Paul Draper is an

anthropologist An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms and ...

, academic, and an award-winning mentalist,

magician Magician or The Magician may refer to: Performers * A practitioner of magic (supernatural) * A practitioner of magic (illusion) * Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context Entertainment Books * ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...

, and

film maker Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a Film, motion picture is #Production, produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through scr ...

. As an anthropologist and communications expert specializing in the cognitive science of religious beliefs, he has lectured at

Fortune 500 The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States corporations by total revenue for their respective fiscal years. The list includes publicly held companies, along ...

companies and universities. As the creator of the show Mental Mysteries, Draper blends his academic background as an anthropologist and communications expert with the arts of mentalism and

magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...

. Draper has been described as a pioneer in the field of live online magic shows, regularly performing live streaming shows during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

with viewing audiences of thousands of people.

Early life

Born in

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

in 1978, Draper first became interested in magic when family members discovered Showplace Magic and Novelty in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

. The first full-length magic show that he saw was at the 49th Street Galleria when he was 7 and then developed his own show and started performing for his grade school every year. Draper began performing magic for his friends at age 8 and continued performing throughout his school years, lettering in debate, choir, and drama. In his high school years, he also became a national debate champion in original oratory and a state drama champion in

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

. At age 16, Draper watched Michael Skinner perform at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, which propelled his interest in magic, which eventually led to his discovery of mentalism.

Education

Before embarking on a career in magic and mentalism in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, Draper received his Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology at Weber State University and attended

UNLV The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. It includes the S ...

for a Master’s degree in Rhetoric. In 1999, Draper spent time as an anthropologist with the Navajo people on the Navajo Native American Reservation, where he learned about the power of oral tradition.

Career

Before embarking on a career in magic and mentalism in

, Draper worked as a lecturer in Utah at Westminster College and Weber State University and later as an instructor at the

University of Nevada, Las Vegas The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. It includes the S ...

where he taught

communication studies Communication studies or communication science is an academic discipline that deals with processes of human communication and behavior, patterns of communication in interpersonal relationships, social interactions and communication in differen ...

. Recently Draper has returned part time to teaching at Soka University of America as an adjunct professor and distinguished lecturer. In 2004, Draper gave up his full time academic career to follow his "childhood passion" of magic and mentalism, according to an interview with

Psychology Today ''Psychology Today'' is an American media organization with a focus on psychology and human behavior. It began as a bimonthly magazine, which first appeared in 1967. The ''Psychology Today'' website features therapy and health professionals direct ...

. At that time, he began working as the house magician at the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. For Draper, these two career paths — anthropology and magic — coincide in the study of cognitive science, or how and why people believe what they do. “Nothing I do uses psychic power," Draper said in an interview with

. "All I use is influence and persuasion.” Paul-w-draper-mentalist

Draper's work as the house magician at the Venetian Hotel and Casinos in

lasted for several years. Eventually, Draper evolved his performance to blend magic and the "science" behind mentalism: perception, attention, and observation play key roles. In Mental Mysteries, Draper attempts to make the audience the star of the show, teaching viewers to read body language and feel as if they understand the minds of others. In 2014, the International Magician's Society awarded Draper the prestigious Merlin Award for Best Corporate Performer. He has lectured on these topics at

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

, Apple Cupertino Headquarters, the

University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...

, the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

, the Magic Castle in Hollywood and

The Magic Circle A magic circle is a ritually defined space in a number of magical traditions. Magic circle or Magic Circle may also refer to: * Magic circle (mathematics), an arrangement of natural numbers on circles such that the sum of the numbers on each circl ...

in London. Draper has appeared as himself in numerous television shows and documentaries, including '' Hell's Kitchen'', '' Pawn Stars'', '' House Hunters'', '' Criss Angel Mindfreak'',

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

-sponsored ''The Comedy Festival'' at

Caesars Palace Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks. Caesars P ...

