilson Dr. Wilson "Magic Week"   October 5, 2007   Dr. Wilson Dr. Wilson "Rope Challenge"   October 12, 2007   Dr. Wilson Dr. Wilson "Halloween Festival"   October 20, 2007   Dr. Wilson

Escape artists around the world are planning the second Worldwide Escape Artist Relay (WEAR) for Saturday, October 27, 2007. WEAR 2007 will circle the globe as participants escape from handcuffs, chains, straitjackets, and other restraints while facing drowning, impalement, explosives or the humiliation of public failure. The participating escape artists hope that the event will restore the art of escape to its rightful place in the public imagination. This is expected to be the largest coordinated performance by escape artists in history. The first event in October 2005 attracted over fifty performers, and earned a mention in Ripley's "Expect...The Unexpected" as well as extensive media coverage.

WEAR 2007 began as a idea among escape artists on the internet, and has attracted a large number of well-known performers. These include holders of world records (Thomas Blacke, Cindini, Matt The Knife, and David Straitjacket), headline acts from Cannon's Escape Artist Convention (Thomas Blacke, Kristen Johnson, Kevin Ridgeway, and Thomas Solomon), performers with extensive television credits (Steve Baker, Andrew Basso, Michael Berends), and the resident escape artist of the Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA (Dorothy Dietrich).

I.B.M. Ring 362 in Bangor, Maine, is hosting the registration page on its web site. Over one hundred escape artists from fourteen different countries have already registered.

Registration is open to all at no cost. To register for WEAR 2007, see the website for Ring 362 (www.ibmring362.org) or call Paul Szauter at (207)-288-0388.

Harry Houdini, the most famous magician that ever lived, died on Halloween in 1926. Houdini's spirit lives on in the heart of every escape artist of today. This year, escape artists around the world have banded together to honor the art form that Houdini perfected. On October 27, just a few days before the eighty-first anniversary of Houdini's death, over one hundred escape artists in fourteen countries will perform public escapes in the largest coordinated performance by escape artists in history.

The Worldwide Escape Artist Relay (or WEAR) began as an idea among escape artists exchanging ideas on the internet. The first event in October 2005 attracted over fifty performers and received widespread coverage. WEAR 2007, the second time that the feat has been organized, is expected to have double the number of performers. The event is being organized through a registration page on the website hosted by Ring 362 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (www.ibmring362.org).

WEAR 2007 has attracted a number of well-known performers. These include holders of world records (Thomas Blacke, Cindini, Matt The Knife, and David Straitjacket), performers with extensive television credits (Steve Baker, Andrew Basso, Michael Berends), the resident escape artist of the Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA (Dorothy Dietrich), and a performer based in Houdini's adopted hometown of Appleton, WI (Michael Schroeder).

(Insert your details here.)

Father and Daughter to Perform Double Wine Keg Escape
Helen & Arthur Coghlan with the wine keg for their double escape		Arthur and Helen Coghlan, father and daughter team, will perform a double escape from a genuine wooden wine keg (very tight fit) on October 27th at approximately 4:00 pm. Time is subject to change to work with the media. It will take place in front of Dracula's award winning theatre restaurant, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The keg will be subject to rigid scrutiny (as they believe all escapes should be) immediately before and after the escape. Once locked in by independent locksmiths, a petrol motor that has the exhaust attached to the bung hole of the keg, will be started. A curtain will be raised as the keg starts to fill with deadly carbon monoxide. No masks will be worn and they are looking at a time frame of about three minutes to be out, leaving the barrel still securely locked. We are happy to register for WEAR 2007. Our web site is www.arthurcoghlan.com. Arthur is also presenting an escape and lecture and launching a book he has written at the Cannon's Great Escape Convention in Ontario, California - 5th to 7th October.

