Meet Trigg Watson in Dallas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Trigg Watson.

Trigg, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was 4 years old when I saw a magician perform at a childhood friend’s birthday party. I soon exhausted the library of its books on magic (this was in an age before you could just google things) and began making magic props out of cardboard/paint and performing for family and friends. I think at first, I found magic appealing because I loved knowing the secrets and it’s fun to be able to fool your parents and friends at school. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve grown to appreciate the wonderful effect that magic can have on people.

As a kid I enjoyed all kinds of art and performance. Aside from magic, I took painting and carpentry classes, played the violin in an orchestra, taught myself to juggle, acted in plays, was involved in student government. I grew to love all kinds of creative disciplines – painting, prop building, acting, writing, leading, designing, and performing. For me, magic was the only craft that allowed me to do unite all of these interests together. I love that on any given day I could be in my studio designing a new prop, writing a script for an upcoming trade show performance, rehearsing my act for a magic competition, working as a magic design consultant for a theatrical production, or traveling to a new part of the world to perform a show. I love that magic gives me an incredible amount of variety.

What kind of magic do you specialize in?
While I enjoy creating and performing magic in close-up settings, my passion is definitely performing on stage in front of a large audience. Nothing is more exhilarating than presenting a new piece and then receiving laughter and applause because of it. I split my time between performing in corporate settings (i.e. conferences, trade shows, awards banquets, cocktail parties), and presenting my full evening show on cruise ships all around the world. Last year I visited over 25 countries, and as I write this, I’m flying to Asia to board a ship in Shanghai, China.

What sets you apart from others?
While many magicians present already existing material in their shows, I work really hard to create original pieces that push the art of magic in innovative new directions and tell a story. I love the creative process that is involved in creating a new illusion and I’m always seeking ideas for new magic effects to create. When designing new illusions, I love starting with an idea that is seemingly impossible, and then working backwards from that impossibility, employing various principles and elements from other effects to develop a feasible method. You see a lot of magicians that perform the same old classic illusions and use hack props that look like they came straight out of a magic shop. I believe that I have a responsibility as a magician to create illusions that are more relevant to a modern audience. Recently I’ve really begun to focus a lot on creating effects that employ everyday objects that we already interact with in our modern lives – whether it be an iPhone, a credit card, a can of soda, an iPad, or a cup of coffee.\

What/who inspires you?
I enjoy watching the other magicians like David Copperfield, David Blaine, or Penn & Teller. But most of my inspiration comes from outside of magic. I love stand-up comedy and I learn a lot about performance and audience interaction from watching comedians. I studied theater in school, so plays always inspired me to find ways to engage people emotionally and tell a story with my magic. As a magic creator, I’m always reading through old magic books and journals, looking for magic effects that have been long forgotten, but can be updated to fit a modern audience. I also spend a lot of time asking myself questions that begin with “What if…”. It’s amazing what you can dream up with if you really free your mind of all pre-conceptions of what can or cannot be done.

Why magic?
I love the moments of human connection and awe that the art of magic can induce. A lot of magic performances merely convey the message that “I fooled you and therefore I’ve won.” I never want my audience to feel like my show is a battle between my magic tricks and the spectator’s intellect. Instead, I want to invite my audience to sit back and enjoy a few minutes in which more is possible. I work hard to help my audiences experience a brief escape from reality, and hopefully laugh a little along the way.

Like music or dance, magic is a universal language. I recently had the amazing opportunity to take my show across the world to Bahrain in the Middle East. While performing there, I was struck with how similarly the Bahraini an audience responded to my magic performances. Their eyes would grow wide, mouths would open in astonishment, and a smile would spread across their face. No matter where we live, we all have the capacity to appreciate magic, and be entertained by that which is beyond our comprehension.

What do you like best about our city?
I love that Dallas is growing and constantly evolving. As more new businesses start and corporations relocate here, the population is becoming more and more diverse, and I love to meet people living here from all over the world.

What do you like least about our city?
I wish Dallas had a culture that better supported live entertainment. We are living in an age in which we have access to so much digital media, that we forget how much fun it can be go out of the house to see a show. Fortunately, there seems to be a little bit of an increase in variety entertainment around town. I hope that this will only continue in the future, and that the Dallas community will embrace the joy of experiencing music, comedy, theater, and even magic live in their own community.

Is there anywhere local that Dallas folks can come see you perform?
Yes! In addition to being available for local private and corporate events, I perform an almost-monthly show at Checkered Past Winery in Dallas. An evening of “libations and illusions,” this is a great night out for anyone who would like to experience local Texas wines and a sophisticated magic show in an intimate venue. Tickets are $20 and there are only 45 tickets sold per show. Find out more at www.WineAndMagicDallas.com

Contact Info:

• Website: www.triggmagic.com
• Email: trigg@triggmagic.com

Image Credit:
Barbara Brands
Richard Faverty

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.