In this 4-part lecture series, explore the art of theatrical conjuring, how illusions work, and magic as a craft.
Course Description
Led by performer and sleight-of-hand magician Siegfried Tieber, this course offers participants a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the history, theory, psychology, and philosophy of the art of theatrical conjuring. Together, we’ll explore what sets magic apart from other art forms, examine what happens in the human mind upon witnessing magic, and even learn one of the close-up illusions from Siegfried’s professional performance repertoire. In each session, you’ll have the chance to ask Siegfried questions, with several opportunities to share what you’re working on during office hours outside of class. While the focus of this course won’t necessarily be learning how specific illusions work, we’ll dissect a magic trick or two in order to gain a better understanding of the craft. By the end of our four weeks together, you’ll have gained an appreciation for different branches of magic and a deeper, nuanced understanding of the craft.
Syllabus at a Glance
There are four total sessions included in this purchase, each lasting for 1.5 hours on four consecutive Tuesdays beginning May 4.
Session 1 (Tuesday, 5/4, 8–9:30 PM ET): An introduction to the craft
Session 2 (Tuesday, 5/11, 8–9:30 PM ET): Dissecting a magic illusion
Session 3 (Tuesday, 5/18, 8–9:30 PM ET): The psychology of magic
Session 4 (Tuesday, 5/25, 8–9:30 PM ET): Magic as an art form
Between Sessions
Additional reading and audiovisual material will be provided for participants to study between sessions. They’ll also be encouraged to practice the magic illusion explained during the second session outside of class. Siegfried will hold office hours on Thursdays from 7–8 PM ET between the second and third session and between the third and fourth sessions of this course for anyone who wishes to ask additional questions, see demonstrations, and share what they’re working on.
Course Materials
- 1 deck of playing cards. (Bicycle brand is preferred.)
Pricing Options
We currently offer tiered ticket pricing in an effort to increase accessibility for all students, regardless of economic situation. Our lecture series are available at three ticket prices, with a limited number of no-pay spots available for students who could not otherwise participate. This model is intended to support a wider range of students as well as our instructors. To learn more about our tiered sliding scale pricing model, please visit our FAQ page.
Atlas Obscura Online Courses
Our online courses offer opportunities for participants to emerge with new skills, knowledge, connections, and perspectives through multi-session classes designed and taught by expert instructors. Courses can take one of two forms: Seminars are intimate, interactive classes—capped at nine to 25 students—exploring topics and crafts through discussion, workshops, assignments, and in-class activities. We also offer lecture series that can be attended live, or viewed via a recording that will be shared within 72 hours after each session airs. Class recordings for lecture series will be available with a temporary password for up to two weeks following the final session of the course.
To learn more about our current course offerings, please visit www.atlasobscura.com/online-courses.
For answers to commonly asked questions, check out our FAQ page here.
Once registered, you’ll receive a confirmation email from Eventbrite that will provide access to the class meeting. Please save the confirmation email as you’ll use it to access your course via Zoom on each scheduled date and time.
Siegfried Tieber is a Los Angeles-based performer and sleight-of-hand magician. Born and raised in Ecuador, his first international appearance was in 2011 in Bogotá, Colombia. In 2015, Siegfried headlined at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest arts festival in the world, where his performance was highly praised by reviewers and critics. 2017 saw the premiere of his show See/Saw in Los Angeles and in 2018 the project was taken to New York, where Time Out NY listed it as #1 in its “The best magic shows in New York City.”
Siegfried has been featured in prominent media outlets such as Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Forbes. Most recently he was invited to be part of Penn & Teller: Fool Us, a television series featuring the legendary performance duo (yes, he did fool them).
This lecture series is designed so students can participate live or watch a recording after each session airs. Sessions will take place live over Zoom, with dedicated Q&A segments for students to ask questions via video or chat. Within 72 hours after each session airs, we will email all enrolled students a recording of the session, which they can watch using a temporary password for up to two weeks after the course concludes.
In most cases, instructors will use Google Classroom to communicate with students outside of class. While students aren’t required to use Classroom, instructors will be using this platform to post resources, discussion questions, and assignments, when applicable.
We provide closed captioning for all of our courses, as well as transcripts upon request. Please reach out to us at experiences@atlasobscura.com if you have any questions, requests, or access needs.
