"A short, pithy quote seems inadequate when recommending a three-hour masterclass with one of magic’s most interesting and insightful thinkers. Personally, I find Rick to have a fascinating and revealing perspective on the performance of magic and mentalism. If you are a serious student of the art, you will discover many invaluable ideas worth exploring or applying to your own repertoire. The material is intriguing, and even if you don’t adopt any of his routines, the lessons shared along the way are often universal, such as his thoughts on creating natural logic for necessary procedures. Rick is an essential source of great thinking and an invaluable resource for mystery performers everywhere." - R. Paul Wilson

"Your performances not only fool me, to use your word, they also ‘engage’ me. I love your material, and I love you, pal." - Johnny Thompson

"Rick is, without question, one of the best lecturers I have ever seen and I’m proud to call him a great friend." - Simon Lovell

"Rick’s lecture absolutely blew me away. The material was strong, the theory was solid, and it is obvious from the first minute of the lecture that Rick CARES about his craft. I can’t wait to see it again." - Joshua Jay

"Why is it that when I see you lecture, I feel like I am watching a mad scientist at work?" - Marc DeSouza

"Very few lecturers, and I have seen many, have the understanding of magic, mentalism, and how to entertain with them that Rick Maue has. He is not only an excellent teacher of what to do and what not to do, but his own performances in the lecture demonstrate his understanding. I not only urge you to catch his lecture, but I also urge him to keep lecturing, for what he is saying and doing is very important." - Phil Willmarth

"The thinking behind the effects here is fascinating...simple in method and heavy on effect. These are the kinds of things that should be of interest to all of us. There are many lessons here. Well worth the time." - Doc Eason

"Rick Maue is prolific. He churns out ideas, effects, manuscripts, books, and e-books at anastonishing rate. ... Mr. Maue himself often refers to his material as ‘VdM Magic’, meaning that from a technical standpoint, the Venus de Milo could do them. Because there is no sleight of hand, you might be tempted to call his material easy, or even self-working. That would be a mistake, because behind the simple hands-off methods Maue employs, there are often ingenious mental or psychological ploys at work that require tremendous attention to detail and unwavering confidence in performance. ... Rick Maue is undeniably clever. He has a good head for the kind of material that is easy, direct, and deceptive. He also writes terrific scripts. His presentations take skill-free procedural effects that so often become tedious puzzles and transform them into strong theatrical pieces that are about larger ideas and connect with people’s lives. Maue clearly has a lot to say, and if commercial mentalism and psychological magic appeal to you, much of what he says is worth listening to." - Eric Mead (Genii, August 2010)

"Man, Rick is great. I love him.”" - Penn Jillette (taken from the Foreword of Rick’s upcoming book, Occam’s Magic)

Character. Intention. Meaning. Those are three words closely associated with one of the most celebrated creators of deception in the modern age. Rick Maue has received critical acclaim from some of the most powerful performers in magic, and now he’s here to share how he creates, crafts, and performs his unique brand of theater. In this rare offering, Rick performs a deeply personal autobiographic monologue, which is seasoned with four pieces of solid theatrical deception, and all of that is followed by a lecture that may best be described as an extensive excavation into one of the most influential and theatrically minded magicians of the past four decades.

During the lecture, Rick will not only dissect his performance, but he will also dig deep into a comprehensive discussion of character, scripting, creativity, and a collection of other wide-ranging topics that reveal his philosophy, as well as his approach to engaging an audience and holding them with rapt attention.

In addition, Rick will teach the four powerful routines from his show. Yes, each one is a solid performance piece. Yes, all four fit Rick’s description of what he calls, “VdM Magic”, which means, from a technical perspective, the Venus de Milo could do them (in other words, there is no difficult sleight of hand). But no, none of them require expensive props, which may explain why Michael Weber once dubbed Rick “OfficeMax Maven” (a name Max loved, by the way).

The performance pieces are:

Heads & Tales
What appears to be a simple fifty-fifty decision gives relevant meaning to even the simplest choices we make, thus transforming the performance into a high-stakes piece of theater that commands the audience’s attention. Plus, the piece helps to define Rick’s performance character, the theme of his show, and the relationship between the audience and the performer.

Intermission
An open prediction card piece that demonstrates how Rick can control the thoughts, decisions, and physical actions of others. Plus, it unveils a reflective moment for the audience, one that makes them contemplate how they actually control the people in their own lives.

Collect Call
Another powerful demonstration of the performer’s ability to control the thoughts and decisions of others, not just others in the room, but folks located anywhere on the planet. It is the ultimate “packs flat/plays big” performance piece.

Gratitude
A running piece that extends throughout the show, ‘Gratitude’ leads to a final payoff that ties up all the loose ends, demonstrates true appreciation to one of the essential audience assistants, and reinforces the idea that the evening has been a successful partnership between the performer and the audience.

While the effects themselves have a profound impact on those watching the performance, the insight you’ll gain into Rick’s process is worth its weight in gold. This is more than a lecture; this is a lifetime of contemplation and an exploration of one creator’s passionate relationship with the world of Theatrical Deception. This is Rick Maue’s Penguin Live Lecture.