Performance Lectures
The Essential Houdini
The Essential P.T. Barnum
The Essential P.T. Barnum
The true stories of Houdini - the American self-liberator, Europe’s eclipsing sensation, World’s handcuff king, Exposer of fraud, Original prison breaker, and Master magician. He is an inspiration to generations of children who dare to dream of the impossible. William goes beyond the myth and bring to life the true story of this American
The true stories of Houdini - the American self-liberator, Europe’s eclipsing sensation, World’s handcuff king, Exposer of fraud, Original prison breaker, and Master magician. He is an inspiration to generations of children who dare to dream of the impossible. William goes beyond the myth and bring to life the true story of this American icon.
GASP at the story of his remarkable death.
RELIVE his baffling magic and escapes. HEAR THE ONLY KNOWN RECORDING OF HIS VOICE.
(This program is only In-person. Very interactive, & requires an extra fee)
The Essential P.T. Barnum
The Essential P.T. Barnum
The Essential P.T. Barnum
The true story of "The Greatest Showman." Years before he revolutionized the circus, P.T. Barnum was the most famous man in the world. William reveals the amazing life of P.T. Barnum through storytelling and recreations of historical sideshow performances.
HEAR the life lessons that shaped this great American showman,
MEET the extraordin
The true story of "The Greatest Showman." Years before he revolutionized the circus, P.T. Barnum was the most famous man in the world. William reveals the amazing life of P.T. Barnum through storytelling and recreations of historical sideshow performances.
HEAR the life lessons that shaped this great American showman,
MEET the extraordinary people that changed his life, and
EXPERIENCE the wonders of his American museum.
(Mildly interactive, with powerpoint
ZOOM available)
The Discovery of Magic
The Essential P.T. Barnum
The Discovery of Magic
William, “The Chicago Magic Expert,” cracks open his magic history scrapbooks to reveal a secret world of colorful characters, amusing adventures, and arcane knowledge.
MEET astonishing magicians who made the impossible possible.
EXPLORE incredible behind-the-scenes stories that most never hear and your audiences will never forget.
WONDER
William, “The Chicago Magic Expert,” cracks open his magic history scrapbooks to reveal a secret world of colorful characters, amusing adventures, and arcane knowledge.
MEET astonishing magicians who made the impossible possible.
EXPLORE incredible behind-the-scenes stories that most never hear and your audiences will never forget.
WONDER at recreations of the baffling magic tricks behind the stories.
(in-person only Mildly interactive, powerpoint)
Mind Games 1, The Science of Perception Deception
Mind Games 1, The Science of Perception Deception
Mind Games 1, The Science of Perception Deception
Our brain decides how we perceive everything around us. It finds patterns and solves problems efficiently, except for when it lies to us. In this engaging program, William explores the real science of how our brains trick us into seeing and believing things that don’t exist. You’ll experience how optical illusions work, why people fall
Our brain decides how we perceive everything around us. It finds patterns and solves problems efficiently, except for when it lies to us. In this engaging program, William explores the real science of how our brains trick us into seeing and believing things that don’t exist. You’ll experience how optical illusions work, why people fall for scams, and how we make thousands of choices every day that are influenced subconsciously.
William will also give the attendees proven, scientific, actionable techniques to preserve brain health. At the end, you may be left wondering if your brain has a mind of its own.
(Powerpoint and Very Interactive
ZOOM available)
Mind Games 2, The Science of Curious Thinking
Mind Games 1, The Science of Perception Deception
Mind Games 1, The Science of Perception Deception
Packed with interactive games, William returns with a second edition of his popular MIND GAMES program. In this program, he reinforces the concepts in MIND GAMES-1 (But you don’t need Mind Games 1 to participate) and adds even more ways our brain hard wired to believe things that defy logic and facts. He’ll show you how our brains seek ou
Packed with interactive games, William returns with a second edition of his popular MIND GAMES program. In this program, he reinforces the concepts in MIND GAMES-1 (But you don’t need Mind Games 1 to participate) and adds even more ways our brain hard wired to believe things that defy logic and facts. He’ll show you how our brains seek out patterns and try to make meaning out of nothing.
As always, William will remind you on the proven ways to preserve brain health. (Powerpoint and Very Interactive
ZOOM available)
The Haunted Page, Trick & Tales for October eves
Mind Games 1, The Science of Perception Deception
The Haunted Page, Trick & Tales for October eves
William returns with an ALL NEW horror
themed show of performance and storytelling.
Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelly, Bram Stoker, M.R. James, and Shirley Jackson jump off the page and provide inspiration for 60 minutes of spine-tingling magic and spell-binding stories. As always, your patrons participate in the thrilling action that will leav
William returns with an ALL NEW horror
themed show of performance and storytelling.
Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelly, Bram Stoker, M.R. James, and Shirley Jackson jump off the page and provide inspiration for 60 minutes of spine-tingling magic and spell-binding stories. As always, your patrons participate in the thrilling action that will leave them amazed, that is, after they stop screaming and laughing.
(In-person only, Highly Interactive, spooky & fun magic)
STEM for Adults
Tricks & Treats - A Cultural History of Hallowe'en
Tricks & Treats - A Cultural History of Hallowe'en
What is Science? How does it work? Who should we believe? An emphasis has been put on childhood STEM education that many people in the earlier generations did not experience. With technology constantly advancing, This has left many adults feeling left behind. STEM skills can benefit adults in a variety of different It will allow them to
What is Science? How does it work? Who should we believe? An emphasis has been put on childhood STEM education that many people in the earlier generations did not experience. With technology constantly advancing, This has left many adults feeling left behind. STEM skills can benefit adults in a variety of different It will allow them to be able to mentor their children and grandchildren on basic science topics, they’ll have a better understanding of what makes good science, and, of course, they will learn some weird and wild science facts.
