The Making of a ‘Mentalist’

Louis Pezanni’s ‘Mind Magic’ session at the staff retreat was totally engaging and enjoyable. And it was amazing – did those spoons really bend? Did he really memorize that whole deck of cards or that paperback on the spot? Given what we saw, another interesting question is ‘How did he become a ‘mentalist’ and why? Fortunately, Louis was open to talking about his background and, like his demonstrations, some of that background was a surprise.

For example, it was surprising to learn that this skilled and eloquent presenter was a high school dropout. Also surprising: this high school dropout loves to learn and has been an avid reader since childhood. School just didn’t engage Louis but, at 7 years old, he got a book that absolutely did. The book was called ‘Spooky Magic’ and he was hooked. The trick that set him on his lifelong practice was a simple one that really appealed to a 7-year-old: putting a hat pin through his thumb.

This traditional start of simple magic tricks developed into strong interest in Houdini’s escape artistry which seemed like ‘super-hero stuff’ at the time. Louis went on to develop escape artistry skills that, at 18 years old, he planned to use to kick start his career. Without telling his parents, he contacted the Sun and Edmonton Journal and had journalists on hand for a dramatic escape from the pool owned by the family of his brother’s friend, an escape that involved chains, weights, and handcuffs—a potentially deadly combination. The escape was a success but when his mother read about the daring demonstration in the paper, she put an end to this direction in Louis’ magical career.

His shift to mentalism was, in part, a practical one. It doesn’t require expensive props but the appeal went beyond lower cost and simpler stage set ups. Louis describes the unique combination of skills and interactions involved in this field: “Mentalism is more thoughtful and engaging. It involves character and personality. Being able to quickly make people feel safe and comfortable is vital because the subject is inherently threatening--the opportunity to be embarrassed is great so people are cautious.” He makes very clear up front and in promotional material that no one is embarrassed and there will be no cheap laughs. However, as we saw, there are plenty of laughs in his show. That’s partly due to another part of his early development being TV and movie comedy role models.

What Louis enjoys most about this unusual vocation, is the freedom. He loves the change and challenge of going to different places and meeting different people. The audience at the GSS staff retreat was certainly delighted that this talented mentalist’s travels included doing a mind (and spoon) bending show for us. 

Learn more about Louis and mentalism at Louis’ site, www.AstoundingEntertainment.com.