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Dark Deceptions: The S?ance Experience

nytheatre.com review by Julie Congress
August 15, 2005

Todd Robbins is a self-proclaimed lover of illusion. So in his show Dark Deceptions he is very candid about the fact that the 19th century seance he is recreating utilizes trickery, and not the actual conjuring up of spirits. Yet he urges us not to try to pick it apart or figure out how it all works. Instead just relax, go along with it, and you’re pretty much bound to have a wonderfully fun, interesting experience.Before we begin, Robbins provides some background information on seances and spiritualism (all of which began in 1848 with two little girls who discovered that by cracking their toes against a wooden floor they could make a rapping sound). Robbins also forewarns us that the last 15 minutes of the show will be conducted in complete darkness. This is not a show for those with weak constitutions (and, indeed, children under the age of 14 are not admitted).No seance is complete without a medium. Thus, by adding a collar, a jacket, and some dark glasses, Robbins creates the Reverend T.L. Robbins, a commanding, mystical, and, alright, slightly sketchy fellow who serves as our guide.I don’t want to go into too much detail as to what happens during the seance itself, it’s best to be surprised. But here’s a little taste of what ensues: the audience reads Robbins’s mind (more or less accurately), our pulses are slowed (and Robbins’s is stopped, as verified by an audience member). A table jumps around the stage on its own accord, an exorcism is performed, a tambourine seemingly plays itself, and a wineglass spells out the last name of an audience member’s departed loved one. There is a great deal of audience participation, and four people are invited onto the stage for the majority of the show; twice we all sing hymns together. The end of the production is indeed done in pitch blackness, with audience members holding each others' hands.The interactive nature of the event brings about an unexpected cohesiveness and camaraderie in the audience. We hold hands, we sing together, we check each others' pulses, we laugh (Robbins does an excellent job keeping this a very entertaining experience), and, yeah, we may jump collectively a couple of times, too.So, what are you waiting for? Go see Dark Deceptions. It’s engaging, exciting, astonishing, and you’ll bond with your fellow audience members as you never have before. And, c’mon, how often do you get the chance to be part of a seance?