The audience was silent in anticipation when world-renowned card magician Paul Cummins announced that for his last trick, he would try to predict 10 cards chosen by 10 different spectators.
With smooth precision, he revealed cards one by one, and by the time he reached the end of the trick the audience erupted in applause as Cummins had successfully predicted every single card in quick fashion, finishing his act for the night at the P3 Magic Theater.
P3 Magic Theater provides an indoor space where community members can enjoy free magic shows and lectures by magicians from around the world.
Located on High Street just north of East Hudson, P3 has occupied the space for about four years, said Shaun Dunn, a manager at P3.
Dunn’s history with P3 goes back even further. As a co-founder of Paper Crane Magic, a company that sold instructional magic products and original tricks, the group eventually merged with the largest online retailer of magic tricks, Penguin Magic, to become “P3.”
“We started doing lectures that teach other magicians trade secrets, and then we started doing shows for the public around two or three years ago,” Dunn said.
Dunn said P3 works to entertain Columbus residents.
“The mission of the theater is to give the community of Columbus a great experience where people get to see magic the way it’s supposed to be shown, and give an amazing show every week where they see high quality entertainment,” Dunn said.
P3 Magic Theatre offers a free Tuesday night magic show every week, allowing viewers to see magic from renowned magicians up close. | Courtesy of Brandon Gerald.
Brandon Gerald, a magician, video director and video editor at P3, sees Columbus as a good place for a career in magic.
“The magic scene in Columbus is amazing,” he said. “The thing about Columbus that I wasn’t aware of before I moved here was that there are actually a decent amount of magicians that live here.”
Gerald said he hopes P3 can change people’s perception of magicians and the art of magic as a whole.
“Sometimes people who aren’t magicians might think that magic is hokey, or is this or that, or ‘I don’t like magicians,’” he said. “I guarantee you if they come to at least two of our shows, that’ll change their perception of what magic really is.”
As for Dunn, his view is similar.
“What we hope is that people view magic as a modern and legitimate form of entertainment,” Dunn said. “We want people to see a magician the same way they would go see their favorite band, or something like that.”‘
P3 Magic Theatre offers free shows every Tuesday night, with a different show and different magician each week. Doors open at 7 p.m. and shows start at 7:30 p.m.
