David Gordon Ben is a Canadian

stage magician Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...

sleight of hand Sleight of hand (also known as prestidigitation or ''legerdemain'' () comprises fine motor skills used by performing artists in different art forms to entertain or manipulate. It is closely associated with close-up magic, card magic, card fl ...

artist,

illusionist Magic, which encompasses the subgenres of close-up magic, parlor magic, and stage magic, among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural me ...

, author, publisher,

keynote speaker A keynote in public speaking is a talk that establishes a main underlying theme. In corporate or commercial settings, greater importance is attached to the delivery of a keynote speech or keynote address. The keynote establishes the framework fo ...

, magic historian, magic consultant, magic collector and former tax lawyer. He has been a professional magician, performer, entertainer and keynote speaker since 1990. Ben is known for his sleight-of-hand technique, his knowledge of magic history and his collection of magic. He is one of the founders of Magicana—a performing arts organization dedicated to the study, exploration and advancement of magic as a performing art—and currently serves its as executive and artistic director. He is the sole protégé of a fellow Canadian, twentieth century sleight-of-hand artist, Ross Bertram, and biographer of celebrated magician,

Dai Vernon David Frederick Wingfield Verner (June 11, 1894August 21, 1992), better known by his stage names Dai Vernon (pronounced alternatively as "DIE" or as "DAY" as in David) or The Professor, was a Canadian magician. Vernon's sleight of hand techn ...

Early life and education

Ben was born March 5, 1961, and raised in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Canada. His interest in magic began after receiving the book, ''The Stein and Day Handbook of Magic'' by Marvin Kaye from his father in 1973. Ben's childhood interest turned into a lifelong passion after he watched the television special '' Doug Henning's World of Magic'' (1975). Ben became a frequent visitor to the Arcade Magic and Novelty Company in Toronto, and then Morrissey Magic Ltd. While in high school, Ben worked part-time at Morrissey Magic, learning the craft from Canadian magician and store founder, Herb Morrissey. In 1978, Ben acquired the book ''The Magic and Methods of Ross Bertram'' and in 1979, through Morrissey, Msgr. Vincent Foy and P. Howard Lyons, met the book's author, Ross Bertram. Ben studied magic with Bertram for six years (1980–86) and became Bertram's sole protégé. Ben graduated with a BA from University College of the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

(1983), an LLB from the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thame ...

(1987) and an LLM from the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

(1988). He articled at the firm of Macdonald & Hayden, was called to the bar in the province of

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

in 1989, and joined the firm of Goodman, Phillips and Vineberg (now Goodmans) as a tax lawyer. However, in 1990, after producing a series of conventions, lectures and magic shows, Ben abandoned the conventional lawyer's life to pursue the art of magic. In 2019, Ben was a featured alumni by the

in
video
that highlights a summary of his work and contributions to magic.

Charity and outreach

In May 2000, Ben co-founded, along with broadcaster Patrick Watson and producer/director Daniel Zuckerbrot, Magicana, a not-for-profit organization (which became registered Canadian charity in 2006) dedicated to exploration and advancement of magic as a performing art. He also assisted his wife, Jan Howlett, an accomplished educator and former Director of Public Programming and Education for the

Royal Ontario Museum The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is a museum of art, world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the largest museums in North America and the largest in Canada. It attracts more than one million visitors every year ...

, and executive director of the Children's Own Museum with the formation of her own school, the Howlett Academy, an independent school (JK–Grade 8) located in Toronto. When Howlett died on July 14, 2013, from complications due to brain cancer, Ben assumed the role of director for the Howlett Academy. In 2004, Ben developed ''My Magic Hands'', an outreach program designed to teach creativity and develop self-confidence and self-esteem in disadvantaged youth through the medium of magic. The program received a significant pilot funding in 2005 followed by a subsequent multi-year funding grant from th
Ontario Trillium Foundation
(2006–2008). In 2005, inspired by his friend the late

Tom Kneebone Tom Kneebone, (12 May 1932 – 15 November 2003) was a New Zealand-Canadian cabaret performer and actor. Early life Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Kneebone went to England to study at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Career He moved ...