Worldwide Escape Artist Relay comes to Grand Rapids!
Houdini's Spirit Still Lives After 81 Years
Sylver Fyre, of the Knotty Bits Sideshow, trains for her daring escape.		Harry Houdini, the most famous magician that ever lived, died on Halloween in 1926. Houdini's spirit lives on in the heart of every escape artist of today. This year, escape artists around the world have banded together to honor the art form that Houdini perfected. On October 27, just a few days before the eighty-first anniversary of Houdini's death, over eighty escape artists in thirteen countries will perform public escapes in the largest coordinated performance by escape artists in history. The Worldwide Escape Artist Relay (or WEAR) began as an idea among escape artists exchanging ideas on the internet. The first event in October 2005 attracted over fifty performers and received widespread coverage. WEAR 2007, the second time that the feat has been organized, is expected to have double the number of performers. The event is being organized through a registration page on the website hosted by Ring 362 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians ( www.ibmring362.org). Representing Grand Rapids MI, two local escape artists/sideshow performers from the Knotty Bits Sideshow ( www.knottybitssideshow.com) will be throwing their hats into the ring to perform their own unique escapes. Sylver Fyre, an aerial acrobat in the style of Cirque Du Soleil, will climb unassisted up hanging fabric in her presentation of "Before the Fall." Once at height, she will grasp the fabric firmly with her feet and ankles, at which point her hands will be tied together with police issue flex cuffs (Industrial Zip Ties). She will then let go of the fabric with her hands and fall, caught only by the fabric held between her ankles, unable to climb back up until she frees her hands. Will she be able to escape before the strength in her feet gives out, or will she plummet headfirst to the concrete below? Gwyd the Unusual will put his control of mind and body to the test in his escape "Snapped." Slowing his pulse and breathing to almost subliminal levels, he will be bound in a canvas strait jacket, and a plastic bag will be secured over his head. To ensure that there is no second breath available, the remaining air in the bag will then be sucked out with a vacuum. To complicate matters even further and to test the control he has over pain, he will perform his escape barefoot on a stage covered with over 100 mousetraps, each one set and ready to go off. If the mousetraps disrupt his concentration, his heart rate will rise, using up what air he has even faster! The WEAR escape show is free and open to the public. It will take place October 27th, 8 pm outside The Haunt ( www.the-haunt.com) at 2070 Waldorf NW, Walker, MI 49544.

Latest Escape Bid is Wheelie Tough
Dave Matkin (Reprinted from the Burton Mail, 9/28/2007)		An escapologist and magician born with club feet is preparing for his most logic-defying great escape yet. David Matkin, of Excelsior Drive, Woodville, is renowned across Burton and South Derbyshire for his wacky forms of entertainment to raise awareness of a charity close to his heart. In 2005, he escaped from four pairs of handcuffs in the back of a police van in Burton town centre with no tools or keys to assist him. Last year he faced a triathlon of challenges - first a tandem sky dive, then an escape from a locked and chained cage and finally juggling fire clubs - while blindfolded. This time around he will be shackled, handcuffed, chained and then plunged into a wheelie bin, which may be full of water, if the father-of-two's chest infection has cleared up. He will need to overcome his bonds in a very tight enclosed space, then he will need to bypass a secure padlock to open a small flap in the lid. The 32-year-old can then tackle the combination lock holding the lid shut. He will not be able to see this final lock so will be working blind, and running out of air rapidly. The event, to take place on Friday, October 27, at a venue yet to be decided, will coincide with a World Wide Escape Artist Relay ( WEAR) to mark 81 years since the death of famous magician Harry Houdini. Artists from all over the world will be performing stunts to raise the profile of escapology. Mr Matkin hopes his efforts will have raised awareness of national charity Steps, of which he is a trustee, and which campaigns on behalf of those with lower limb conditions. He said: "Escapology is such good fun, and doing things like this is a brilliant opportunity to raise awareness of the charity and what we do." "I am trying to build up my standards with the tricks by making what I do a little bit more difficult every year." Mr. Matkin was introduced to magic tricks by a nurse when he was hospitalised for long periods as a child. Club foot is a degenerative foot disorder in which one foot is turned in towards the other. Mr Matkin describes his condition as "moderate." However, he was in and out of hospital for the first eight years of life and required further surgery throughout his teens. He spent most of his final year at university in a wheelchair and had to have his left ankle permanently fused in 2004 after it collapsed. Slowly his feet and ankles will continue to deteriorate and it is likely he will one day face amputation of one or both lower legs.

