Birmingham’s new magic man

Storytelling and visual imagery have been two underlying themes throughout John Marc Green’s life. After working in newspapers and television for almost 20 years, his most recent venture as Professor Magic combines all the skills he’s learned during his career. 

After stepping away from television in 2008, Green began his own business venture, Green Media Production, producing web video for businesses. He also spent some time in filmmaking and had an entry in the 2012 Sidewalk Film Festival. 

While on a family vacation in Gatlinburg last June, Green visited a magic shop and said it felt like he was in a time warp, reminding him of his first trip into a magic shop as a child. That experience helped him reconnect with magic through his 10-year-old son, and he said he realized it was something they could enjoy together.

“That’s how most kids get into magic,” Green said. “They go into a store, the person behind the counter does a magic trick and hopes the child will ask to buy it. It’s addictive. You go back and buy another one.”

From his experience as a journalist, Green said he knew how to do his research. He found online magic shops and videos showing how to do magic tricks, and began to re-educate himself on what had been going in magic since the 1970s. He was able to do research and take an online course in presenting birthday magic shows to kids. 

“I quickly acquired a library of books, DVDs and online resources to help get me up to speed,” he said. 

Green went from rediscovering the fun of performing magic, to presenting a licensed magic and character education course by December. The course was developed by master magicians and is supplemented with professional online video instruction. He is currently the only person in Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia who is teaching this course.

“The primary subject matter is leadership, and the object lessons are built around magic tricks,” he said. “There are professionally produced practice videos the children watch as they learn to perform the tricks after I demonstrate the effects, and Michael Ammar, who first conceived the course, teaches the tricks as well.”

Also, during his research, Green found a mentor in Arch Duncan, an 81-year-old magician who is still doing shows in the Birmingham area. 

“Arch has being doing it for 30 years,” Green said. “He helped me navigate what works and what doesn’t. He helped me tremendously in figuring out what I wanted to do.”

Green came up with his character concept of Professor Magic. He wanted to perform as a character more approachable and less formal than the typical magician in a tuxedo, but less like a clown. He said the “absent-minded professor” character lends itself to comedy. 

“I also wanted to suggest a connection to education, since I plan to market myself to libraries and schools, and my Discover Magic curriculum emphasizes the educational value of magic tricks,” Green said. “Seeing magic performed live makes you think and also encourages critical thinking and problem solving.”

Green licensed the first course, designed for ages 8-12, in October and held the first class in December. Now gearing up for his second course, The Discover Magic Camp will be a summer day camp at the Virginia Samford Theatre June 6-10 from 9 a.m. to noon. 

“The classes are designed to be very inclusive of girls and boys, and the kids practice performing for each other before they perform for the class,” Green said. “I love the sense of empowerment and self confidence that performing magic can bring. It is also an art that can be done solo anytime, anywhere and is also inexpensive.”

Graduates from the course can come back and assist in magic service projects, including those in assisted living facilities, hospitals and for the homeless, he said.

“It’s for those who wouldn’t otherwise get to see a magic show and get a well-deserved 30-minute break from reality,” Green said.

In addition to performing at birthday parties, Green also teaches a Discover Magic course as part of magic school. The 12-hour course is divided into 90-minute lessons teaching multiple tricks. There is also a one-hour course of “What is Magic?” that can be done for a small group of kids, who will leave with a kit to do the tricks they have learned. 

Green said that technology is making live performance disappear, and children deserve the experience of magic. 

“It’s a way of staying connected to other people,” he said. “You can bring hope and wonder to a generation of kids growing up without it. There’s nothing like seeing the look on a face of a kid experiencing magic for the first time.”

Green said he set personal boundaries of only doing shows for kids, and his repertoire does not include anything dangerous or card tricks. Green said kids don’t generally care about card tricks, and removing them helps him focus on purchasing tricks and developing routines all ages can appreciate. Audience participation is encouraged.

“I try to get at least one child to help with almost every trick, because I want them to experience the fun of performing in front of an audience, especially the birthday child at birthday shows,” he said. “In a typical show, I have several routines where up to four or five different children at a time are on stage helping make the magic happen.”  

While staying busy with his media production company and doing magic on the side, Green said he is happy getting to do both jobs he loves. 

 “I want it to be the best birthday show in Birmingham,” Green said. “That’s my goal. I’m creating safe, enjoyable family entertainment that is just not very available here in the central Birmingham area. What I want as a performer is to be able to provide for kids what I had as a kid: the experience of seeing something amazing and realizing they can do that too.”

For more information or to download free magic books, go to professormagic.org.