Name: Jen Kramer
Year: 2014
College: Pierson
Major: Theater Studies
Hometown: Great Neck, NY
How did you get started performing magic?
When I was ten years old, my uncle Steve sent me a magic book called The Royal Road to Card Magic for my birthday. I loved it and have been performing ever since! From there, I started going to magic camp, attending magic conventions and joining magicians’ groups.
Can you describe the magic community at Yale?
When I was a freshman, I started the Yale Magic Society and found a few other magicians floating around campus who were also looking for a place to “jam.” Now, there’s a great group of magicians here: some people who came to Yale with lots of experience and others who had never been involved in magic, but were very enthusiastic about it. We’ll meet up and practice, hang out and share the projects we’re currently working on. We’ll also perform on campus and in the community. We do a lot of events for alumni, fellows’ dinners, etc.
Where are some of your favorite places that you’ve performed?
I had a lot of fun performing in Las Vegas; that was exciting! It’s like the Magic Mecca. I also had a really fun performance for the Yale Club of Madrid. It was held on a rooftop at sunset, and we did it in Spanglish. Finally, being from New York, I love performing there as well. It has a special place in my heart!
What is the most rewarding part about pursing magic?
Magic has an amazing ability to inspire wonder, which really sets it apart as a craft. Through magic, even the most jaded person can be transformed into a 5 year old, full of this childlike sense of wonder about the world and questioning what is real versus an illusion. I think magic is a powerful medium to connect with people and hopefully affect their lives in a positive, lasting way.
Why did you choose Yale?
I love Yale! I think it really came down to the community here. When I was deciding between schools, I made this really extensive Excel spreadsheet with pros and cons. But I’ve always loved Yale, and at the end of the day, it was that gut feeling – I was on Yale’s campus and knew this was where I wanted to spend the next four years of my life. Yale is a truly magical place.
What are your plans for after graduation?
Magic! One of the exciting and challenging elements of pursuing magic professionally is that you are charting your own course. There are many possible routes a magician can take. At the moment, I’m working hard on my act and exploring what would make the most sense moving forward as a magician. I’m fortunate to be so immersed in this crazy, awesome world.
What is something that most people don’t know about you?
I’m very indecisive about my cereals! I always end up putting seven in the bowl, because I can never decide which one I want. Let’s see, other things… I’m a black belt in Karate. I speak Swahili. I once performed as a Vegas showgirl!