The Enigmatist

With his expertise in enigmas and illusions, David Kwong delights and challenges audiences around the world with his intellectual brand of magic. A veteran “cruciverbalist” (crossword puzzle constructor), Kwong routinely creates puzzles for the The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Kwong was the head magic consultant on the 2013 worldwide hit film Now You See Me. A TED Talk favorite, Kwong regularly speaks to companies, demonstrating the principles of illusion and the science of why your brain is fooled. Kwong’s book Spellbound: Seven Principles of Illusion to Captivate Audiences and Unlock the Secrets of Success was published by Harper Business. In 2019 The Enigmatist ran for 125 sold-out performances in New York City. During the pandemic, Kwong and the Geffen Stayhouse teamed up for Inside the Box, a virtual one-man puzzle show that garnered a Critic’s Pick from the The New York Times. Kwong is a graduate of Harvard University, where he studied the history of magic. His kids’ book of magic tricks, How to Fool Your Parents, also with HarperCollins, will hit shelves in October of this year.

Banakis is a designer for theater, opera, film, and environments based in Brooklyn, NY. Brett is a co-founder of AMP Scenography, a design collective created to amplify emerging and underrepresented designers by engaging in equitable collaborations. Brett is delighted to return to Chicago Shakespeare following the move of The Notebook to Broadway after its world premiere production at The Yard. Other Broadway: The Outsiders (as AMP, Tony Nomination), The Cher Show. Off-Broadway: All of Me (New Group), Camp Siegfried (2ST), Your Own Personal Exegesis and Ghost Light (LCT3), The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Transport Group), Big Love (Signature), Sunday (Atlantic). Regional: An Officer and a Gentleman (National Tour), Mysterious Circumstances, POTUS (Geffen Playhouse). International Scenic Supervisor for all worldwide productions of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Broadway, West End, Melbourne, San Francisco, Hamburg, Toronto, Tokyo, US Tour). Faculty member at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. brettjbanakis.com @brettjbanakis @ampscenography

Higgason is a video, lighting, scenic, and interactive designer, creating experiences for theater, concerts, opera, and events. Recently designed lights and video for David Kwong’s The Enigmatist at The High Line Hotel and Inside the Box for Geffen Stayhouse. Other recent video designs include Blue for Michigan Opera Theater; Cosi Fan Tutte at Opera di Firenze; Die Ägyptische Helena and Hansel und Gretel for Teatro Alla Scala; Purcell’s King Arthur for Staatsoper Berlin and Theater An Der Wien; Acquanetta for Bard Summerscape; Ira Glass’ Seven Things…Tour; and Sufjan Stevens’ Carrie and Lowell Tour. Upcoming: Aging Magician (lights and projection) for San Diego Opera and Falstaff for Opera di Firenze. His work has been seen at Carnegie Hall, Salzburg Festspiele, Bayreuth Festspiele, BAM, TED, MoMA, Panorama Festival NYC, Sydney Opera House, Beacon Theatre, and many others. He teaches design in the Music and Theater Arts program at MIT.

Off Broadway credits include Fire in Dreamland at The Public Theater; Balls with One Year Lease Theater Company (Drama Desk Nomination); Wild Abandon at Irish Repertory Theatre; {my lingerie play} at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater; beep boop at HERE. Regional credits include Everybody at Shakespeare Theater Company; The Good Person of Szechwan, War of the Roses, The Glass Menagerie, and Othello at Cal Shakes; The Unfortunates, John, The Hard Problem, and Chester Bailey at American Conservatory Theater; Curious Incident Of The Dog in the Night-Time at Kansas City Rep, The Music Man at Sharon Playhouse.

Jones is a Broadway general manager, producer, and founder of Baseline Theatrical. Broadway credits include Hamilton, Sweeney Todd, Fat Ham, freestyle love supreme, Pass Over, Derren Brown: Secret, The Cher Show, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, and The Last Ship. Andy is a member of the Broadway League, Co-Chair of the League Labor Committee, and Co-founder of Beyond the Stage Door: www.beyondthestagedoor.org

Pager is currently the Director of Producing and Creative Development at No Guarantees. While at Baseline Theatrical, he worked on the general management teams of Hamilton, The Cher Show, Derren Brown: Secret, Coal Country, Hundred Days, Teeth, Bliss and Fat Ham, for which he was also nominated for a Tony Award as an Executive Producer. He is the Producer of David Kwong’s The Enigmatist which has played to sold out crowds in New York, Los Angeles, and at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Over the pandemic he produced the virtual production Inside The Box alongside the Geffen Playhouse. Dylan is a proud graduate of Northwestern University.

Donnelly’s Chicago production credits include Islander, Disney’s Beauty and The Beast for Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Anything Goes, Cabaret for Porchlight Music Theatre; Sweeney Todd for Kokandy Productions; The Drag Seed, Snowgirls, Satan’s School for Girls, Bewildered for Hell in a Handbag Productions; Gentle, The Edge of Our Bodies at TUTA Theatre; Triassic Parq, 35MM at Circle Theatre; Always Saturday, Beth In July for Prop Thtr; The Glass Menagerie, Superior Donuts at Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.

Houlihan is a New York City based stage manager, director, and producer. Most recently, she worked on Scarlett Dreams Off Broadway (ASM), Fiddler on the Roof at Papermill Playhouse (Sub ASM), The Following Evening at Perelman Arts Center (Venue Coordinator), Kiss of the Spider Woman at A Noise Within (PSM), The Inheritance at the Geffen Playhouse (ASM) and Man of God at Williamstown Theater Festival (ASM). Returning to The Enigmatist is always a magical experience!