Bethany College’s Communications Department and Student Government Association will present “THE MAGIC LESSON” with Dan Kamin -
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:20
Bethany College’s Communications Department and Student Government Association will present “THE MAGIC LESSON” with Dan Kamin - Bethany College
Bethany College’s Communications Department and Student Government Association will present “THE MAGIC LESSON” with Dan Kamin
Bethany College’s Communications Department and Student Government Association will present
“THE MAGIC LESSON” with Dan Kamin
on April 22 at 7 p.m. in Steinman Fine Arts Center.
“THE MAGIC LESSON”
is
an evening of Dan Kamin’s
dazzling deceptions along with true tales of the criminals, cardsharps and master magicians who taught him to do them. It’s a hilarious coming of age storydisguised as a wildly entertaining magic show. In his pursuit of magical secrets Dan crossed paths with a rogue’s gallery of weird and wonderful characters, including notorious con man, Evil Eye Finkle, legendary sleight-of-hand artist Tony Slydini, and many more. And now you can meet them too, in “
THE MAGIC LESSON
.”
A master of movement as well as magic, Dan trained Robert Downey, Jr. for his Oscar-nominated performance in “
Chaplin”
and created Johnny Depp’s comedy moves for “
Benny and Joon.”
He also played the wooden Indian that came to life in the cult horror classic “
Creepshow 2
.”
Dan performs in theatres and with symphony orchestras worldwide.
“‘
THE MAGIC LESSON’
is pure delight! Dan Kamin conjures up an evening of unforgettable characters, irresistible comedy and unbelievable magic,” said Mary Leb, program manager, Carnegie hall, Lewisburg, W.Va.
Dan Kamin Q&A (Cleared for publication)
What got you interested in the type of stuff you do?
I am overly susceptible to movies. As a kid I saw a movie about Houdini which led to my becoming a boy magician. In college at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, I saw a Charlie Chaplin film, and before long I was touring the country as a mime. Yet despite a lifetime of watching superhero films I have failed to develop superhuman powers.
Why did you want to be a performer?
I would have much preferred to be a bagboy or stock clerk at the local supermarket, because those guys all seemed to have cars and girlfriends. When the supermarket wouldn’t hire me the only way I could think of to make money was doing magic shows at kids’ birthday parties. Unfortunately, the kids were sugar-crazed and unruly, I never earned enough to buy a car, and I soon discovered that doing magic was like spraying myself with girl repellent.
How did you learn magic?
That’s what I reveal in “
The Magic Lesson
,” but here’s a little preview. I grew up in Miami, then as now a haven for crackpots and criminals. Every Saturday the local magicians would gather for lunch at a downtown diner, and that place became my Hogwarts. The magicians were generous about sharing their trade secrets, as were the cardsharps and con men who occasionally dropped in. When I was sixteen one of the cardsharps invited me to be a dealer on a gambling boat, a very flattering and tempting alternative to birthday party gigs.
Did you take the job?
I’ll save that story for the show.
Okay, so after you saw that Chaplin film in college, how did you learn to do mime and physical comedy?
A man named Jewel Walker who was teaching in the school’s drama department did an amazing show on campus in which he combined eye-popping movement illusions with silent acting, and my head exploded. Like my magic mentors Jewel generously shared the secrets of his craft, thus destroying whatever chance I had of living a normal life.
So, are you a mime?
I tried, but I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. This was fortunate, since now everyone hates mimes, and really, who can blame them?
Is it just you in your performances?
Usually there’s also an audience. I refuse to go on if I outnumber the audience.
You often perform with symphonies. Do you play an instrument?
I play the buffoon, cheapening the classical experience and making it great fun for everyone except for conductors, who hate and fear me.
What can the audience expect at one of your performances?
A lifetime of regret.
What was it like working with Robert Downey Jr. and Johnny Depp?
I taught Depp how to roll the coin around his fingers the way he does at the end of the first “
Pirates of the Caribbean”
movie
. But does he call? Never.
How often do you come up with new performances?
Whenever I’m artistically inspired, or someone offers me money. Which may be the same thing, come to think of it.
What other types of places do you perform?
I’ve performed in just about every imaginable setting—factories, theaters, crowded city streets, even mental hospitals.
For
the patients, I hasten to add, not
as
a patient.
What makes these different than performing for a huge audience in a theater?
I love performing for hospital patients or old people because they can’t run very fast. Large audiences tend to turn into angry mobs of screaming, torch-bearing villagers out for my blood.
What do you do when you perform on the street?
You can see me streetwalking
here
.
Have you ever been in any movies yourself?
I played the wooden Indian that comes to life in
“Creepshow 2.”
When the film came out “
People Magazine”
said the Indian was ‘played by Dan Kamin in the most truly wooden performance of all time,’ and the “
Philadelphia Inquirer”
added that ‘George Kennedy is pitted against a wooden Indian in a cruelly unfair acting contest.’ I’m still trying to figure out whether these are raves or pans.
Any other movie work?
I did cameos in “Chaplin” and “Benny and Joon,” and you can watch me cavorting with the stars
here
. I also played a small, uncredited role in D.W. Griffith’s, “Birth of a Nation.”
Wait, wasn’t The Birth of a Nation made in 1915?
Don’t quibble.
Do you have a favorite performance?
The next one.
Do you have any suggestions for anyone interested in this type of performing?
Seek counseling at once.
Is this your first performance at Bethany?
No, but it will almost certainly be my last.
CLICK
HERE
TO SEE A RECENT TV INTERVIEW WITH DAN.
