“Mindplay” is a Greenwich House Theater production created by the Drama Desk Award-nominated Vinny DePonto. Written by DePonto and Josh Koenigsberg and directed by Andrew Neisler, the show is quite unusual and unlike anything that I was expecting when I first entered the theater. The performance is centered around the audience’s thoughts, memories and fears. DePonto is the sole actor on stage and performs mind tricks on the audience throughout the performance.

Before the show began, the audience was given slips of paper to write down a one-word answer to what was on their mind, and this could be a fear, a dream or a prevailing thought. These slips of paper were put in small envelopes into a clear bowl on stage. The set on stage was minimalistic. The curtain was drawn for a majority of the show, with only a desk, a telephone and chairs on display. This was true until halfway through the show, when the curtain unveiled a slightly larger set and numbered filing drawers. 

The show kicked off with an audience member being brought onto stage to take a phone call from DePonto, who instructed him to place his hand over two paper bags on stage; underneath one was a flat block and underneath the other was a broken glass bottle. DePonto then appears on stage and chooses another audience member to pick which bag was safe. His selection was correct, and the onstage audience member avoided slamming his hand onto broken glass. 

DePonto continued on with the show, seemingly randomly picking audience members by letting balloons bounce amongst the audience. He got them to join him onstage and perform various tasks by getting into their subconscious. What I thought was most impressive about the performance was DePonto’s ability to engage the audience. After each trick, audience members were in wonder, and I found myself unexpectedly refreshed. From the time that I entered the theater, I felt connected to the other members of the audience. It felt like we reacted to the tricks on stage the same way and were in sync with each other. 

DePonto’s last trick involved an older woman in the audience. He sat on stage with her and they had a conversation. In the end, DePonto figured out that the word she wrote in the envelope was “spark” and, more importantly, discovered that the reason she wrote “spark” was because she was thinking of her deceased childhood friend Julia, who was a spark of energy and light when she was alive. I think this was a great way to end the show because it speaks to DePonto’s main motivation behind it. Not only is the show about magic tricks or illusions, but it’s also about connection to one another. During the show’s run time, I felt connected to a group of strangers; I was rooting for them, and I was rooting for DePonto, too. Not only did DePonto entertain me, but he got me to care, and for that reason, I think the show is a success.