Stage illusions are large-scale magic tricks. As the name implies, stage illusions are distinct from all other types of magic in that they are performed a considerable distance away from the audience, usually on a stage, in order to maintain the

illusion An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people. Illusions may oc ...

. Stage illusions usually use large

props A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinc ...

and may involve the use of assistants or large animals.Wilson, Mark. Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic. Running Press Kids. 2003. Examples of stage illusions include

sawing a woman in half Sawing a woman in half is a generic name for a number of stage magic tricks in which a person (traditionally a female assistant) is apparently cut or divided into two or more pieces. History There remains a debate about the origin of sawing ill ...

and Lady-to-Tiger.

Famous stage illusionists

Criss Angel Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos ( el, Χριστόφορος Νικόλαος Σαραντάκος; born December 19, 1967), known professionally as Criss Angel, is an American magician, illusionist and musician. Angel began his career in Ne ...

Harry Blackstone Sr. Harry Bouton Blackstone (born Henry Boughton; September 27, 1885 – November 16, 1965) was a famed stage magician and illusionist of the 20th century. Blackstone was born Harry Bouton in Chicago, Illinois. He began his career as a magician ...

Harry Blackstone Jr. Harry Bouton Blackstone Jr. (June 30, 1934 – May 14, 1997) was an American stage magician, author, and television performer. He is estimated to have pulled 80,000 rabbits from his sleeves and hats. Early life Blackstone was born in Three Rive ...

Guy Bavli Guy Bavli ( he, גיא בבלי; born 1971) is an Israeli mentalist, illusionist, actor and lecturer. He is known for being the first Israeli citizen to win an international magic competition in the United States. He owns the entertainment compa ...

Lance Burton William Lance Burton (born March 10, 1960) is an American stage magician. He performed more than 15,000 shows in Las Vegas for over 5,000,000 people until retiring after 31 years in 2010. Professional history Burton first became interested in ma ...

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from inf ...

* John Daniel * Murray Hatfield *

Doug Henning Douglas James Henning (May 3, 1947 – February 7, 2000) was a Canadian magician, illusionist, escape artist and politician. Early life Henning was born in the Fort Garry district of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and began practising magic at Oaken ...

Alexander Herrmann Alexander Herrmann (February 10, 1844 – December 17, 1896) was a French magic (illusion), magician, better known as Herrmann the Great. He was married to magician Adelaide Herrmann, known as the Queen of Magic. Biography Early years Alexande ...

Harry Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American Escapology, escape artist, Magic (illusion), magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his Escapology, escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to ...

Harry August Jansen Harry August Jansen (October 3, 1883 – June 15, 1955) was a Danish-born entertainer who settled in the United States. He traveled the world as a professional magician under the name Dante the Magician. Biography He was born on October 3, 1883 ...

Jeff McBride Jeff McBride (born September 11, 1959), also known as "Magnus", is an American magician and magic instructor. He is known for his sleight of hand skills and specializes in the manipulation of playing cards, coins, and other small objects. His s ...

* The Pendragons *

Penn and Teller Penn may refer to: Places England * Penn, Buckinghamshire * Penn, West Midlands United States * Penn, North Dakota * Penn, Oregon * Pennsylvania ** Penn, Pennsylvania * Penn Lake Park, Pennsylvania * Penn Township (disambiguation), several mu ...

* Siegfried & Roy *

Chung Ling Soo William Ellsworth Robinson (April 2, 1861 – March 24, 1918) was an American magician who went by the stage name Chung Ling Soo (). He is mostly remembered today for his accidental death due to a failed bullet catch trick. Early years Robinso ...

P. C. Sorcar Jr. P. C. Sorcar Jr. (formal name Prodip Chandra Sorcar; born 31 July 1946) is an Indian magician based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. He is the second son of Indian magician P. C. Sorcar. He is also the recipient of Merlin Award in Magic. He hold ...

Howard Thurston Howard Thurston (July 20, 1869 – April 13, 1936) was a stage magician from Columbus, Ohio, United States. His childhood was unhappy, and he ran away to join the circus, where his future partner Harry Kellar also performed. Thurston was deeply ...