On October 27, 2007, Cincinnati illusionist Phil Dalton will be shackled and locked inside a wooden crate which sits directly beneath a wrecking ball. The rope holding the massive weight will be set on fire, and will eventually burn through and send the ball plummeting, smashing the box—whether or not Phil is still inside! This will take place at Jungle Jim's market in Fairfield, and the actual crate is currently on display inside the store for anyone who cares to examine it. Jungle Jim's is located at 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, OH 45014.

The time for the event is 2:00 P.M. Cost: Free. For more information, visit www.phildalton.com or call (513) 741-4177.

On October 27th, 2007, Jonathon Bryce will attempt to perform 24 escapes in 24 hours in 24 different cities around the state of Minnesota. This attempt is in conjunction with the World Escape Artist Relay (W.E.A.R.) and is considered a record setting attempt by Record Holders Registry. Starting at the stroke of midnight in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jonathon will perform one escape in each of the 24 cities on the top of every hour until 11:00 pm that evening. The entire planed "escape" route is as follows:

For more information, visit Jonathon at www.jonathonbryce.com

Harry Houdini, the most famous magician that ever lived, died on Halloween in 1926. Houdini's spirit lives on in the heart of every escape artist of today. This year, escape artists around the world have banded together to honor the art form that Houdini perfected. On October 27, just a few days before the eighty-first anniversary of Houdini's death, 90 escape artists in thirteen countries will perform public escapes in the largest coordinated performance by escape artists in history.

The Worldwide Escape Artist Relay (or WEAR) began as an idea among escape artists exchanging ideas on the Internet. The first event in October 2005 attracted over fifty performers, including local magician Tony Chapparo, and received widespread coverage. WEAR 2007, the second time that the feat has been organized, is expected to have double the number of performers. The event is being organized through a registration page on the website hosted by Ring 362 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians ( www.ibmring362.org).

Magician and Escape Artist Tony Chapparo will be part of the 2nd Worldwide Escape Artist Relay in an escape attempt at Perry Meadows Haunt - Rio Rancho's Premier FREE Haunted House - 916 Perry Meadows Drive NE, Rio Rancho NM. The escape is open to the public, showtime 8:30 PM. (www.perrymeadowshaunt.com). For directions: www.perrymeadowshaunt.com/map.htm.

In his contribution to WEAR II, Tony Chapparo, an Albuquerque, NM based Magician and Escape Artist, will attempt an extremely dangerous escape from a water filled Plexiglas tank.

Tony will be shackled with handcuffs, legirons and bound with 20 feet of chain and padlocks before being submerged into the glass tank which will be locked on the outside in an air tight state with massive padlocks.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Tony Chapparo (505) 239-2783

www.upclosemagic.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: PALM BEACH FLORIDA - Oct. 14th, 2007

Oct. 27th, 2007 will mark the next Worldwide Escape Artist Relay. World record holding Escape artist and Dare Damsel "The Great Cindini" will be taking her place in the event along with nearly 100 other artists from various countries. Cindini, intrigued by the latest misfortunes of one Famous European beefcake, has decided to dedicate her attempt and title her daring effort as "Prince Von Anhalt's Revenge."

During July of 2007 the Prince husband of Zsa Zsa Gabor was reportedly robbed by motorists and found stripped naked and handcuffed/bound to the steering wheel of his Rolls Royce. See report here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19984869/

On Oct. 27th Cindini will be searched, then handcuffed and bound to the steering wheel of a Rolls Royce and attempt to liberate herself. Due to the graphic nature of the attempt Media and photo taking are not allowed. She will be shrouded with a large cloth in the area of the driver's seat with witnesses present.