and the Smile Theatre Company, Ben created ''Senior Sorcery'', a program designed to bring magic shows to immobile seniors, the goal being to create intergenerational opportunities for the old to invite the young to share the experience of magic. In 2009, Ben acquired the collection of late Canadian magic icon, Sid Lorraine, adding it to his already considerable magic holdings. Ben's holdings also include the collection of Stewart James, Willis Kenney, David Drake, Bruce Posgate, and items belonging to Dai Vernon. Ben developed a number of online exhibitions for Magicana including ''Ross Bertram, Master Magician'' 2010; ''Sid Lorraine: The Magical Chatterbox'' 2009; ''The Life & Magic of Stewart James'' 2007 (in collaboration with PhD student Joe Culpepper); ''Postcards of Magicians'' 2005, 2010; and ''Bert Douglas: A Family Remembers'' 2005, 2010). In 2024, the Lilly Library, Indiana University acquired part of Ben’s collection of books, periodicals, ephemera, notebooks and personal papers related to magic.

Theatre

The Conjuror (1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2014)

''The Conjuror'' was a theatrical recreation of a performance by a celebrated (but fictitious) Canadian conjuror at St. George's Hall in London circa 1909. The play was developed by Ben and Canadian broadcasting icon, Patrick Watson, after a chance encounter between the two at the home of Canadian media mogul and magic aficionado Allan Slaight. ''The Conjuror'', with set and costumes by Kelly Wolf, had its world premiere at the

Shaw Festival The Shaw Festival is a Charitable organization, Charitable theatre festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. It is the second largest repertory theatre company in North America, second only to Canada's Strat ...

in 1996. The show had outstanding box office and critical reviews.

Christopher Newton Christopher Newton (11 June 1936 – 20 December 2021) was a Canadian director and actor, who served as artistic director of the Shaw Festival from 1980 to 2002. Early life and education Newton was born in Deal, Kent, England and educated at ...

, Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival, "dip edhis imagination in the Golden Age of Magic" and invited Ben and Watson to revisit ''The Conjuror'' the following season. ''The Conjuror – Part 2'', with set design by William Schmuck and lighting by Bonnie Beecher, had its world premiere at the Shaw Festival in 1997 featuring "seven illusions accomplished with panache". At the end of the season, Ben and Watson amalgamated ''The Conjuror'' and ''The Conjuror – Part 2'' into ''The Compleat Conjuror'' for a special gala fundraising performance for the Festival. While Ben and Watson were developing ''The Conjuror'', Ben became reacquainted with Daniel Zuckerbrot. Zuckerbrot, a documentary filmmaker, retained Ben to levitate

David Suzuki David Takayoshi Suzuki (born March 24, 1936) is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster, and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a PhD in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department at the ...

, the host of

The Nature of Things ''The Nature of Things'' (formerly, ''The Nature of Things with David Suzuki'') is a Canadian television series of documentary programs. It debuted on CBC Television on 6 November 1960. Many of the programs document nature and the effect th ...

, for a Zuckerbrot film "

Martin Gardner Martin Gardner (October 21, 1914May 22, 2010) was an American popular mathematics and popular science writer with interests also encompassing magic, scientific skepticism, micromagic, philosophy, religion, and literatureespecially the writin ...

: Mathemagician" (1995). Zuckerbrot proposed recording the development of ''The Conjuror''. The result was "A Conjuror in the Making" (1997), which aired on the ''

Adrienne Clarkson Adrienne Louise Clarkson ( zh, c=伍冰枝; ; born February 10, 1939) is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as the 26th governor general of Canada from 1999 to 2005. Clarkson arrived in Canada with her family in 1941, as a refuge ...

