Multi-award winning illusionist Wayne Hoffman performed at Cabrini University on Friday, September 1. Hoffman, author of the best-selling book “Mind Candy,” performed his show of the same name in Cabrini’s Grace Hall in front of dozens of students. The distinguished illusionist fascinated audiences while encouraging students to appreciate the magic in life.
Hoffman expressed nothing but enthusiasm in a pre-performance interview.
“I’m back at Cabrini. I’ve been here multiple times and its always a blast. The students are always ready to get their minds blown and I’m ready to perform for them,” Hoffman said. “I love it [here]. I actually grew up forty-five minutes from here in Reading, Pa., so it always feels like I’m coming back home when I come to Cabrini.”
Hoffman’s enthusiasm showed throughout his performance. Using his mentalist powers, he read the minds of students, predicting their names, reading their thoughts and even guessing their phone numbers.
Wayne Hoffman began performing magic when he was younger. He discovered his curiosity of magic after he entered a magic shop.
“That’s where I got interested in mysterious things: magic and sleight of hand and then later went into college and studied psychology,” Hoffman said. “That’s when I got interested in the science of the mind. And then I kind of combined those two and the rest is history.”
Cabrini’s director of Student Engagement and Leadership (SEaL), Amber Lajeunesse, who helped plan the event, explained how Hoffman’s show impacts Cabrini’s community and why the Campus Activities and Programming Board (CAP) decided to bring him back again.
“He’s been to campus before; students really love him. The new students might not have seen him yet and our returners would love to see him again,” Lajeunesse said. “He’s pretty spectacular, so we’re very excited for him to be here.”
Joseph Brennan, a freshman English and writing major, thoroughly enjoyed the show.
“I think my favorite part would have to be all of it. I think all of it. It was insane,” Brennan said. “I haven’t seen anything like this before. Wayne Hoffman is amazing!”
One of Hoffman’s most impressive tricks involved twins and their auras. In this trick, Hoffman invited two twin audience members up to the stage. He then touched one of them with an object and the other person felt the same thing.
Senior student Jack Dunleavy, who has seen Hoffman perform at Cabrini in years prior, had similar inclinations toward how Cabrini students feel about Hoffman’s perennial visit to campus.
“These events are a good place to meet up and hang out,” Dunleavy said. “A lot of my friends were either planning the event or coming to see it.”
When asked to describe Hoffman’s performance after the show ended, Dunleavy had had but one word: magical.
To some, “magical” doesn’t come close to describing the experience.
Freshman student Patrick Bell attended the event and expressed that his mind was indeed blown.
“I’ve honestly never seen a show like his before,” Bell said. “I’ve seen some other magicians and other performers, but this show was crazy.”
Though the perplexing acts Hoffman executed created a jaw-dropping performance, Hoffman ended the show on a gentler note, emphasizing to live life with a childlike sense of wonder rather than to be stuck in routines.
“Don’t go through life hypnotized,” Hoffman said. “Use the sense of wonder you had as a kid. Imagination is extremely powerful.”
Videos by Aidan Meagher.
