Illusionist Devon Owens is planning to follow in the footsteps of the world’s most famous magician, Harry Houdini. Devon will be performing at Tennessee Tech University on Feb 13th at the half time of both the Golden Eagles and the Lady Golden Eagles basketball games. The Women’s game begins at 5:30 and the Men’s Game begins at 7:30.
Greg, Devon’s father says, “He’s always looking for the next big challenge and he has now found that challenge.” At 13 years old, Devon will be attempting Houdini’s Strait Jacket Escape for the first time in front of an audience. “We’ve been rehearsing this at home for several weeks, but to put this in front of people will be a different bird all together.” Greg continues, “It took a lot of convincing as parents to buy him a strait jacket. No parent wants to see their kid struggle. Devon made me promise that I wouldn’t help him on the 13th; that’s going to be really hard for me.”
“The Tech crowd has lots of energy. I enjoyed performing there last year and I’m looking forward to returning,” says Devon. “I chose to do this escape because I wanted to see how hard it was and it is actually a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.”
Devon is an award winning magician. One of his major awards includes the Youth Stage Magic Competition at the Winter Carnival of Magic in Pigeon Forge, TN against some of the best youth magicians in the country. He’s also a percussionist in the DeKalb County High School marching band. “I’ve been in the Band since 5th grade and have been performing magic since 3rd grade,” says Devon. “Music and Magic are a very big part of my life.”
According to Devon and Greg, the Strait Jacket escape is not a magic trick; it’s based strictly on skill. When Harry Houdini first took on the challenge of the strait jacket, he would go behind a curtain and several minutes later he would come out with the Strait Jacket in his hands. He would get a lukewarm response from his audience. It was then that Houdini’s brother, Theo, suggested he try the escape while the audience watched. That’s when the escape became a world-wide sensation. Devon will be escaping from a regulation strait jacket right in the middle of Tennessee Tech’s Hooper Eblen Center.
Tennessee Tech’s Director of Corporate Sales and Marketing, Misty Pearson said, “Our fans have been asking when we’re bringing the ‘little magician’ back. We’re excited to see Devon again this year. We’re all wondering what he’s going to pull out of his hat.” There will be no hat, but in addition to the Strait Jacket escape, Devon will be performing The Metamorphosis, which is the illusion that made Harry Houdini famous.
You can find out more about Devon and even become a fan on Facebook at www.MagicOfDevon.com.
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