More information about this event can be found at the W.E.A.R. website:

http://www.ibmring362.org/WEAR2007.html

Cindini is recently noted for her incredible presentation of the 45 caliber long colt "Bullet catch." You can learn more about Cindini by visiting her website at:

www.geocities.com/Cindini_2000/escape.htm

Local magician takes on worldwide 'Escape Relay'

Written by HURD, BETH

Thursday, Oct 25 2007

By BETH HURD

This Saturday, escape artists around the world will participate in the second annual Worldwide Escape Artist Relay, the largest coordinated performance by escape artists in history. For an event that circles the globe, escape artists around the world will perform a variety of thrilling escapes, each documenting his or her performance as it takes place.

The participants will include men and women, young and old, novices and seasoned pros, some emerging from retirement for the event. The first Worldwide Escape Artist Relay was held in October 2005. More than 50 escape artists around the world participated in the historic event, escaping from handcuffs, straitjackets, chains, steel drums filled with water, steel boxes, packing crates and the "Water Torture Cell."

One of the participants is Johnston native Thomas Blacke. Now living in Cranston, he is a magician, comedian, escape artist and self-titled pickpocket. He has performed around the world and has been featured on Canadian and American television, as well as in many periodicals.

An only child, he attended Brown Avenue Elementary School, and later Cranston-Johnston Catholic Regional School, graduating from Our Lady of Providence (no longer in existence) and Rhode Island College. Although his degree is in communications and political science, he went on to study gemology and real estate.

Blacke started his business, which is based in Johnston and was once called Mysteriarch Enterprises (it is now known as Thomas Blacke Productions), in 1983. The original name was coined by Harry Houdini and is now a registered trademark of the company.

Blacke (who goes by his stage name) also adds to his accomplishments that of magic dealer, inventor, consultant, author and lecturer. He currently serves as international president of Escape Masters (The International Association of Escape Artists) and vice president of "Record Holders Republic," the registry of world records, similar to the Guinness Book of Records. He has been editor and publisher of "Escape Masters Magazine," a quarterly publication, since 2001.

"We're the only publication dedicated to escape artistry," he explained.

Blacke is also a member of the Friars' Club in New York, the prestigious Magic Circle of London, England, and the Magic Castle in Hollywood, Calif. He is also president of the "Lulu Hurst Society," now part of Escape Masters, which includes "oddball and unique entertainers."

"Being a member of the A.I.M.C., to a magician, that's like royalty, and the Magic Castle is one of the most famous magic clubs in the world," he said.

He is also a member of the International Independent Showman's Association.

A Mason and an officer in the Knights Templar, he also holds the commission of colonel in the Kentucky militia.

"I run three international organizations out of my office," he said, describing it "like a museum."

He returned earlier this month from headlining the fifth annual Escape Artists' Convention in California. He has also appeared locally at "Catch a Rising Star" at Twin River.

Blacke began performing as an amateur at the age of 9, but his interest began at the age of 6 or 7. He has been performing more than 25 years professionally. He owns more than 2,000 books on the subjects of magic, escape and Harry Houdini, which he said is not the largest in the world.

"That's not even a world record. I'm not even a collector; I mean, I've become one now," he explained.

Right-handed, he can sign his name backwards, like the "mirror writing" used by artist and inventor Leonardo Da Vinci. He loves what he calls mind tricks and teaches memory training.

His acts aim to entertain as well as thrill and amaze, part magic, part sideshow, part comedy. Blacke also has a martial arts background (he is a teacher of Ju-Jitsu) and has used some of the techniques in his act.

"I've had a lot of mentors over the years," he said, naming Norman Bigelow, now retired, who is a regular contributor to his magazine, and Spider Man creator Stan Lee, who practiced magic in his youth, as two of his favorites.

Well versed in the history of magic, Blacke said many magicians have entrusted him with their secrets to carry on their legacy. He has hosted a televised special on Houdini for the Houdini Museum, located in Appleton, Wis.

His assumed name comes from a 1980s television show that featured Hal Linden, called "Blacke's Magic." Blacke has acquired the show's original props.

Blacke holds three world records: two in balloon-tying, one in escape. He is now contacted by others trying to make their own world records.

