Sleight of hand, great of heart

By LIZ ENGEL
Herald-Citizen Staff
Published Oct 13th 2007

It was just before Christmas when an 8-year-old Charlie Fenn saw a magician on the streets of downtown Cleveland, Ohio, demonstrating magic kits.

The magician caught his attention, and -- as most 8-year-old kids would -- Charlie wanted his very own kit. And the biggest one at that.

"Of course that was all I wanted," he said. "And I got one. Then I took some lessons from that magician and went on from there. By the time I was nine, I was doing shows."

Sixty-two years later, Charlie is still involved with magic.

He runs his own business, Dancing Spring Magic -- a professional magician supply center in Crossville that also sells tables to magicians all over the world -- and he's also heavily involved with the local chapter of the Tennessee Magic Society.

Based in Cookeville, the society includes about 22 members ranging from age 11 and up. The group meets about once a month at the Putnam County Library.

Fenn was recently appointed TMS's president and also serves as a regional vice-president for the Society of American Magicians, the worldwide organization which TMS is under.

SAM is a fairly small organization -- Fenn said there are only about 6,000 members worldwide -- but claims to be the oldest and most prestigious magical society in the world.

There are several similar organizations, including International Brotherhood of Magicians, but the magic community as a whole isn't much larger. Try to think of famous magicians living now, and maybe only two or three come to mind.

"It's a fairly small 'fraternity,'" Fenn said. "Unfortunately, I have a good business, but you never really get rich because there's not enough magicians worldwide. You do meet lots of wonderful people, and there's a lot of groups around the country that do a lot of good things for people."

In the month of October, that is ever more prevalent. Beginning on Oct. 25, members will be celebrating National Magic Week. According to a press release issued by SAM, since members of the society perform throughout the year for free at schools, day cares and for senior citizens, magic week is when the magicians publicly take their bows.

Locally, TMS has held benefit magic shows to raise money for multiple sclerosis, and Fenn has said several other benefit shows are in the works.

National Magic Week has been officially proclaimed by governors from eight states, and Gov. Phil Bredesen was expected to follow with a proclamation this past week.

Coincidentally, National Magic Week ends on Oct. 31, Halloween, and also the anniversary of former SAM President Harry Houdini's death.

So, even though it's a small community, TMS and SAM are hoping to make a big impact.

"Magicians are different than most performers," Fenn said. "Most of them are really nice, good people.

They're honest, they're fair, and they love helping people. They love making people laugh and seeing kids smile.

"There's nothing like watching kids at a birthday party, and their eyes light up when they see magic happen. It's a very, very rewarding profession."

For more information about the Tennessee Magic Society, visit www.tnmagic.org.