September 10 at 2:00pm

September 14 at 7:00pm

Written and Performed by Nelson Lugo

Directed by Joel Jeske

Music Direction by Schaffer The Darklord

Dramaturgy and Production Management by Lisa Sutz, LCSW

Cheating Death: Magic, Memoirs & Mortality, both haunting and hilarious, is a show about a magician who thinks about death way too much. Master magician and noted storyteller Nelson Lugo delivers a sometimes sad, often funny magic show packed with slice-of-life stories that are intermingled with magic acts that extend the feeling of those stories. The show speaks frankly about grief, poverty, mental illness, sugar cookies, and the science behind firework explosions. An intimate examination of one magician's life, or more specifically, his many brushes with death. Cheating Death: Magic, Memoirs & Mortality uses the art of deception to reveal universal truths and its core, it’s about vulnerability and the risks we must all take to grow. With a little sleight-of-hand and more than a little charm Nelson Lugo conjures up a theatrical experience that celebrates life and all its varied deaths to learn that finding happiness is the most powerful magic we can create.

*Please note that this performance will be presented at the Tank's in-person performance space at 312 W 36th St. All attendees and artists will be required to display proof of full covid vaccination before being admitted to the space, either by showing a vaccination record (vaccination card) at least two weeks out from the final dose of an approved vaccine, or by using New York's free Excelsior Pass service, available here. Patrons will also be required to wear masks while indoors at all times and for the time being, no food or beverage will be permitted to be consumed at the theater.