Magician And Mind Reader Paul Draper Teaching Rare Course At Soka University

-Anthropologist, magician, and mind reader Paul Draper, who has appeared on the History Channel, A&E, HBO, Hallmark, the Travel Channel, HGTV and more, is now teaching a course in The Art of Magic at Soka University.

Draper recently accepted a faculty position as an adjunct professor and distinguished lecturer at Soka University of America in Southern California. The Art of Magic offers an in-depth and multifaceted look at the manner in which magic has reflected cultural and gender changes though time, explores how moments in history influence the work of magicians as artists, and considers the manner in which magic compels us to reinterpret what we think we know.

Soka University is the most diverse university in the US, has the most international students per capita in the US, and only Princeton has more endowments per student. The U.S. News and World Report ranks Soka #29 in Liberal Arts Colleges nationwide, it is a private university that emphasizes pacifism, human rights, and the creative coexistence of nature and humanity.

Internationally recognized Professional practitioners will join as guest lecturers to illustrate how artistic development - particularly as played out by magicians and their communities - continues to be reinvented against the landscape of what has been known and seen before. Guest speakers include Las Vegas headliner Jen Kramer; Broadway music director Micah Young; the president of The Magic Circle, Megan Swann; magician and autism advocate Cody Clark; the inventor of Siri Adam Cheyer, and Broadway manager Tobias Beckwith.

In the accredited course, students engage deeply with the art of magic involving the timeless lessons of creativity and community of collaboration that magic has to offer.

Draper has appeared with David Copperfield, Lance Burton and Teller of Penn & Teller and as an expert for the History Channel. He has performed for HBO Comedy Fest at Caesar's Palace and hosted companion documentaries for Steven Spielberg's "Poltergeist."

In Las Vegas, he has headlined for many casinos, including the Orleans Casino and Planet Hollywood V Theater, in addition to his seven years as house magician for the Venetian Hotel & Casino.

The International Magicians Society awarded Draper a Merlin Award for World's Best Corporate Performer. Recently, Draper has performed at Yale, Disneyland, USC, Apple, YPO, the Magic Castle in Hollywood, Off-Broadway, and the Magic Circle in London.

For more information about Paul Draper, visit pauldraper.com.

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