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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 December 2021
It is not unprecedented for street magicians to annex a given area of the city and make it their own. “The magician of the Chateau d'Eau,” who performed in Paris during the 1820's, could always be found in front of a certain fountain. The spot that Jeff Sheridan has chosen as his is the Walter Scott statue in Central Park.
I think of it as my own personal outdoor theatre, and I don't pay rent, which is nice. I chose it for practical reasons. I felt I had to work in a proscenium space because all the technique I use requires having my back covered. Also, the base of it provides a natural platform which is important because you can be more easily seen and consequently draw a larger audience.
Sheridan's form of conjuring is traditional but in many ways his execution of it is not. He works as minimally as possible, using few props, rejecting a costume for the simplicity of a black turtleneck sweater and trousers.
Above photographs of Jeff Sheridan by Bill Biggart.