"I have people e-mailing me all the time," he said.

Blacke will soon be attending the second World Records of Magic Show at Fantasma Magic in New York City, where last year he set a record in balloon tying and wrist strap escape. Other competitions held included fire eating, light bulb eating, card manipulation, coin production and straightjacket escape.

Blacke now spends much of his time on the road.

His advice for young magicians: "Everyone should go through 'magic boot camp.' I did it, I worked on it 24/7," he said.

The author of several books on magic, Blacke is working on a book called "Believe the Unbelievable," with several other editors, due out in 2008, which will be what he calls "The best of both worlds of 'Guinness World Book of Records' and Ripley's Believe it or Not."

Blacke is also in the process of republishing a book on Houdini, who died in 1926, called "Death Blow." He is writing a forward for the new edition; he also puts out a special Houdini issue of his magazine. He notes he was born on the same day of the month as Houdini, only in September, rather than March when Houdini was born; he is also roughly the same height and build as Houdini.

Blacke talks fast and moves fast and often creates his own illusions and tricks. His act has evolved and changed over the years.

"If you're looking for 'death-defying,' you probably want to see someone else," he said. "I always create, enlighten and entertain my audience."

"A trick is a story, with a beginning, a middle and an end," Blacke continued, noting the similarity of a trick to a half-hour comedy on television, adding that you can usually anticipate the ending. "Either you escape, or you don't escape, there can be only two options. I create a third option. A good magician brings you into his world and hopefully the story is entertaining and mystifying."

He often uses doves and rabbits for his family act.

"I've only scratched the surface, I push myself to the absolute brink, I'm always challenging myself," he said of his long list of accomplishments. "My goals have changed, I'm thinking of 'legacy pieces,' making the art better than when I found it."

He said he's looking forward to his participation in the Worldwide Escape Artists Relay on Oct. 27.

September 28, 2007. Ring 362 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians will present a special Halloween show at the historic Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor on Saturday, October 27, at 7:00 pm. The Legend of Houdini show is part of a six-day Halloween Festival at the Criterion. In honor of Houdini, who died on Halloween in 1926, the show will include escape artists participating in the Worldwide Escape Artist Relay, the largest coordinated performance by escape artists in history.

I.B.M. Ring 362 has presented two previous shows at the Criterion Theatre on the Fourth of July in 2006 and 2007. During these shows, the magicians and other performers became familiar with some of the quirks of the Criterion Theatre, which celebrates its seventy-fifth anniversary this year. The most peculiar aspect of working at the Criterion Theatre has come to be known as the "presence" on stage right.

There is a great deal more space in the stage right wing than the stage left wing, but the Stage Manager noted that performers tended to bunch up on stage left, even if they were due to enter from stage right in just a few moments. There were always excuses and explanations. Magicians tended to store their props on stage left, which quickly became cluttered with gear, while stage right was empty. When pressed, the magicians said that they wanted to give the crew plenty of room near the dimmer board, a giant antique that dates to the construction of the Criterion Theatre in 1932. Sometimes, they explained that the stage door with access to the parking lot was on stage left, so it saved a few steps to store props there.

It was the belly dancers that really started the Stage Manager thinking. The first group performed in 2006 but wouldn't return for 2007. They also lingered on stage left between dances, complaining that it was cold on stage right. The new belly dancers that performed this summer also complained of a cold spot on stage right.

One of the magicians whose specialty is psychic and spiritualistic effects toured the Criterion Theatre prior to a planned show and was shown the dimmer board on stage right. He turned pale and said that he wouldn't go near it. The Stage Manager told him that it was perfectly safe when there was no power going through it. The psychic replied that there was a power in the dimmer board at all times, and that it wasn't electrical. Shortly after, he declined to participate in the show, citing a scheduling conflict.

Even the stage crew, not normally known to be sensitive to presences, had small problems on stage right. A member of the crew was thrown into a panic when a thirty-foot microphone cable that had been placed near the sound system went missing less than an hour before curtain. The crew scrambled to find a replacement cable, getting one just in time. At the end of the show, the original cable was found neatly coiled right next to the sound system.