Presents'' on the CBC and on '' Breakfast with the Arts'' on the

A&E Network A&E (an initialism of its original name, the Arts & Entertainment Network) is an American cable and satellite television network and the flagship property of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Walt Disney Company ...

in the United States. The film follows magician David Ben and director Patrick Watson through rehearsal, show development and finally to the opening night performance at the Shaw Festival. The documentary won gold at WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, and the Chris Statuette at the Columbus International Film & Video Festival. In 1997, Lindsay Sharp, then Director of the

, invited Ben to stage ''The Conjuror'' at the ROM. Ben and his team refurbished the theatre in the Museum – a theatre that had been dormant for theatrical productions for 35 years. A 90-minute version of ''The Conjuror'' opened in December 1997 at Theatre ROM and ran for four months. It then embarked on a regional theatre tour of Ontario in the summer of 1998 "deftly conjuring charming show". The play was remounted to continued acclaim in Toronto in 2002, now with original music by John Lang, and ran for six weeks. ''The Conjuror'' was remounted in December 2014 for a limited-engagement of 12 shows for six days for

Soulpepper Theatre Soulpepper is a theatre company based in Toronto, Ontario.Keith Garebian"Soulpepper Theatre" ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'', November 4, 2010. History Soulpepper was founded in 1998 by twelve Toronto artists aiming to produce lesser-known theatri ...

The Conjuror's Suite (1999, 2000)

In 1999, Ben and Watson created a new 90-minute show—''The Conjuror's Suite''—an exploration of

parlor magic A parlour (or parlor) is a reception room or public space. In medieval Christian Europe, the "outer parlour" was the room where the monks or nuns conducted business with those outside the monastery and the "inner parlour" was used for necessary ...

inspired by the work of Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser and

Max Malini Max Malini (born Max Katz Breit; 1875 – October 3, 1942) was a magician who at his peak performed for several List of Presidents of the United States of America, US Presidents and at Buckingham Palace, receiving gifts from monarchs across Europ ...

. With Ed Kotanen's design and Bonnie Beecher's lighting, Ben and Watson created a three-quarter surround theatre in the Garfield Weston Exhibition Hall at the Royal Ontario Museum for the show. ''The Conjuror's Suite'' received critical acclaim, and Ben was invited to restage the work by Curtis Barlow at the

Charlottetown Festival The Charlottetown Festival is a seasonal Canadian musical theatre festival which has run from late May to mid-October every year since 1965. The Charlottetown Festival is hosted in Confederation Centre of the Arts every year. Named after its host c ...

in Prince Edward Island for the summer of 2000.

Tricks (2004, 2015)

Collaborating again with Watson, Ben wrote a new theatrical work, ''Tricks''—a post-modern show focusing on the classics of magic. He returned to the stage with critical success. Designer credits: set design by David Rayfield, lighting by Bonnie Beecher and an original score by John Lang. The work was presented in 2004 at Artword Theatre (Toronto) in collaboration with Magicana. ''Tricks'' was remounted in December 2015 for a limited-engagement for

Natural Magick (2011)

In 2011, Ben mounted a new show, ''Natural Magick'' which was produced by Magicana in collaboration with the ''Luminato'' Festival. This show was inspired by John Baptista della Porta's 1558 scientific treatise, " Natural Magick", Shahrazad's tales,

Kenneth Burke Kenneth Duva Burke (May 5, 1897 – November 19, 1993) was an American literary theorist, as well as poet, essayist, and novelist, who wrote on 20th-century philosophy, aesthetics, criticism, and rhetorical theory. As a literary theorist, Burke ...

's ''A Grammar of Motives'' and the modern notions of magic as espoused by master magician,

. The new work featured a set by David Rayfield and multimedia imagery by Cameron Davis, lighting by Bonnie Beecher and music by John Lang. Ben presented new sleight-of-hand pieces from his repertoire and received critical acclaim for his work. ''Natural Magick'' was a top pick for the Festival. ''Natural Magick'' was presented as part of the Master of Magic series for Luminato at the Tarragon Theatre (Toronto).

