Double Vision

In and of Itself is a stage show made movie that was performed in New York's Daryl Roth Theater over 200 times by a single individual, magician turned card cheat Derek Delgaudio. If you're a fan of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a movie that plays to our human desire to rewrite time, you will like In and of Itself, for that reason as well as others, among them, the issue of identity and the trials and tribulations that are involved therein - of what it takes to discover (and then be) who you're really meant to be.

Neither are what they appear to be. They both use elements of magic in order to frame a larger narrative, but neither are magic shows nor science fiction movies. Even when In and of Itself deploys real slight of hand and ruse and subterfuge to a live audience it evades any genre-defining umbrella term, much in the same way Spotless Mind evades being called a Sci-Fi movie. Technically speaking, these are what these things are, but they frame their stories as a whole in such ways as to render them undefinable experiences. Being able to bend your genre like this is very impressive, and very important if you want to be remembered.

First things first, their structure. They are constructed like buildings. Palatable and easy to digest, dignified and strong, they have a graceful pace and engaging atmospheres. For a piece to be well received, these two things must be in sympatico - they are crucial elements when it comes to moving an audience. I remember, when I went to see In and of Itself in person in New York, feeling as though there was an alien presence within those walls. It was a beautiful experience that defies conversation. Seeing it - feeling it - is believing it. And it persisted throughout the performance. It wasn't so slow it was boring, but not so fast as to become overwhelming. It's pacing was spot on with the tone, partly due to the fact that it was written with an audience as priority, which leads me to my next point.

The creative process is one to be respected and these creators understand that. They create with their audience as priority. They create for them. As a magician myself I recognize and appreciate this. I always say, whenever you do something for an audience, you lend them their dignity, meaning that everything you do is a choice. The things you decide to show them illustrate how you feel about them. Presenting poor material to an audience is an insult to their intelligence. Putting thought, care, and concern into the moments you share is an act of love and respect. You can feel the heart and soul that is put into a performance, whether it be the director's or the actor's, and these two pieces are beautiful examples of that. They are as much defined by the things they did do than by the things they did not do. The mark of a true work of art. Pure heart and soul. Very moving pictures.

The characterization in both pieces is well justified as well. Surprising, yet understandable. Even though it may be difficult to get through at times, you feel compelled to continue. You started on the journey with them because you wanted to, you finish because you have to. You're a part of it. You're with them.

Moreover, there is a self-awareness present in these performances that forces the audience to listen. They are not derived without introspective means. You can feel the soul-searching that went into both. Here are people who have been through the depths of their psyche, taken an audience by the hand, and offered them the privilege to see for themselves, in new light, the things they may be avoiding. You come away from them obligated to think about yourself: who you think you are and who you really are, and to be critical as to whether these two things line up. This is what a work of art should strive to do. It should inspire the audience to reflect upon their own lives. It should force them to be honest with themselves. It should show them the pain that is involved with the process while also showing them the sun that breaches through the clouds on calm seas afterwards. It should represent to an audience able and willing to do these things the risks and rewards of being yourself, and inspire them to pursue the things that they feel compelled to pursue, because although they may not be the things you really want or need, they invariably give way to the things that are. The things that are really you at your core, when you're at your best and most stable. They give way to the things that cannot be taken away from you. They shine a light on your eternal consciousness.