As the stories piled up, the magicians began to ask questions. People familiar with the Criterion Theatre and its history shared similar stories, and finally advised the magicians to practice a previously secret but time-honored tradition at the Criterion Theatre. Apparently, seasoned performers know to place a bottle of whiskey and a new cigar near the dimmer board, removing the items when the show is over. The magicians, not known to be a superstitious bunch, will nevertheless engage in this practice for the Legend of Houdini show on October 27.

The dimmer board on stage right dates from the original construction of the Criterion Theatre in 1932.	Rob Jordan of the Criterion Theatre and Arts Center makes the traditional offering of a bottle of whiskey and a fresh cigar to calm the presence on stage right.

October 5, 2007. At its meeting on October 2, the Town Council of Bar Harbor voted to proclaim October 25-31 as Magic Week. The proclamation was introduced by councilman Rob Jordan, executive director of the Criterion Theatre and Arts Center, a nonprofit organization, acting on behalf of the Society of American Magicians.

For more than forty years, the Society of American Magicians has recognized the anniversary of the death of Harry Houdini on Halloween in 1926 with a special week of events to highlight the charitable work of the Society throughout the year. Members of the Society perform for schools, libraries, children's daycare centers, and nursing homes, for those who cannot afford the luxury of live entertainment. The free shows are part of the service programs by its members.

Local magicians Dr. Wilson and Professor Miller, of Miller & Wilson's Theater of Marvels, will give a charity performance for disabled veterans at the Maine Veteran's Home in Bangor on Halloween. The pair will join three other magicians for the Legend of Houdini show at the Criterion Theatre on Saturday, October 27, at 7:00 pm, as part of the six-day Halloween Festival at the Criterion. Other members of the Society of American Magicians will perform in a community show at the Reiche Center in Portland on October 28.

The week ending on Halloween has been proclaimed as Magic Week for over forty years by states, cities, and towns across the country. So far this year, eight states have issued proclamations. The Governor's office in Maine, which has for the past four years issued a Magic Week Proclamation, declined to do so this year, citing a change in policy. A proclamation is expected to be passed by Rumford, Maine's Capital of Magic, later this month.

While Dr. Wilson was disappointed by the refusal of the Governor's office to issue a Magic Week Proclamation this year, he was not deterred from his goal of having all of Maine experience Magic Week. He has scheduled a private séance at the Criterion Theatre for October 10, where a carefully selected group of sitters will attempt to contact the departed spirit of a former Governor of Maine. Dr. Wilson hopes to have the spirit of the former Governor declare October 25-31 as Magic Week "for eternity."

Dr. Wilson recently observed, "It is easier to call forth the spirit of a dead Governor than it is to get past the press secretary of the living one."

Professor Miller and Dr. Wilson of Theater of Marvels will perform in the Legend of Houdini show at the Criterion Theatre on October 27 before giving a charity performance for disabled veterans in Bangor on Halloween as part of Magic Week.

October 13, 2007. Harry Houdini, the most famous magician that ever lived, died on Halloween in 1926. Houdini's spirit lives on in the heart of every escape artist of today. This year, escape artists around the world have banded together to honor the art form that Houdini perfected. On October 27, just a few days before the eighty-first anniversary of Houdini's death, over one hundred escape artists in thirteen countries will perform public escapes in the largest coordinated performance by escape artists in history. Ring 362 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians will present a special Halloween show at the historic Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor on Saturday, October 27, at 7:00 pm. The Legend of Houdini show is part of a six-day Halloween Festival at the Criterion.

Dr. Wilson will honor the memory of Houdini with a public performance on Saturday, October 20, at 1:30 pm on the sand bar in Frenchman Bay. He will undertake the rope challenge escape, considered by many escape artists the purest expression of the art form. Dr. Wilson will have a challenger selected from the audience by a show of applause for the most capable person. The challenger will be provided with one hundred feet of rope and two concrete cinderblocks. He will be given as much time as he likes to apply the restraints. An assistant with a stopwatch will determine the time required. After the challenger has completed his task, Dr. Wilson will be placed in the water in such a way as to allow him to breathe while attempting the escape. If Dr. Wilson cannot escape from the restraints in less time than it took to apply them, the challenger will be given $100.