Card Table Artifice (2014)

In 2014, Ben wrote, performed and directed, ''Card Table Artifice'' which was produced by Magicana in collaboration with the Luminato Festival. The show was a new work based on A Man in a Room, Gambling, originally created by

Gavin Bryars Richard Gavin Bryars (; born 16 January 1943) is an English composer and double bassist. He has worked in jazz, free improvisation, minimalism, Musical historicism, historicism, Avant-garde music, avant-garde, and experimental music. Early lif ...

and Juan Muñoz. The 2014 presentation was a performance art piece with three areas of the stage occupied with Ben performing live, sleight-of-hand gambling technique, Bryars leading a string quartet and a narrator, Canadian actor, RH Thompson, reading passages which described the technique displayed by Ben on a large video screen behind the performers. There were two performances, June 13 and 14, 2014 which received warm reviews.

Hocus Pocus (2016)

In 2016, Ben wrote, performed and directed, ''Hocus Pocus'' which was produced by Magicana in collaboration with

. In addition to his sleight-of-hand, Ben incorporated cinematic clips as well as video and voice-over work by spoken word artist La-Vane Kelly to forge a connection between magic words and the art of spoken word. ''Hocus Pocus'' ran in December 2016 for a limited-engagement at Soulpepper Theatre, and received warm reviews.

Producer

Ben produced a number of magic conventions, lectures and magic shows including NYCAN '83 (convention), a gathering of 300 magicians. In the same year, he also became one of the first to produce Penn & Teller in their two-man show at the Ritz Theatre in Toronto. In 2003, Ben started producing through Magicana, and in association with Allan Slaight, a conference called ''31 Faces North'' in which he and Slaight invited thirty-one of the world's foremost experts and practitioners of magic and promising young magicians to participate in a four-day think-tank of magic. The attendees represented a who's who of magic including Guest of Honours: Jay Marshall (2003), Tommy Wonder (2003),

Johnny Thompson John Max Thompson (July 27, 1934 – March 9, 2019) was an American comedian and Las Vegas illusionist who performed under the stage name The Great Tomsoni with his wife, Pamela Hayes. They had a comedic slapstick act with the well-dressed Thom ...

(2004), Harry Riser (2004), Billy McComb (2005), Charles Reynolds (2005),

Max Maven Max Maven (born Philip T. Goldstein; December 21, 1950 – November 1, 2022) was an American magician and mentalist whose performances were considered erudite and intelligent. He is ranked as one of the most influential mentalists of all time, a ...

(2006), Bob White (2006), Roberto Giobbi (2007), Stephen Minch (2007), Ton Onosaka (2008),

Herb Zarrow Herbert Gershen Zarrow (November 4, 1925 – May 11, 2008) was an American magician influential in the profession for his inventions of unique sleight of hand and card tricks. The inventor of the Zarrow shuffle, his skills were held in the highes ...

(2008), Michael Weber (2009), Bob Sheets (2009), Gaëtan Bloom (2010) and

Jim Steinmeyer Jim Steinmeyer (born November 1, 1958) is an American author, inventor, and designer of magical illusions and theatrical special effects. He holds four US patents in the field of illusion apparatus, including a modern version of the Pepper's Gho ...

(2010). Filmmaker, Daniel Zuckerbrot recorded each session, all of which is now housed in the archives of Magicana. In 2009 Ben became Director of the Magic Collectors Association, publisher and editor of its journal, ''Magicol'' and the convention chair for the annual gathering, the ''Magic Collectors Weekend''. 2010 marked the 41st conference. Ben served as producer and Convention Chair of that event through 2017. In 2010, Ben was invited to program and produce the ''Masters of Magic'' series for

Luminato The Luminato Festival, Toronto's International Festival of Arts and Ideas, is an annual celebration of the arts in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, launched in 2007. In its first decade, Luminato presented over 3,000 performances featuring 11,000 artist ...

