The Unwitting Magician, by Jeremy Dobrish
Is it a play?
Sort of
Is it a reading?
Kind of
Is it a magic show?
Sure
With a magician?
Definitely not.
But, what if I hate magic?
You’ll still like it.
So, wait, what is it?
You tell us.
It just might be the most different and fascinating time you ever spend in a theater.
Oh, and it’s performed by an actor who does it one night, and then never does it again.
The Unwitting Magician is a unique theatrical and magical one-night-only experience. A lone actor steps onto a bare stage armed with little more than a music stand and a sealed manila envelope. Inside: a script they have truly never seen, its contents a complete mystery. The actor has no idea what sort of play or theatrical experience may unfold. As the actor reads the script to the audience he (or she) is swept into a whirlwind of impossible feats and playful surprises, becoming an unwitting magician and inviting the audience to question who is truly in control: the performer, the script, or something more magical still?
The Unwitting Magician
The Unwitting Magician
UPCOMING
PRODUCTIONS:
SOPAC:
Wednesday, September 16th
The Sublime Theater:
Friday, December 11 - Sunday December 13
Actors Gallery
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?
Upcoming - September 16, 2026 South Orange NJ
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Steven Samuels
Upcoming - December 11 2026, Asheville NC
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Kathryn Langwell
Upcoming - December 12 2026, Asheville, NC
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Erin McCarson
Upcoming - December 13, 2026 Asheville, NC
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Lisa VillaMil
Past - May 24, 2026, West Orange NJ
“Audiences should see this show because it's gonna be unlike anything they've seen before.”
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Lucas Pinner
Past - May 23rd, 2026, West Orange, NJ
“What a fun way to see an actor finesse their craft in a way that they haven't gotten to before.”
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Adrian Baidoo
Past - May 22nd, 2026, West Orange, NJ
“Such a cool night of theater!”
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Stephanie Kurtzuba
Past - May 17th, 2026, Union NJ
“ It was just me, a script I'd never seen before, and a group of strangers, and we created this thing together that will never exist again.”
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Eric William Morris
Past - May 16th, 2026, Union NJ
“I truly cannot think of an audience that would not enjoy this.”
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Stacey Linnartz
Past - December 8th 2025, Rahway NJ
“I am so delighted to have been a part of such a special project.”
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Seth Clayton
Past - September 10th 2025, South Orange NJ
“Hats off to the people making theater unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Incredible evening. What a ride.”
What does it feel like to be an
Unwitting Magician?
Or to produce
The Unwitting Magician?
Or to see
The Unwitting Magician?
“ We had a long deep and thoughtful discussion on the experience and the many ways in which the writing prompted curiosity.”
-Audience Member
“Super clever. Delivers mentalism from a wholly different angle. You’re left wondering how it’s done. Loved the writing.”
-Audience Member
“I truly can’t stop talking about it or thinking about it. It is brilliant; it’s what the world needs right now and we are all more human today because of it.”
-Victoria Duncker Arts Director, Union Arts Center
“It’s unlike any play I’ve read, performance I’ve witnessed or magic show I’ve seen. It is unique, challenging, unpredictable, and hugely entertaining. You have to experience it to understand it. And once you do, you will want to experience it again and again.” -Jim Vagias, Producing Artistic Director, American Theater Group
Contact us.
Interested in working together? Want to produce the show? Or star in it?
Wanna chat about it or tell us what you liked about it?
Want to find out about upcoming productions?
Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly.
We can’t wait to hear from you!
About Jeremy Dobrish
Jeremy Dobrish is a director, playwright, artistic leader, creative director, and teacher whose focus has been developing and directing new plays and musicals. He has directed at Second Stage, MCC, Joe’s Pub, The Promenade, The Variety Arts, The Century, Actor’s Playhouse, etc. His productions have received several Lortel and Drama Desk nominations. Regionally, Jeremy has directed at The Old Globe, Barrington Stage, North Shore, The O’Neill, New York Stage and Film, Goodspeed and The Village Theatre. He is a 9-time published playwright who founded adobe theatre company which he ran for thirteen years, and he co-founded Midtown Direct Rep, in Maplewood, NJ. He has taught at NYU, Juilliard, The National Theatre Institute, The New York Film Academy, Fordham, and Western Michigan University. He is currently a Senior Creative Director at Proscenium where he writes and directs creative elements for some of the world’s biggest brands.
