Playwright: Christopher Carter
At: Theatre Building, 1225 W. Belmont
Phone: (773) 327-5252; $25-28
Runs Through: Aug. 3
If it's mental curiosity you crave, Chris Carter Messes with Your Mind is the place to be. The 90-minute show in the intimate
Theatre Building West Studio rivals the best entertainment you'll see in Las Vegas.
Like producer Vicki Quade's other successful show, Late Nite Catechism, Carter is big on audience participation. Carter claims to
be able to read our minds, or at least our emotions, body language, and other nonverbal cues that, he says, help him know what
we're thinking.
Even the most skeptical in our group had a change of heart when Carter guessed her full name and birth date. She met us at the
theatre late, no one talked to her before the event and even I didn't know her last name until Carter guessed it. Other tricks include
guessing a word an audience member chooses from one of two large books. Carter says he's able to read the electromagnetic
pulses from the audience member who mentally spells out the word while placing a finger on the back of Carter's neck.
Since his 2002 show at Live Bait, Carter's show has evolved a bit. The new space allows for more audience participation and he
includes expanded pieces like moving a broom atop a paper cup using his mind. He also channels power through an audience
member to light up a fluorescent light bulb with her hand.
And the show's not all about mind games. Carter gives us a brief introduction into how he's able to perform some of these feats.
He tells us why he calls himself a 'mentalist' and that his study of psychology and other areas of human nature have helped him hone
his special talents. Carter respects the talents of those performers before him by giving a history lesson on magic and reality-benders
of the past.
Time speeds by, literally, in this show, too. In a matter of a few minutes, an audience member's watch moves forward by 45
minutes. This is a show you don't want to miss. Arrive early and sit in the center section because you may miss some of the action
sitting in the wings.