The performance is free to the public. Donations to the Criterion Theatre and Arts Center will be accepted. Persons with a nautical background who are especially capable with rope are encouraged to attend.

Dr. Wilson performs the rope challenge escape at the October 2007 meeting of Ring 362 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

October 20, 2007. The Criterion Theatre and Arts Center will host a six-day Halloween Festival starting on Friday, October 26. The Halloween Festival features live performances by several community-based groups that are committed to assist the nonprofit Criterion Theatre in its fundraising efforts. The performance groups are Ring 362 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers, friends of the Jesup Library, and Acadia Community Theater. A newly-formed performance group will host the Ghost Walk. Anyone with a need to dress up and act out is welcome at the midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show that closes the festival on Halloween. The Halloween Festival, like any good Halloween party, has plenty of colorful characters. Magicians, escape artists, and belly dancers will join for the Legend of Houdini show on Saturday, October 27, at 7:00 pm. The show will include participants in the Worldwide Escape Artist Relay, the largest coordinated performance by escape artists in history. Aidan Pasha, a recent graduate of magic classes at Summer Festival of the Arts, will make his stage debut as an escape artist, joining veteran performers Dr. Wilson and Danny Baker. Professor Miller, winner of the prestigious Chung Ling Soo Award, will perform the Chinese Rings. Scot Grassette of Rumford, Maine's Capital of Magic, will perform Houdini's famous needle trick. Sideshow performer Jev Jesun of Boston and bellydance performers The Wicked Stepsisters will round out the cast. The live show will be followed by a screening of The Prestige. Pumpkin-headed ghosts and invading Martians will fill the Criterion Theatre on Sunday, October 28. Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers will present The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow at 2:00 pm; they have filled this classic American ghost story with their own wacky sense of humor. Schoolteacher Ichabod Crane tries to teach the Headless Horseman to be a little more scary in a production that also includes a beefed-up strong guy, naughty schoolkids, and plenty of sheep. Friends of the Jesup Library will read their favorite spooky stories at 5:00 pm. Acadia Community Theatre will present a staged reading of War of the Worlds at 7:00 pm. ACT's War of the Worlds uses the script of the radio play by Orson Welles that inspired widespread panic when it was first broadcast in 1938. This creepy adaptation of the story by H.G. Wells still has the power to chill as heat-ray-wielding Martians invade America. On Monday, October 29 and Tuesday, October 30, visitors to the Criterion Theatre will be taken on the Ghost Walk. The tour includes a visit to the loge, with the tale of an ill-fated production of Macbeth, a viewing of the haunted spotlight near the balcony, and a journey to stage right, site of the notorious dimmer board with its mischievous "presence." The tour ends with a chilling tale just above the speakeasy that operated in the lower level of the Criterion during Prohibition. The Halloween Festival's last live event starts at the stroke of midnight on Halloween, as trick or treaters are put to bed and grown-ups turn out for The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This campy cult classic has inspired a generation of movie fans to dress up and act out, following the movie with a well-scripted set of verbal responses and prop manipulations. Persons who have never experienced this show can purchase "virgin kits" with all the necessary props and a cue sheet. Experienced fans are encouraged to contact the Criterion Theatre in advance to express an interest in costumed performances alongside the screen, and to find out the details of theatre etiquette for this special event. Two double features round out the Halloween Festival: Wallace and Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Beetle Juice on Friday, October 26, and The Haunting and The Exorcist on October 31. Tickets to all events are available in advance through the Criterion Theatre's web site: www.criteriontheatre.com. Check the advertising materials and calendar listings, or contact the Criterion Theatre, for ticket prices and showtimes.

Aidan Pasha, Escape Artist