, a festival of creativity and the arts held in Toronto. For Luminato 2010, he produced magicians Bob Sheets, ''The Mac King Comedy Show'', Max Maven's ''Thinking in Person'', and North American theatrical premiere of Spain's

Juan Tamariz Juan Tamariz-Martel Negrón (born 18 October 1942) is a Spanish magician. Tamariz is considered to have pionereed close-up card magic. American stage magician Ricky Jay once said he considered him to be a magician people will remember, and ...

at the Panasonic Theatre. In 2011 Ben was again called upon by Luminato to curate magic for the Festival. He produced three shows: ''Toast of the Town'' (Eric Mead), ''Natural Magick'' and ''Vodvil''. While ''Natural Magick'' featured magic performed by David Ben, ''Vodvil'' involved five magic acts by artists of international acclaim – namely, The Great Tomsoni & Company (John and Pam Thompson), Mike Caveney, Tina Lenert, Ardan James and Gaëtan Bloom (of France). "Vodvil" was presented in the historic

Winter Garden Theatre The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Originally designed by architect William Albert Swasey, it opened in 1911. The Winter Garden's current des ...

in Toronto keeping in step with the vaudevillian theme of the show. In 2012 Ben produced, in association with Magicana, three new programs for

. The first was ''The Alpha Project'' by the mentalist,

Banachek Banachek (born Steven Shaw; 30 November 1960) is an English Mentalism, mentalist, magician (illusionist), magician, and thought reader. He first came to public attention as a teenager for his role in James Randi's Project Alpha (hoax), Project ...

; ''The Cheat'' by Richard Turner; and ''From The Dark'' by Chilean magician Juan Esteban Varela. In 2013 Ben also produced in association with Magicana, three more programs for

: ''Concerto for Piano & Pasteboards'' by Spanish magician, Miguel Puga; ''Chamber Magic'' by

Steve Cohen Steve, Steven or Stephen Cohen may refer to: Sportspeople * Steve Cohen (gymnast) (born 1946), American Olympic gymnast * Steve Cohen (judoka) (born 1955), American judoka and Olympian * Steve Cohen (wrestler) (born 1963), South African wrestler be ...

; and ''Compositions'' by magician Rafael Benatar. In addition to producing these live performances, Ben produced in association with Magicana and Reel Time Images, a film ''The Devil's Playthings'', a short, fantasy film mixing cinema and sleight-of-hand. For 2014, Ben again produced (in association with Magicana), two programs for

themed as ''Transgressive Magic''. The first was ''Bullet Catch'' a magic/performance art show written and performed by Scottish performer, Rob Drummond, about the (fictional) case of William Henderson, a magician apparently killed in front of 2,000 people while performing the famed bullet catch in 1912. The second was ''Card Table Artifice'' written by David Ben and composed by

and presented as a performance art piece with the simultaneous presentation of Ben performing card table artistry, Bryars leading a string quartet and narration by Canadian actor, RH Thomson. The show also included an opening act by magician, Rob Zabrecky.

Consultant

Ben served as the Magic Consultant in a number of areas including: * Theatre:
The Grand Magic
' (2023), ''The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe'' (2016), ''Possible Worlds'' (2015), ''

The Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with her husband Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in Lo ...

'' (2002) for Stratford Theatre; ''Sisters'' (2018), ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' (2015),''Of Human Bondage'' (2014), ''

Travesties ''Travesties'' is a 1974 play by Tom Stoppard. It centres on the figure of Henry Wilfred Carr, Henry Carr, an old man who reminisces about Zürich in 1917 during World War I, the First World War, and his interactions with James Joyce when he w ...

'' (2009), ''School for Wives'' (2000) for Soulpepper Theatre; ''Ragtime'' (2012), ''

One Touch of Venus ''One Touch of Venus'' is a 1943 musical with music written by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ogden Nash, and book by S. J. Perelman and Nash, based on the 1885 novella ''The Tinted Venus'' by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, and very loosely spoofing the Pygma ...

'' (2010) for The

; ''The Darkest Dark'' (2023), ''Merlin'' (2002) for Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People; ''The Wizard of Oz'' (2011) for

Ross Petty Ross Petty (born August 29, 1946) is a Canadians, Canadian actor and theatre producer. He is best known for his eponymous production company, which staged what were promoted as "family musical" theatre productions in the British pantomime traditi ...

