David Ben facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Ben
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David Ben in Tricks 2004
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| Born | March 5, 1961 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Education | BA University of Toronto, LLB University of Western Ontario, LLM London School of Economics |
| Occupation | Magician, Keynote Speaker, writer, Magic Historian, Artistic Director |
| Known for | Sleight-of-hand, magic history, magic collection, sole protégé of Ross Bertram |
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| Children | 2 |
David Gordon Ben is a famous Canadian magician. He is known for his amazing sleight of hand tricks, his deep knowledge of magic history, and his huge collection of magic items. He has been a professional magician, performer, and speaker since 1990.
David Ben is also one of the people who started Magicana. This is an organization that helps study and improve magic as a performing art. He is the only student of a famous Canadian magician named Ross Bertram. David Ben also wrote a book about another well-known magician, Dai Vernon.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
David Ben was born on March 5, 1961, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He first became interested in magic in 1973. His dad gave him a book called The Stein and Day Handbook of Magic.
His interest grew even more after he watched a TV show called Doug Henning's World of Magic in 1975. As a teenager, David worked part-time at Morrissey Magic, a magic shop. There, he learned a lot from the shop's founder, Herb Morrissey.
In 1979, David Ben met Ross Bertram, a master of sleight-of-hand. David studied magic with Bertram for six years, from 1980 to 1986. He became Bertram's only student.
David went to university and earned degrees from the University of Toronto, the University of Western Ontario, and the London School of Economics. He even became a tax lawyer in 1989. But in 1990, he decided to leave his law career. He chose to follow his passion for magic instead.
Helping Others with Magic
In 2000, David Ben helped start Magicana. This group is a registered Canadian charity. It works to explore and advance magic as a performing art.
He also helped his first wife, Jan Howlett, start her own school, the Howlett Academy. After she passed away in 2013, David became the director of the school.
In 2004, David created a program called My Magic Hands. This program teaches magic to young people who might be struggling. It helps them be creative and feel more confident. The program received funding to help it grow.
In 2005, he started Senior Sorcery. This program brings magic shows to older people who can't easily leave their homes. It also helps create chances for different generations to enjoy magic together.
David Ben has collected many magic items over the years. His collection includes items from famous magicians like Sid Lorraine and Dai Vernon. Some parts of his collection are now kept at the Lilly Library at Indiana University.
Magic on Stage
The Conjuror (1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2014)
The Conjuror was a special play that brought an old magic show back to life. David Ben created it with Canadian broadcaster Patrick Watson. The show imagined a famous Canadian magician performing in London around 1909.
The Conjuror first opened at the Shaw Festival in 1996. It was very popular and received great reviews. Because it was so successful, they created a second part, The Conjuror – Part 2, in 1997. Later, they combined both parts into The Compleat Conjuror.
A documentary film was made about the creation of The Conjuror. It was called "A Conjuror in the Making" (1997). This film showed David Ben and Patrick Watson working on the show. It won awards at film festivals.
In 1997, the Royal Ontario Museum invited David Ben to perform The Conjuror there. The show ran for four months and then toured other parts of Ontario. It was performed again in Toronto in 2002 and for Soulpepper Theatre in 2014.
The Conjuror's Suite (1999, 2000)
In 1999, Ben and Watson created a new show called The Conjuror's Suite. This show explored "parlor magic," which is magic performed in a smaller, more personal setting. It was inspired by famous magicians like Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin. The show was performed at the Royal Ontario Museum and later at the Charlottetown Festival.
Tricks (2004, 2015)
David Ben wrote another show with Patrick Watson called Tricks. This show focused on classic magic tricks. It was presented in 2004 and again in 2015 for Soulpepper Theatre.
Natural Magick (2011)
In 2011, David Ben created a new show called Natural Magick. This show was part of the Luminato Festival. It was inspired by an old scientific book from 1558 called "Natural Magick" and the ideas of master magician Dai Vernon. David Ben performed new sleight-of-hand tricks in this show, which was highly praised.
Card Table Artifice (2014)
In 2014, David Ben performed and directed Card Table Artifice. This show was about the art of card cheating. It was a performance art piece. David Ben performed live card tricks while a string quartet played music and an actor read descriptions of the tricks.
Hocus Pocus (2016)
In 2016, David Ben created and performed Hocus Pocus. This show combined his magic with video clips and spoken word poetry. It explored the connection between magic words and spoken art. Hocus Pocus was performed at Soulpepper Theatre.
Producer and Consultant
David Ben has produced many magic events. In 1983, he organized NYCAN '83, a large gathering of magicians. He also helped bring the famous magic duo Penn & Teller to Toronto for one of their early shows.
Since 2003, he has produced a special conference called 31 Faces North through Magicana. This event brings together top magic experts and young magicians for a four-day discussion about magic.
From 2010 to 2017, David Ben was the director of the Magic Collectors Association. He also produced their yearly gathering, the Magic Collectors Weekend.
He has also helped organize the Masters of Magic series for the Luminato festival in Toronto. For this festival, he brought many international magic acts to the stage.
David Ben also works as a magic consultant. This means he helps others make magic look real and amazing. He has consulted for:
- Theatre shows: Like The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and The Wizard of Oz.
- Museums: Helping with magic exhibitions, including Illusions: The Art of Magic.
- Movies: Such as Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.
- Television shows: Including Murdoch Mysteries and Canada's Walk of Fame.
- Documentaries: Like "The Science of Magic" for CBC.
Keynote Speaker
Since 1990, David Ben has given speeches to businesses and groups. He talks about creativity, new ideas, and solving problems. He uses magic as a way to explain these ideas.
He wrote a book on this topic called Advantage Play. He also gives lectures to other magicians. He is an expert on sleight-of-hand and the history of magic. He has spoken at major magic conventions around the world.
Awards and Achievements
David Ben has received several awards for his work in magic:
- He is a Member of The Inner Magic Circle with Gold Star, a very high honor in the magic world.
- He received the Masters Award from the Milbourne Christopher Foundation in 2013.
- In 2018, he received the Media and Literary Fellowship Award from the Academy of Magical Arts.
- In 2024, he was named a Member of the Order of Canada, which is one of Canada's highest honors.
Writer and Publisher
David Ben is an author and has written several books about magic:
- Advantage Play: The Manager's Guide To Creative Problem Solving (2002)
- Tricks (2003)
- Dai Vernon: A Biography – Artist, Magician, Muse Vol. 1 (2006)
- Slaight: Off Hand (2013), about media mogul Allan Slaight.
He has also co-written plays with Patrick Watson, including The Conjuror and Natural Magick.
Through Magicana, David Ben is also a publisher. He has published many important books on magic history and techniques. He was also the publisher and editor of Magicol, a journal about magic history, from 2010 to 2022.
Images for kids
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David Ben in Tricks 2004
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Patrick Watson and David Ben 1996 promotional photo for The Conjuror for the Shaw Festival
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David Ben animates two butterflies in Natural Magick part of the 2011 Luminato Festival
