Acts of Violet(2)

CAMERON FRANK: Join us on Strange Exits as we put together the pieces and try to solve the puzzle of Violet Volk.




THE FINCHLEY FREE PRESS

Vanishing Volk Causes Riot

By Cameron Frank

FEBRUARY 24, 2008

Friday night, two thousand people packed the Witkin Theater in Willow Glen to see legendary magician Violet Volk perform her first stage show in years. People came from around the world to see Volk’s act, with some paying over a thousand dollars per seat from resellers. They were expecting an extraordinary night. Little did they know, they’d be witnesses to the last confirmed sighting of this mercurial performer.

Violet Volk was one of the most popular stage magicians of the 1990s, her numerous tours and television appearances, along with a residency in Las Vegas, making her a household name. In the early 2000s, she reinvented herself as a self-help author and toured the world as a motivational speaker. While she incorporated some effects into her seminars, questions persisted, from fans and press alike, as to whether she’d ever return to the stage as a full-fledged magician. It wasn’t until early 2008 that they received a satisfying answer, when Volk announced a special performance in her hometown of Willow Glen, New Jersey. One night only, but many believed a proper tour would follow.

After Friday’s show, nobody is sure what to believe.

The performance was stripped down compared to her TV specials or Las Vegas show—Violet Volk Unplugged, relatively speaking. There were no acrobats or dancers providing colorful misdirection, no screen projections, and, apart from the final illusion, few pyrotechnics or elaborate set pieces. The restrained approach made Volk all the more astonishing to watch, and the audience was enraptured for a full hour until the Flaming Angel, one of her trademark disappearing acts. The effect proceeded smoothly until it was time for Volk to reappear. She never did. The confusion that ensued caused a stampede, with twenty-nine people hospitalized for minor injuries.

The Flaming Angel involved four hoops suspended six feet above the stage floor and lit on fire, followed by the magician, clad in a white bodysuit and matching angel wings, levitating and passing through them. While navigating the fourth hoop, her wings would burst into flame and she’d vanish in a puff of smoke and an explosion of feathers. Moments later, she’d reappear in a different part of the theater. Last night’s iteration was entirely unprecedented. When the spotlight trained its beam on the upper balcony, where it was supposed to find the performer, now wearing a (supposedly charred) black bodysuit and wings, it remained fixed on an empty space.

A theater crew member who wished to remain anonymous said, “We rehearsed it dozens of times. When she didn’t reappear, we were scared there was a tech malfunction. We checked the rigs and equipment but saw nothing wrong. So we went all over the theater, hoping we’d find her quickly enough that the audience would think it was part of the act.”

At first, they did. “Everybody was looking around, trying to figure out where she’d reappear,” said Nancy Martin, a fan who traveled from Vancouver for a front-row seat to the spectacle. “But I knew something was off. I saw Violet perform dozens of times back in the day, and the way the stagehands were rushing around felt sloppy and panicked, not rehearsed at all. I could tell right away it wasn’t part of the show.”



When Volk failed to reappear after a few minutes, the music was cut, and the house lights came on. “You could hear a worried murmur go through the crowd,” Martin said. “Then there was this announcement apologizing for technical difficulties and asking us to please remain in our seats. I got scared when I saw security guards walking down the aisle, and when the police showed up a few minutes later, I got really scared. Then somebody asked if there was an active shooter and all hell broke loose.”

“The manager of the theater called to report the disappearance,” said Willow Glen Chief of Police Howard Donegan. “It happened during the show, so we were concerned about foul play and wanted everyone to stay put. If that theater was a crime scene, we needed to preserve it and keep track of everyone present. You’re looking at hundreds of potential witnesses and there’s no telling if any might’ve been accomplices. But you also have to bear in mind the whole thing could be a big stunt.”

Law enforcement couldn’t confirm who initiated the panic that caused people to flee the theater.

“I don’t know what would’ve given someone the mistaken idea that we had an active shooter in our midst. One minute, everyone was sitting calmly in their seats, the next, it was a mob scene,” said Chief Donegan. “We’re lucky nobody was grievously injured.”

After the theater manager confirmed Volk’s disappearance was not part of her show, officers and theater security officials searched the area. They have yet to find any trace of her.

Volk’s sister, Sasha Dwyer, was in the audience Friday night, appearing composed and only mildly concerned, stating, “Violet’s been known to fall off the radar now and again. I have no idea what happened tonight, but I’m confident she’ll turn up soon.” Could she know more than she’s letting on?

Some audience members took a more cynical approach. “The whole thing was a setup to grab more headlines,” said one man, who preferred to remain anonymous. “No one generates publicity better than Violet Volk.”

A representative for the performer disputes the notion that her disappearance was staged. “Violet has deviated from the script before, which is what makes her such a compelling entertainer. But her vanishing is not a publicity stunt and is of serious concern to us. We urge the public to reach out if they have any information on her whereabouts.”