August 15, 2007
Ring 362 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians will hold the first annual Chung Ling Soo Stage Magic Competition at
All Souls Congregational Church in Bangor on Saturday, September 8, at 7:00 P.M. A suggested donation of $5 per person will
benefit the All Souls Youth Program. The contest honors the memory of Chung Ling Soo (1861-1918), one of the most influential
stage magicians in history. Chung Ling Soo never spoke in performance. To honor his memory, the contestants are required to
perform without speaking.
Magicians are known for surprises, and Chung Ling Soo provided one of the greatest surprises in magic history at the time of
his death: he wasn't Chinese. He was fatally shot on stage in England while performing one of his signature feats, catching
a marked bullet shot from a muzzle-loading rifle. Only after his death did the general public discover that the marvelous
Chinese conjurer who had thrilled the world with exotic Chinese magic was actually American-born William Robinson. Robinson
had a long career as an assistant and builder for Alexander Hermann and Harry Kellar, the biggest magic shows of his time,
before dropping his Western identity and becoming Chung Ling Soo. He kept up the deception offstage, appearing for interviews
in makeup and costume, speaking fake Chinese through an "interpreter," who translated for the reporters.
The contestants in the Chung Ling Soo Stage Magic Competition are free to do any kind of magic that they like, as long as they
don't speak. They will be judged by a panel of expert judges with backgrounds in theater and film. Members of the All Souls
community will provide musical entertainment to complement the magic performances.
