REVIEW: Vinny DePonto is ready to play some mind games
Photo: Vinny DePonto created and stars in Mindplay. Photo courtesy of the artist / Provided by Vivacity Media Group with permission.
NEW YORK — Vinny DePonto has obvious gifts for mentalism and illusion, and they are on wondrous display at the Greenwich House Theater in the West Village where his show Mindplay is running through May 11 in an extended limited engagement. In the 90-minute show, DePonto invites audience members on a journey into the furthest reaches of his mind and their mind. Through exquisite stagecraft (and it is stagecraft, not actual mind-reading), he’s able to amaze theatergoers with trick after trick, each set up with a narrative storyline that engages and likely distracts visitors from figuring out the illusions.
DePonto’s show is the latest in a growing trend of high-brow (but never-too-serious) magic and mentalism that can be found on the stages of New York City. Much of the off-Broadway scene has been taken over by these unique, creative experiences that often involve audience interaction. Mindplay is the latest one — and also one of the best. The reason is because DePonto is such a likable actor and smart storyteller, opening up his life for theatergoers to better understand the journey they’re about to embark on.
To talk about the specifics of Mindplay would be to rob audiences of the true magic that occurs nightly at the Greenwich House Theater. The sequences are best kept a secret, but one recommendation can come in handy: As long as a person is OK with being called on, definitely take advantage of the opportunity to write some personal information on the index card provided in the lobby. This doesn’t mean one will definitely be chosen for some mentalism shenanigans, but it puts a person in the running. That stated, there are other opportunities where luck chooses a willing participant.
Having seen many magic shows with audience participation, it’s always best when the person chosen to walk up on stage is someone who is in the middle of wanting to be there, but also fearing what may happen next. The audience members who bound up the stage and are ready to go usually don’t make the best colleagues in a routine; ditto for those who cannot say their own name due to the terror of being chosen. Somewhere in between these two extremes is the special sauce for who might work well as DePonto’s associate in Mindplay.
At a recent performance, the participants were varied, but most of them were engaging and played along. When the big reveals were made, there were the requisite oohs and aahs. A few of the revelations that were unearthed proved to be quite poignant tear-jerkers. There’s definitely funny moments in Mindplay, but some of the unexpected results of asking folks to open up about themselves leads to some serious, soul-searching content, which makes the show all the more better.
Right now in New York City, there are few shows that are as amazing — in the truest sense of the word — as Mindplay, mostly because DePonto is a born entertainer, skilled mentalist, funny guy and all-around journeyman who has thankfully issued invitations to everyone at the Greenwich House Theater to follow him wherever he might lead.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Mindplay, created and performed by Vinny DePonto, continues at the Greenwich House Theater in the West Village of New York City. Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and tickets.
