The Magic Lantern Society of the United States and Canada is providing this list of performers as a courtesy to help interested parties connect with Society members that perform magic lantern shows or exhibitions, both traditional and new interpretations of the media. This is not a comprehensive list of all performers in the United States and Canada. This listing does not constitute endorsement or approval by the Society; all performers are acting independently of the Society.
For additional performers, visit the Magic Lantern Society of Great Britian’s Lanternists page at
https://www.magiclantern.org.uk/lanternists/
Mark and Beth Ayers
Location: McKinney, Texas (usually performing in the Dallas/Fort Worth area)
Contact: beth.ayers55@gmail.com
Mark and Beth Ayers (As The Professor and Miss Elizabeth) will take you back in time to 1896. Using an antique projector and antique glass slides, they will share a unique, family friendly view of history through the lens of a Magic Lantern.
Previously performed in a variety of venues for many different groups including:
The Heritage Farmstead Museum, Heard-Craig Center for the Arts, The Poetry Society of Texas, The National Federation of State Poetry Societies, The Richardson Public Library, The historic Glidden House (Cleveland, OH), The Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque
Terry Borton
The American Magic Lantern Theater (AMLT)
Location: Based in PA, but travel nationally and worldwide.
Contact Terry Borton, tborton#magiclanternshows.com or 860-508-2265.
Website: magiclanternshows.com
For the last 25 years AMLT has presented more than 1,000 magic lantern shows— from Lincoln Center in New York, to theaters, museums, and cultural sites throughout the United States and the world. We have ten different shows, most with a holiday hook: Halloween, Christmas, New Years, Valentine, Spring, Patriotic, Civil War, Sea, Young Kids. All shows have a two-person cast (showman and singer/pianist) and are high-energy, fun, and historically accurate.
Melissa Ferrari
Location: Southern California, USA (available to travel)
Email: contact@melissaferrari.com
Website: www.melissaferrari.com
Instagram: @melissa.a.ferrari
Melissa Ferrari is a magic lanternist and animator who specializes in handmade lantern slides inspired by the history of phantasmagoria and scientific lantern lectures. Her feature lantern show Relict: A Phantasmagoria is an experimental documentary about cryptozoology performed with antique lanterns. She has previously been commissioned to create site-specific lantern shows at museums in California ranging from traditional Fantasmagorie re-enactments to environmentalist documentary shows, and she is open to collaboration and commissions. Her body of magic lantern work includes a range of handmade and historical slides evoking the supernatural and scientific, a menagerie of antique lanterns including her beloved biunial, and she is available to travel for performances. Melissa is also an educator who can offer lantern slide and animation workshops to accompany her shows.
Group Northwest
Location: Pacific Northwest; members in Jefferson, Kitsap, and Pierce Counties give performances individually and as a group.
Contacts:
MLS members of the informal Group Northwest offer a variety of shows and performances in the northwest United States. We offer a variety of educational, historic, illustrated songs, and entertainment shows for children, adults, or general audiences with original magic lanterns and lantern slides, including handpainted, photographic, still and animated projected images. We offer children’s slide making programs, large format posters and displays in addition to performances.
We’ve performed at the Burke Museum, Battle of Port Gamble, Tacoma First Night, Fort Steilacoom, Bremerton Community Theater, Fort Nisqually, Kitsap Regional Library, Sedro-Wolley Museum, Port Towsend Victorian Festival, Knights of Pythias Tacoma Lodge, Fort Okanogan Interpretive Center, and local historical societies.
Edward Murray
Location: Pittsburgh, PA and Finger Lakes region of NY state.
Contact: edleemu1@verizon.net or (412) 888-9634
Author, poet, and storyteller experimenting with the visual image using the magic lantern and projection.
Dominique and Philippe Santens-Khazzaka & Company
Location: Belgium, Europe
Contact: dominique.santens@telenet.be
Website: www.toverlantaarn1890.be
Magic Lantern shows, often with live music
Matt Schnittker
Location: Central and Southern California
Contact: mschnitt@gmail.com
https://www.youtube.com/@MagicLanternTheater
A bit of comedy, a bit of drama, and a rolling good time with performances echoing the Magic lantern performances of the 1800s.