, '' Ghost Adventures'', and ''Houdini: Unlocking the Mystery''. He has appeared alongside David Copperfield, Lance Burton, and

Teller Teller or telling may refer to: People * Teller (surname) * Teller (magician), one half of the duo Penn & Teller Places * Teller, Alaska, United States ** Teller Airport * Teller County, Colorado, United States Other uses * 5006 Teller, a minor ...

on the History Channel as a consultant and expert. He appeared as a magician on ''

Hair Battle Spectacular ''Hair Battle Spectacular'' is an American reality competition series that aired on Oxygen from August 10, 2010, to October 3, 2011. The series features ten hair stylists as they compete for a $100,000 grand prize and to see who can create the mo ...

'' and as a scorpion handler in ''Guerilla Magic.'' In March 2018 Draper was the guest scholar for an episode of What'sHerName women's history podcast on "Queen of Magic"

Adelaide Herrmann Adelaide Herrmann (1853–1932) was a well-known English magic (illusion), magician and vaudeville performer billed as "the Queen of Magic." She was married to Alexander Herrmann, another magician. Early career Adelaide Herrmann was born Ade ...

.PODCAST DIVES INTO THE FASCINATING CAREER OF ADELAIDE HERRMANN, “THE QUEEN OF MAGIC”
/ref> Draper has also performed as an emcee, working with dignitaries such as

Dieter F. Uchtdorf Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf (born 6 November 1940) is a German aviator, airline executive and religious leader. He is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...

, of the Presidency of

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

. He regularly appears at

Comic Con A comic book convention or comic-con is an event with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events hosted at con ...

events and acts as moderator in celebrity panel interviews. In addition to performing, Draper also works as a consultant and guest lecturer for businesses, using his anthropology studies to talk about change management and leadership issues in the private sector. He also uses his performance to build self-esteem and agency in children. He frequently consults for medical companies, coaching employees on various communication methods. He has designed special effects for theater and acted as a religious advisor for theater companies, drawing on his Jewish faith background. Paul Draper was also featured in an article by Makezine on his historical knowledge of Houdini's Legacy and Magicians in the Maker community. He was profiled in a six-page cover story in the August 2021 edition of The Magic Circular Magazine in London, England, the publication of

. He was previously profiled in a six-page cover story in the March 2017 edition of M-U-M Magazine, the publication of the Society of American Magicians. He is a member of the senior faculty of the McBride Magic & Mystery School. Draper sits on the board of directors for the Inclusion Center for Community and Justice. Paul-2-draper-spoon-bend

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic Draper began offering live magic shows over streaming platforms. He has been described as a pioneer in this field, also offering two educational lectures to assist other performers. Draper's online presentations include corporate speaking as well as family entertainment and school shows, and he regularly has thousands of viewers participating in his online streamed performances. Before the pandemic he was regularly performing at Disneyland. In February of 2022 it was announced that Draper had accepted a faculty position as an adjunct professor and distinguished lecturer at Soka University of America.

Awards

* 2021 Society of American Magicians Presidential Citation for being the World's Preeminent Virtual Magic Presenter * 2020

Adam Cheyer Adam Cheyer (born c. 1966) is a co-founder of Siri Inc. and formerly a director of engineering in the iPhone group at Apple. Early life and education Cheyer attended Sharon High School, in Sharon, Massachusetts. After graduating in 1984, Cheyer ...

Adam Award for Virtual Performance * 2014

Merlin Award The International Magicians Society (IMS) is a magic (illusion), magic society created by Tony Hassini to "help promote and preserve the art of magic and provide a format where magicians could share their secrets and ideas." The society gives its o ...

for Best Corporate Performer, International Magicians Societyhttp://www.imsmagic.com/merlin_award_recipients.php * 2009 Houdini Award winner for Best Mentalist * 2003 Volunteer Award, National Conference of Community and Justice * 2002 PCAM First place award winner for mentalism * 2000

Irene Ryan Irene Ryan (born Irene Noblitt, Noblett, or Noblette; October 17, 1902 – April 26, 1973) was an American actress and comedienne who found success in vaudeville, radio, film, television, and Broadway. She is most widely known for her por ...