Productions; ''Piff Paff Poof'' (2011) for Magicana; ''Living in Las Vegas, Live at the Rio'' (2009) for Penn & Teller. * Museum/Culture: Facilitated the acquisition of one of the top five magic poster and Houdiniana collections in the word (renamed ''The Allan Slaight Collection'') in 2015 for the McCord Museum in Montreal.''Illusions: The Art of Magic'' (2017) co-curator of the exhibition originally mounted at the

McCord Museum The McCord Stewart Museum, formerly known as the McCord Museum of Canadian History, is a public research and teaching museum. The Museum’s Archives, Documentary Art, Dress, Fashion and Textiles, Indigenous Cultures, Material Culture and Photogr ...

in Montreal. Ben also consulted for the remount of the ''Illusions'' exhibition in 2020 at the

Art Gallery of Ontario The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; ) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located on Dundas Street, Dundas Street West in the Grange Park (neighbourhood), Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, the museum complex takes up of phys ...

* Movies: '' Kit Kittredge: An American Girl'' (2008); ''The Devil's Playthings (Short)'' (2013) *Television: ''

Canada's Walk of Fame Canada's Walk of Fame () in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of Canadians who have excelled in their respective fields. It is a series of maple leaf-like stars embedded in 13 de ...

'' –

Doug Henning Douglas James Henning (May 3, 1947 – February 7, 2000) was a Canadian magician, illusionist, escape artist and politician. Early life Henning was born in the Fort Garry district of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Henning became interested in magi ...

induction (2010); ''

Murdoch Mysteries ''Murdoch Mysteries'' is a Canadian television drama series that premiered on Citytv on January 20, 2008, and currently airs on CBC. The series is based on characters from the ''Detective Murdoch'' novels by Maureen Jennings and stars Yannick ...

'' (2009) * Documentaries: "The Wizards of Awe" (1992) for CBC's ''The Journal''; "Martin Gardner Mathemagician" (1996) for CBC's ''The Nature of Things''; "Dai Vernon—The Spirit of Magic" (1999); "Heroes of Magic" (2000) for Thames Television; "The Last Illusion" (2005) for Markham Cook; "The Strange Genius of Stewart James" (2006) for

History Television The History Channel (also known as History) is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel that primarily broadcasts programming related to history and historical fiction. It is owned by History Television, Inc., a subsidiary of ...

's ''The Canadians – Biographies of a Nation''; "The Science of Magic" (2018) for CBC's ''The Nature of Things''. *Commercials: Tim Hortons, Coolpix * Short films: ''Yes/No'' (2010) by Brian Johnson inspired by the poems of Dennis Lee * Literature: ''Divisadero'' (2007) by

Michael Ondaatje Philip Michael Ondaatje (; born 12 September 1943) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer and essayist. Ondaatje's literary career began with his poetry in 1967, publishing ''The Dainty Monsters'', and then in 1970 the critically a ...

Keynote speaker

In 1990, in addition to performing magic at corporate functions, Ben started speaking about creativity, innovation and problem-solving using the metaphor of magic to a wide range of businesses and associations in Canada and the United States. His work in this field led to his book on the subject, ''Advantage Play'', published by

Key Porter Books Key Porter Books was a book publishing company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1979 by Anna Porter, later well known as a writer, the company specialized in Canadian non-fiction, although it published some fiction too. It ceased op ...

in 2002 (now published by Magicana). Ben has also been a keynote speaker for the magic community providing lectures for private groups and conventions since 1985. He has been sought out to speak as an expert on sleight-of-hand magic and as a historian of magic, including unique lecture topics for The Ibidem Event (1985); the

Society of American Magicians The Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.) is the oldest fraternal magic organization in the world. Its purpose is "to advance, elevate, and preserve magic as a performing art, to promote harmonious fellowship throughout the world of magic, and ...

100th Anniversary Convention in New York City (2002); the combined

and

International Brotherhood of Magicians International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.) is an organization for both professional and amateur close-up and stage magicians, with approximately 15,000 members worldwide. The headquarters is in St. Charles, Missouri. There are over 300 l ...

conference in Louisville (2008); and multiple appearances in Hakone, Japan.

