What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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SEPTEMBER 13-19, 2020 WHAT'S UP! 3 Making Magic At Home JOCELYN MURPHY NWA Democrat-Gazette S cott Silven may be able to read minds, but even he couldn't have predicted when he flew home to Scotland in the spring — for what he thought would be a two-week visit — he might be there for the rest of 2020. And, OK, he can't really read minds, either. But if you give yourself over to the fun and mystery of one of his performances, you might easily convince yourself otherwise. "Really, what I strive for in all my work is that it is just as much a theatrical and emotional experience as it is an experience of amazing magic and mentalism," Silven says over Zoom from his home across the pond. An illusionist and "world renowned mentalist," as Vogue described him, Silven's 2020 plans were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic like every other live performer's. In the middle of a world tour, he found himself headed back to Scotland from the States for a brief visit with family. When the borders closed, and he realized he'd be stuck in the lush landscape of his childhood for a while, Silven started planning. "I thought, this is a really serendipitous and interesting moment to maybe create something new that can connect with audiences from afar," he recalls. Lieven Bertels, director of the Momentary, must have read his mind, Silven shares, because not two weeks after his return to Scotland, Bertels contacted Silven in the hope of developing a virtual experience. What emerged is a completely new adventure for Silven and for the world with new technology developed specifically for this production. The Momentary will present the world premiere of Silven's new show/ performative experience, "The Journey," Sept. 29-Oct. 18 before (virtually) it heads to The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, Calif. Momentary leads unique 'journey' to Scotland "Initially, I just went walking in the landscapes I used to go in as a kid," Scott Silven says of returning to Scotland, "and rediscovered a carving in a tree that I put there when I was like 8 years old. That was the kind of catalyst for this experience. And then hearing this myth that I'd been told by my grandparents when I was a kid, about this little boy who ran away from home, that was the genesis for the story. It's been really lovely to actually slow down and appreciate what I have and be back in a landscape that is incredibly serene and calm and your heart is sort of set to the rhythm of the place. It's pretty special. So I've tried to make the most of it." (Photos by David Wilkinson, Empirical Photography. Courtesy of the artist) FEATURE See Silven Page 4