Friday, July 18. It was nearly noon, and I stood in my spot at Piazza Carignano in Torino, Italy, waiting for my turn.
By then, we had already done four shows in Italy: two in a randomly selected Piedmont city, one in Torino, and one for our fellow magicians at a FISM-organized party. I had learned the Italian words I needed for my show. I felt ready. The judges took their seats. I took a deep breath and performed my last set for the first World Championship of Street Magic.
For an inaugural street magic competition, everything ran surprisingly smoothly. There were certainly hiccups along the way, but this new demonstration category was a logistical and historical triumph.
We were split between two piazzas. Every 30 minutes, from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., someone performed. After each 25-minute show, the judges would walk over to the other piazza to watch the next act. As street performers, we had concerns: 10:30 is not a workable time; neither is high noon during a heat wave. Piazza Castello, a wide-open square with limited foot traffic, is not normally a workable spot. And what if it rained?