Awards and achievements

Ben has received numerous awards and recognition for his achievements in magic including: * Member of The Inner Magic Circle with Gold Star, elevated to Gold Star in 2000 * The 2013 Masters Award from the

Milbourne Christopher Milbourne Christopher (23 March 1914 – 17 June 1984) was a prominent American illusionist, magic historian, and author. President of the Society of American Magicians, an honorary vice-president to The Magic Circle, and one of the founding ...

Foundation * The 2018 Media and Literary Fellowship Award (a co-recipient) from the Academy of Magical Arts (The Magic Castle) *

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

(2024)

Writer, biographer and editor

Ben is the author of: * 2002: ''Advantage Play: The Manager's Guide To Creative Problem Solving'', Toronto: Key Porter Books. * 2003: ''Tricks'', Chicago: Squash Publishing. * 2006: ''Dai Vernon: A Biography – Artist, Magician, Muse Vol. 1'', Chicago: Squash Publishing. Toronto: Magicana. * 2008: ''Zarrow: A Lifetime of Magic'', New Jersey: Meir Yedid Magic. * 2011: "Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Erdnase." ''Magicol, A Journal of Magic History and Collectibles'' No. 180 (2011): 24–43. Print. * 2012: "Max Malini: Bigger Than Life" ''Genii'' (October 2012): 44–67. Print. * 2013: ''Slaight: Off Hand'', The astonishing journey of media mogul Allan Slaight, Toronto: Magicana. Print. * 2014: "Paul Fox, Master of Mystery" ''Magicol, A Journal of Magic History and Collectibles'' No. 188 (2014): 4-119. Print. * 2014: ''Card Table Artifice'' (play; performance art on card cheating) * 2015: ''The Experts at the Card Table'', Toronto: Magicana. Print. * 2017: "Constellations of Magic" ''Magicol, A Journal of Magic History and Collectibles'' No. 192 (2017): 22-36 . Print. * 2022: ''Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic''. Special presentation booklet for FISM 2022. Print. Ben is the co-author with Patrick Watson of: * 1996: ''The Conjuror'' (play; based on a fictitious Canadian magician set in 1909) * 1999: ''The Conjuror's Suite'' (play; based on Edwardian magician performing a salon magic show) * 2004: ''Tricks'' (play; based on a modern-day magician) * 2011: ''Natural Magick'' (play; exploring magic as a theatrical art) Ben has edited various works including: * 2018: ''The Magic of Johnny Thompson'' Toronto: Magicana. (set) Print. As a writer, Ben is represented b
Westwood Creative Artists

Publisher

Ben, in partnership with Magicana, is the publisher and editor of: * 2007: ''The Essential Stewart James'' by Stewart James. Toronto: Magicana. * 2008: ''Spins and Needles: The Magic of Allan Slaight'' by Allan Slaight. Toronto: Magicana. * 2008: ''How Gamblers Win'' by a Retired Professional. Toronto: Magicana. * 2010: ''A Grand Expose of The Science of Gambling'' by An Adept. Toronto: Magicana. * 2011: ''A Cut Above'' by Msgr Vincent Foy. Toronto: Magicana. * 2012: ''Erdnase Unmasked'' by Ben, David et al. Toronto: Magicana. * 2013: ''Slaight, Off Hand: The astonishing journey of media mogul Allan Slaight'' by David Ben. Toronto: Magicana. * 2015: ''The Bammo Ten Card Deal Dossier'' by Bob Farmer. Toronto: Magicana. Print. *2015: ''The Experts at the Card Table'', Toronto: Magicana. Print. *2018: ''The Magic of Johnny Thompson'' Toronto: Magicana. (set) Print. He was the publisher and editor of ''Magicol'' () from 2010 to 2022, a journal on magic history and collectibles that has been published since 1950.

References

External links

David Ben Official Web Site

Magicana Official Web Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ben, David 1961 births Canadian magicians Historians of magic Entertainers from Toronto Living people Sleight of hand Members of the Order of Canada