Ricky Jay: On the Stem

RICKY JAY: ON THE STEM. Written and performed by Ricky Jay. Second Stage Theater, New York City. 28 June 2002.

Ricky Jay's On the Stem is a new departure for the perennially sold-out prestidigitator. Word in professional magic circles was that the show wasn't as exciting as Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants. Watching On the Stem, it is easy to see why magic buffs might be disappointed. Jay showcases far fewer of his signature feats of card manipulation, even the ever popular card throwing; instead, he spends much of his time doing what he does in his books-documenting the history of American popular entertainment.

Those who consider Jay a magician or card sharp are often surprised to find how little of his material is original. Most of his tricks, complete with patter, can be found in classic texts such as the 1902 cheater's manual, The Expert at the Card Table. Jay is not as interested in creating new tricks as he is in reminding us of the old ones. On the Stem surfaces this documentary drive: the piece is a compendium of the tricks, buffooneries, cons, and sideshows that make up the marvelous margins of American theatre history.

On the Stem zeros in on Broadway, the "Stem" of the title. Soliloquizing in front of an unrolling panorama of the Great White Way, Jay functions as time-traveling tour guide, leading the audience beyond legitimate theatre to explore Broadway's other legacy. With little fanfare, he transforms into a variety of carnival barkers,...