By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter
For 52 years, The Point/Arc has performed magic. Now, staff, family and friends can see a different kind of magic – and mentalism.
The Point/Arc was founded in 1972 by a group of parents fighting for the educational rights of their children, who were diagnosed with an intellectual and developmental (I/DD) disability.
The mission – to help people with disabilities achieve their highest potential educationally, socially, residentially, and vocationally. More than this, The Point/Arc has been an organization that identifies gaps in services and provides care and support to fill these gaps – even when government funding sources are not available.
Daniel C. Schaffer – a magician and mentalist – will perform – one-night only – at Lakeside Church (195 Buttermilk Pike, Lakeside Park) Friday, November 8, at 6:30 p.m.
The admission for the event is $20.
“The proceeds will support the Zembrodt Education Center at The Point/Arc,” Schaffer said.
“I found out I was autistic about four years ago,” the 35-year-old Schaffer said. “That’s about the same time I met Brandon Releford.”
Releford is Executive Director of the Zembrodt Education Center (ZEC) who thought a Schaffer performance would be a great tie-in for the non-profit organization.
“I love the mission at The Point/Arc,” says Schaffer. “The resources they have certainly would have helped me. I wish I had known about The Point/Arc when I was a young adult.”
Schaffer claims the resources like communication, writing, talking – and even how to run a business — all in the ZEC curriculum – would have been a definite plus for him while growing up.
But Daniel Schaffer was too busy learning magic.
“Actually, I started when I was seven years old,” he said. “I was watching magic-legend Lance Burton on TV. He told the audience to get a penny – I did, during the commercial break – and place it under your pillow. He then said tell your parents, and you’ll see a dollar the next morning.”
Schaffer said he did – and he did.
“It was my very first experience with magic; I started buying kits and practicing. In high school I was known as ‘Magic Boy,’” he said.
The University of Utah was his next stop.
“I majored in Atmospheric Sciences; I could predict the weather,” he laughed. “I finished my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a focus on strategy, leadership, and marketing, and graduated from the University of the People in January of this year.”
Magic forced him to leave the University of Utah after about three years of study. But it was always magic for Schaffer. In fact, he said he went on the streets of Salt Lake City with just a rope and a deck of cards and performed shows.
“The first time I did it, I earned $200,” he said. “I didn’t know you could get paid for doing magic. I started doing shows, for kids, at parties and later shows for adults.”
In 2018, he started doing shows nationwide. In 2019, he moved to Northern Kentucky. “I wanted something a bit more centrally located for my travel,” he said.
In 2020 The Pandemic hit – “I worked as an EMT then. I’ve always wanted to help people, through motivation,” he said.
Schaffer is billed as a magician and mentalist – what is the difference?
“A magician can have many diversions and specialties,” he said, “like an escape artist, or card tricks.”
Magicians, he says, are known for their sleight of hand, grand illusions, and visually stunning tricks. Magicians can make a coin disappear, pull a rabbit out of a hat, or saw a volunteer in half.
“The mentalist,” he continued, “is a unique breed of magician who specializes in the mysteries of the mind.”
Mentalists appear to possess supernatural powers of clairvoyance, mind reading, and telepathy, but their secrets lie in psychology, suggestion, and keen observation.
Daniel C. Schaffer said he always wanted to make a difference through his performances. With all proceeds from his November 8 event supporting The Point/Arc’s ZEC, Schaffer will be performing perhaps his best trick ever.