Pauline Adamek
Ecuadorian-born, Los Angeles-based illusionist Siegfried Tieber is currently performing his new magic show in Downtown LA.
Best known for his close-up card work, this show features ‘tricks’ that involve feats of memory moreso than the dazzling prestidigitation we experienced with his previous show, See/Saw.
The intimate 70-minute performance is happening in a pop-up venue below the subterranean art gallery & event space of award-winning shoe designer and creative visionary Paul Kaufman.
The show’s title refers to the woven red string that festoons the walls and handrails of the building. You use the thick woolen cord as your guide during your descent through the art gallery spaces down to the basement performance space. Adding the spice of mystery and thrilling adventure to the evening, by following the red thread we find ourselves walking a similar path to Theseus in the tale from Greek mythology, as he navigated the labyrinth of the Minotaur. (Minos’ daughter Ariadne assisted Theseus by giving him a ball of thread, allowing him to retrace his path to safety.)
Tieber dazzles us with his mind-boggling feats of memory, such as fanning through a pack of cards then identifying the missing card. Interacting with the audience throughout, he ushers several of us through some elaborate elimination procedures such as selecting random numbers, until he somehow cracks the code on a combination lock.
Atlas Obscura presents Red Thread, a theatrical exploration of the concepts of chance and chaos with performer and award-winning magician Siegfried Tieber.
Using sleight of hand, magic, and illusion, Tieber’s latest creation guides participants through an unlikely journey, blurring the line between the improbable and the impossible. The whole experience may leave Tieber’s guests wondering if their decisions are theirs and of their own free will, or if they are predetermined.
In describing the concept behind the Red Thread name and experience, Tieber explains, “Every time we flip a coin, we create two possible outcomes—there is a fork in the road, if you will. Rolling a die opens 6 doors; shuffling a deck of cards creates more possibilities than the human mind can imagine. Every outcome is the starting point of further possibilities. It doesn’t take long before this starts to look like a labyrinth: some paths converge, some run parallel to each other, some are dead ends. Like the Greek mythological princess, Ariadne—who gave Theseus a thread when he entered the labyrinth—my hope is to take the audience with me and guide them through this journey.”
Siegfried Tieber.
Photo by Brooke Opie.
Co-written by Jared Kopf
Now playing through Sunday Nov. 10, 2019
• six shows per week
• $74.00
Pskaufman Gallery
8th Street & Werdin Place,
Downtown Los Angeles, CA 90014
(down the alley)
Additional Information:
The journey takes place at Paul Kaufman Gallery in Downtown Los Angeles, the subterranean art gallery and event space of award-winning shoe designer and creative visionary Paul Kaufman.
Attendees will receive additional information regarding location and parking about 48 hrs before the event. Make sure to check your spam folder if you do not see any message.
Group Size
There are 34 spots available on this experience.
Who Can Come
Ages 16 and up. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
IN OTHER NEWS. . .
Tieber’s next project, before the premier of Red Thread in Los Angeles, will take him to Colombia and his native Ecuador for a limited series of performances, during which he’ll share the stage with three of the most distinguished magicians of those countries. The name of the project, Bicéfalo (“Bicephalous” in English), al ludes to the dual nationalities of the performers on stage.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Siegfried Tieber (Co-writer, Performer):
Siegfried Tieber is a Los Angeles-based performer and sleight-of-hand magician. Born and raised in Ecuador, his first international appearance was in 2011 in Bogotá, Colombia. In 2015, Tieber headlined at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest arts festival in the world, where his performance was highly praised by fans and critics. In 2017, he was invited to be part of Penn & Teller: Fool Us, a television series featuring the legendary performance duo (yes, he did fool them). Tieber’s work has been featured in media outlets such as Forbes, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, and many others. In 2018, Time Out NY listed his show See/Saw as #1 in its “The Best Magic Shows in New York City.”
Tieber is a proud member and regular performer at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, an exclusive private club and the world’s most prestigious venue for the performance of magic.
Jared Kopf (Co-writer):
Jared Kopf is considered by many one of the most influential thinkers in the field of magic. He is a performer based in Dallas, Texas. His work has been featured in multiple countries around the world and his publications—Vaticinium ex Eventu and Nothing but the Family Deck— have received critical acclaim.
Jon Armstrong (Artistic Director):
Jon Armstrong is an internationally acclaimed sleight-of-hand artist, lecturer and consultant. He has received numerous honors including “Close Up Magician of the Year,” awarded by the world-famous Magic Castle/Academy of Magical Arts, where he is a regular performer.
Atlas Obscura (Producer):
Atlas Obscura is the definitive guide to the world’s wondrous and curious places. It is a digital platform, a producer and publisher, and a real-world community that defines wonder and discovery for our generation.
Core to its mission is to celebrate wonder, sense of place and curiosity with the world around us. Atlas Obscura does this through an online travel guide, articles and books, international and domestic trips and local events all curated with the explorer in mind. The hope is to inspire the individual and the community to step into this world of wonder.
