Project 365 (180/365): Wayne Houchin

.:180/365: Wayne Houchin:.

I figured now would be a good time to talk about Wayne Houchin, as street magic is right up his alley.

One of the young up-and-comer performers of our generation, Houchin has established himself as a premiere performer and thinker in the magic industry, having grabbed headlines from the very first moment he performed an upside-down straightjacket escape in the middle of a busy thoroughfare at the tender age of sixteen. The man has taken his act to the streets, to the bars, and all the way to the stage.

A man who has not only proven his skill in magic and even mentalism, Houchin, as one of the consultants to Criss Angel’s program, “Mindfreak,” has contributed a great deal to the industry with his own creations and effects that have become household names over time, such as Sinful, as well as his take on Stigmata. As one of the performers for Ellusionist at the time, he definitely gained some measure of notoriety not just for being an excellent perform, but for being quite a hit with the ladies, at the same time.

In the late 2000’s, Houchin jumped ship from Ellusionist to Theory 11, thereby cementing his status as a revolutionary force in the magic industry. His subtleties and skills are laudable, and his ability to create stunning effects without requiring an inordinate amount of dexterity has allowed many new magicians the opportunity to shine in other aspects of the art, such as story-telling and exuding charisma. Personally, I’ve used at least two of his routines, and will continue to do so, simply because he has made it simple to be amazing.

So I guess this short bit on Mr. Houchin is both my way of acclaiming the man and thanking him for the measure of influence he has had on me. He may not have altered the way I perform the way Penn and Teller or Derren Brown have, but it’s safe to say that seeing how I’ve used routines that originated from him, his repertoire is definitely something I find effective and impactful enough to include in my performances, as I tend to cherry-pick only the routines that would grab attention in my performing style, and there’s no question that Wayne’s extensive body of work really has something for almost any performer looking to buffer their repertoire as well.

The scariest thing about Wayne is not how successful he has been in the industry. To me, the scariest thing is he truly believes in his heart that he hasn’t even begun just yet. There’s more to come from this man, and with a mind as prime as his for magic, the sheer potential of contributions he can bestow upon the art staggers me.

Wayne Houchin is already big at present, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he kicks it up another notch just before this decade ends.