Contact: Matt Riddle, Bethany Student,
(304) 590-5308,
mriddlewv@yahoo.com
or
David Deluliis, Communications Department professor,
DDeluliis@bethanywv.edu
Bethany College’s Communications Department and Student Government Association will present “THE MAGIC LESSON” with Dan Kamin
Bethany College’s Communications Department and Student Government Association will present
“THE MAGIC LESSON” with Dan Kamin
on April 22 at 7 p.m. in Steinman Fine Arts Center.
“THE MAGIC LESSON”
is
an evening of Dan Kamin’s
dazzling deceptions along with true tales of the criminals, cardsharps and master magicians who taught him to do them. It’s a hilarious coming of age storydisguised as a wildly entertaining magic show. In his pursuit of magical secrets Dan crossed paths with a rogue’s gallery of weird and wonderful characters, including notorious con man, Evil Eye Finkle, legendary sleight-of-hand artist Tony Slydini, and many more. And now you can meet them too, in “
THE MAGIC LESSON
.”
A master of movement as well as magic, Dan trained Robert Downey, Jr. for his Oscar-nominated performance in “
Chaplin”
and created Johnny Depp’s comedy moves for “
Benny and Joon.”
He also played the wooden Indian that came to life in the cult horror classic “
Creepshow 2
.”
Dan performs in theatres and with symphony orchestras worldwide.
“‘
THE MAGIC LESSON’
is pure delight! Dan Kamin conjures up an evening of unforgettable characters, irresistible comedy and unbelievable magic,” said Mary Leb, program manager, Carnegie hall, Lewisburg, W.Va.
Dan Kamin Q&A (Cleared for publication)
What got you interested in the type of stuff you do?
I am overly susceptible to movies. As a kid I saw a movie about Houdini which led to my becoming a boy magician. In college at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, I saw a Charlie Chaplin film, and before long I was touring the country as a mime. Yet despite a lifetime of watching superhero films I have failed to develop superhuman powers.
Why did you want to be a performer?
I would have much preferred to be a bagboy or stock clerk at the local supermarket, because those guys all seemed to have cars and girlfriends. When the supermarket wouldn’t hire me the only way I could think of to make money was doing magic shows at kids’ birthday parties. Unfortunately, the kids were sugar-crazed and unruly, I never earned enough to buy a car, and I soon discovered that doing magic was like spraying myself with girl repellent.
How did you learn magic?
That’s what I reveal in “
The Magic Lesson
,” but here’s a little preview. I grew up in Miami, then as now a haven for crackpots and criminals. Every Saturday the local magicians would gather for lunch at a downtown diner, and that place became my Hogwarts. The magicians were generous about sharing their trade secrets, as were the cardsharps and con men who occasionally dropped in. When I was sixteen one of the cardsharps invited me to be a dealer on a gambling boat, a very flattering and tempting alternative to birthday party gigs.
Did you take the job?
I’ll save that story for the show.
Okay, so after you saw that Chaplin film in college, how did you learn to do mime and physical comedy?
A man named Jewel Walker who was teaching in the school’s drama department did an amazing show on campus in which he combined eye-popping movement illusions with silent acting, and my head exploded. Like my magic mentors Jewel generously shared the secrets of his craft, thus destroying whatever chance I had of living a normal life.
So, are you a mime?
I tried, but I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. This was fortunate, since now everyone hates mimes, and really, who can blame them?
Is it just you in your performances?
Usually there’s also an audience. I refuse to go on if I outnumber the audience.
You often perform with symphonies. Do you play an instrument?
I play the buffoon, cheapening the classical experience and making it great fun for everyone except for conductors, who hate and fear me.
What can the audience expect at one of your performances?
A lifetime of regret.
What was it like working with Robert Downey Jr. and Johnny Depp?
I taught Depp how to roll the coin around his fingers the way he does at the end of the first “
Pirates of the Caribbean”
movie
. But does he call? Never.
How often do you come up with new performances?
Whenever I’m artistically inspired, or someone offers me money. Which may be the same thing, come to think of it.
What other types of places do you perform?
I’ve performed in just about every imaginable setting—factories, theaters, crowded city streets, even mental hospitals.
For
the patients, I hasten to add, not
as
a patient.
What makes these different than performing for a huge audience in a theater?
I love performing for hospital patients or old people because they can’t run very fast. Large audiences tend to turn into angry mobs of screaming, torch-bearing villagers out for my blood.
What do you do when you perform on the street?
You can see me streetwalking
here
.
Have you ever been in any movies yourself?
I played the wooden Indian that comes to life in
“Creepshow 2.”
When the film came out “
People Magazine”
said the Indian was ‘played by Dan Kamin in the most truly wooden performance of all time,’ and the “
Philadelphia Inquirer”
added that ‘George Kennedy is pitted against a wooden Indian in a cruelly unfair acting contest.’ I’m still trying to figure out whether these are raves or pans.
Any other movie work?
I did cameos in “Chaplin” and “Benny and Joon,” and you can watch me cavorting with the stars
here
. I also played a small, uncredited role in D.W. Griffith’s, “Birth of a Nation.”
Wait, wasn’t The Birth of a Nation made in 1915?
Don’t quibble.
Do you have a favorite performance?
The next one.
Do you have any suggestions for anyone interested in this type of performing?
Seek counseling at once.
Is this your first performance at Bethany?
No, but it will almost certainly be my last.
CLICK
HERE
TO SEE A RECENT TV INTERVIEW WITH DAN.
Contact: Matt Riddle, Bethany Student,
(304) 590-5308,
mriddlewv@yahoo.com
or
David Deluliis, Communications Department professor,
DDeluliis@bethanywv.edu