Val Valentino Val Valentino (born Leonard Montano, June 14, 1956)Brownfield, Paul (October 31, 1998)"Fox Isn't Disillusioned as Masked Magician Series Ends". ''Los Angeles Times''. is an American magician. Valentino starred in a series of four television sp ...

Stage illusions

Aquarian Illusion Metamorphosis is the name of a stage illusion invented by John Nevil Maskelyne, but most often associated with famous escape artist Harry Houdini and performed to some renown (for speed) by The Pendragons, among others. It is also known amongst m ...

Asrah levitation The Asrah levitation, sometimes called Lighter than Air, is a classic levitation illusion. Effect The magician hypnotizes an assistant and commands them to recline on a table or couch. The assistant is then fully covered with a cloth and levita ...

Assistant's Revenge The Assistant's Revenge is a transposition illusion in which two performers change places. It was created by magician and inventor Robert Harbin. Description One of the two performers, the ''restrainee'', is placed in a standing position in a l ...

Aztec Lady __NOTOC__ The Aztec Lady is a stage illusion designed by British magician Robert Harbin. It is a classic "big box" illusion that involves an assistant in a cabinet and is probably best categorised as a restoration-type illusion. Description The ...

Balducci levitation The Balducci levitation is a levitation illusion first described by Ed Balducci. Its inventor is unknown. It is an impromptu magic trick, which has been popularized by many magicians, such as David Roth, Paul Harris, and David Blaine. Effec ...

Battle of the Barrels The Battle of the Barrels is a transportation illusion also known as Barricaded Barrels, Through the Eye of the Needle or the Black and White Barrels. The illusion consists of two topless/bottomless barrels openly displayed on castered open fram ...

Bullet catch The bullet catch is a stage magic illusion in which a magician appears to catch a bullet fired directly at them ⁠— often in the mouth, sometimes in the hand or sometimes caught with other items such as a dinner plate. The bullet catch ma ...

* Cabinet escape * David Copperfield's laser illusion * Devil's torture chamber *

Guillotine A guillotine is an apparatus designed for efficiently carrying out executions by beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secured with stocks at t ...

Impalement Impalement, as a method of torture and execution, is the penetration of a human by an object such as a stake, pole, spear, or hook, often by the complete or partial perforation of the torso. It was particularly used in response to "crimes aga ...

* Indian rope trick *

Metamorphosis Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. Some inse ...

Mismade Girl The Mismade Girl is a stage illusion, designed by American magician Chuck Jones. It is a variation of the sawing a woman in half Sawing a woman in half is a generic name for a number of stage magic tricks in which a person (traditionally a fema ...

Origami ) is the Japanese art of paper folding. In modern usage, the word "origami" is often used as an inclusive term for all folding practices, regardless of their culture of origin. The goal is to transform a flat square sheet of paper into a f ...

Predicament escape A predicament escape is any form of magic trick or escapology stunt in which the performer is trapped in an apparently dangerous situation and is required to escape from it. Classic examples include the Table of Death, Houdini's Chinese Water T ...

Radium Girl The Radium Girl is a stage illusion of the classic type involving a female assistant in a large box and is probably best categorised as a penetration or restoration-type illusion. Its origins and history are much less well documented than th ...

Sawing a woman in half Sawing a woman in half is a generic name for a number of stage magic tricks in which a person (traditionally a female assistant) is apparently cut or divided into two or more pieces. History There remains a debate about the origin of sawing ill ...

* Square Circle Production * Squeeze Box Illusion * Table of death *

Wringer A mangle or wringer is a mechanical laundry aid consisting of two rollers in a sturdy frame, connected by cogs and (in its home version) powered by a hand crank or by electricity. While the appliance was originally used to wring water from wet ...

Zig Zag Girl The Zig-Zag Girl illusion is a stage illusion akin to the more famous sawing a woman in half illusion. In the Zig-Zag illusion, a magician divides an assistant into thirds, only to have them emerge from the illusion at the end of the performance c ...

References

{{Magic and Illusion Magic (illusion)