This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of visiting the Theatre 80 Saint Marks to see Sam Eaton’s show, “The Quantum Eye,” a mix between magic and “mentalism,” and I must say, it was one of the best shows I have seen in a long time.  What truly makes Sam Eaton’s performance unique is his ability to make the audience feel enthralled while at the same time recognize that, though he has found ways to harness, deceive, and guide the human brain like no other, he is still just an ordinary man.

The brochures portrayed a man with his hand outstretched holding a giant eye.  It was quite obviously Photo-shoped, and immediately led me to believe that this was just another cheesy magic show where overused, boring tricks were to be displayed by an overzealous, sweaty, magician.  I sat down and soon the show started.  Sam Eaton, a slim man with Harry Potter style glasses walked onto the stage.  He looked like an ordinary, slightly nervous person.  However, as with the brochure, I soon found out that looks can be misleading.

The show did not consist of magic tricks per se:  Sam Eaton performed feats of “mentalism” that did not attempt to deceive the audience, but retained the vibe and elements of a magic show: the dramatic reveals, the deceptive feints, and the audience volunteers.  However, Mr. Eaton performed tricks on the human mind rather than on the physical world around him.  I don’t want to disclose too much and spoil the pleasant surprise for anybody looking forward to going to this phenomenal show, but some of his acts included lie detection, mind reading, and crazy memorization capabilities.

“The Quantum Eye” excels by taking the path less traveled.  The audience was set to wonder on the mind and the fact that even though Mr. Eaton seemed almost magical, anyone with due practice can do what he can.  As with all magic-vibed shows, the wondering “how did he do that?!” is one of the most delightful things after the show, but in the case of the “The Quantum Eye” it is different.  After the performance, I was left pondering not so much on the magician’s modus operandi, but rather on the possibilities it presented. It is as much of an invitation into the operations of the mind as it is a great show.  An original theme, put into action beautifully.  The elements of science and fantasy combined make it both an amazing flight of fancy and an interesting proposition into the abilities of the mind for people of all ages.