Acting Scholarship * 1999 American College Theater Association, National Theatrical Management Award * 1997 Finalist in Original Oratory, National Forensic League competition

Film, television and radio/podcasts appearances

* The Discovery Channel Josh Gates Tonight "Behind Closed Gates" * The Hallmark Channel *

Travel Travel is the movement of people between distant geographical locations. Travel can be done by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, ship or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip. Travel c ...

, Ghost Adventures "Fear Factory" Season 9 Episode 5 *

FOX Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

, Hell's Kitchen 13 Chefs Compete * The History Channel, "Houdini: Unlocking the Mystery" * A&E, "Criss Angel's Mindfreak: Burning Man" * Oxygen Network, "Hairbattle Spectacular 2: I'm a Beautician, Not a Magician" *

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

, "Poltergeist (25th Anniversary Edition)" *

HGTV HGTV (an initialism for Home & Garden Television) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The network primarily broadcasts reality programming related to home improvement and real estate. As of February 2015, appr ...

, "House Hunters Las Vegas" episodes 1-5 * The History Channel, "Pawn Stars: Learning the Ropes" * The History Channel, "Pawn Stars: Crosby, Stills & Cash" *

Comcast Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...

, "Hocus Pocus: Denny and Lees Magic Studio" *

, "In Utah: Mysteries of the Mind: Parts 1-3" * WB, "15 minutes of fame" *

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

, "

Duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...

", June 27, 2008 (contestant on US game show) * CBS, "Touched By an Angel: Show Me The Way Home" * What'sHerName women's history podcast, "THE DISAPPEARING WOMAN: Adelaide Herrmann"
The Magic Word Podcast
"An Hour With Paul Draper" February 2013
Penguin Magic Podcast with Erik Tait
* The Branding For Entertainers Podcast, * The Magician's Code Podcast with Hadlen
"Manifesting Mystery (feat. Paul Draper)"
Episode #009

Publications

* Penguin Magic Live Act Lecture * Penguin Magic Live Lecture * Murphy's Magic At the Table Experience * Draper, Paul, ''Mentalism: Theory, History and Performance'' * Draper, Paul, ''Cold Reading with Playing Cards'' * Draper, Paul, ''The Magicians Journey'' * Draper, Paul, ''History of the American Spiritualist Movement 1880 -1920'' * Draper, Paul, "The effect of a "Psychic Fair" on casino floor drop rate: State Line and Silversmith Casino Wendover, Nevada 2002"

Works

"Mentalist and Magician Paul Draper Teams Up With Vegas, Broadway, and Late-Night TV Stars"
Live Event, 2021 t. Myers, Fla.
"Tender"
short, 2016

Salt Lake A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per litre). ...

48 Hour Film Project The 48 Hour Film Project is an annual film competition in which teams of filmmakers are assigned a genre, a character, a prop, and a line of dialogue, and have 48 hours to create a short film containing those elements. The competition has been ac ...

* ''Mr. Clown'', documentary
"The Great American Novel"
short, 2015

"Enthusiasm"
short, 2015

"Inefficiency"
short, 2013

"Legacy"
short, 2012

''Level Up''
short, 2011

''Inheritance''
short, 2010

"Choices"
short, 2010

* ''The Pitch'', short, 2009 Utah 48 Hour Film Project (winner of Audience Favorite and Best Writing, 2009

) * ''Nathan's Story : Teenage Sex and Fatherhood'', 2001 documentary, KUED Channel 7 Utah (Rocky Mountain regional

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

, Best Documentary in Cultural Affairs 2002)

References

External links

Draper as a Personality
{{DEFAULTSORT:Draper, Paul American magicians Living people 1978 births Mentalists American anthropologists Weber State University