(Powerpoint, ZOOM available )
Tricks & Treats - A Cultural History of Hallowe'en
Tricks & Treats - A Cultural History of Hallowe'en
Tricks & Treats - A Cultural History of Hallowe'en
Despite what some tried to say, Halloween, as we know it, is a surprisingly modern holiday. Your audience will hear about the true origins of the spookiest night of the year, some of the wildest ways people have celebrated the night, and the legends that surround it.
(Powerpoint and Storytelling
ZOOM available)
DON'T FORGET! - The Science of Memory
Tricks & Treats - A Cultural History of Hallowe'en
DON'T FORGET! - The Science of Memory
Continuing in the style of his popular Mind Games programs, William dives into why we remember, the different types of memory, and how we can’t trust everything we recall. Along the way, you’ll get practical real-world strategies to keep your brain healthier and improve memory.
(Powerpoint and Interactive,
ZOOM available)
Familiar Spirits
Death Defying Acts -The History of the Circus
Death Defying Acts -The History of the Circus
Remember the experience of turning off the lights, huddling under a blanket, and watching an old black and white monster movie?
Ever tell ghost stories by candlelight? Or around a campfire?
That skin crawling experience is what Familiar Spirits recreates for teens and adults. With a little something extra.
Experience an evening of supernatu
Remember the experience of turning off the lights, huddling under a blanket, and watching an old black and white monster movie?
Ever tell ghost stories by candlelight? Or around a campfire?
That skin crawling experience is what Familiar Spirits recreates for teens and adults. With a little something extra.
Experience an evening of supernatural theatre where the stories are so frighteningly real, the only relief is to scream, that is, after you stop laughing...
(Highly interactive performance, Special requirements needed, in-person only, additional fee required)
Death Defying Acts -The History of the Circus
Death Defying Acts -The History of the Circus
Death Defying Acts -The History of the Circus
Barnum may be the biggest name, but he was only a small part of the story of the circus. William Pack takes you on a fantastical journey through the history of the Circus, from Phil Astley's creation of the modern circus in 1768 to Dan Rice, "the most famous man you've never heard of" to the incredible feud between Barnum and the Ringlin
Barnum may be the biggest name, but he was only a small part of the story of the circus. William Pack takes you on a fantastical journey through the history of the Circus, from Phil Astley's creation of the modern circus in 1768 to Dan Rice, "the most famous man you've never heard of" to the incredible feud between Barnum and the Ringling Brothers.
You'll hear stories of triumph, disaster, and the grand adventure of the travelling.
Experience the story of those who gave their lives to show and became legends in the process.
(Performance, storytelling, and powerpoint. Zoom version also available.
Storytelling Lectures
The Essential Great Chicago Fire
The Essential Great Chicago Fire
The Essential Great Chicago Fire
2021 marks the 150th Anniversary of the fire! It started in a barn and, two days of flaming hell later, nearly destroyed a city. In "The Essential Great Chicago Fire", William weaves together technical details of the fire with vivid firsthand accounts from those who lived through the conflagration of 1871, bringing alive all the excitemen
2021 marks the 150th Anniversary of the fire! It started in a barn and, two days of flaming hell later, nearly destroyed a city. In "The Essential Great Chicago Fire", William weaves together technical details of the fire with vivid firsthand accounts from those who lived through the conflagration of 1871, bringing alive all the excitement and terror in a multi-media storytelling event that will not soon be forgotten.
(Powerpoint and long form storytelling, ZOOM available )
The Essential Edgar Allan Poe
The Essential Great Chicago Fire
The Essential Great Chicago Fire
In The Essential Edgar Allan Poe, William exhumes the tragic life and remarkable writings of this American genius. This program is a biography lecture and relies heavily on dramatic story readings to bring Poe’s disturbing writing (Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, M. Valdemar) to life.
(Powerpoint, ZOOM available)
The Essential Christmas Carol
The Essential Great Chicago Fire
The Essential Christmas Carol
Destined to become a holiday tradition. In this storytelling lecture, William, using a script derived from Dickens’ 1867 abridged reading copy, will perform a reading of A Christmas Carol (About 60 minutes) enhanced with a modern recreation of a magic lantern slide show popular during Dickens’ lifetime. Then, in a Q&A, he will answer ques
Destined to become a holiday tradition. In this storytelling lecture, William, using a script derived from Dickens’ 1867 abridged reading copy, will perform a reading of A Christmas Carol (About 60 minutes) enhanced with a modern recreation of a magic lantern slide show popular during Dickens’ lifetime. Then, in a Q&A, he will answer questions the curious origins and motivations behind the story.
(Powerpoint, ZOOM available )
It Happened in Chicago
It Happened in Chicago
It Happened in Chicago
We all know the big Chicago stories: the world’s fairs, the fires, the crime. It’s time to see the city anew. A city is made up of 1000s of stories. Stories of the people. Stories of the neighborhoods. Small stories of often forgotten men, women, and places. Storyteller William Pack returns with a program like no other, a collection of un
We all know the big Chicago stories: the world’s fairs, the fires, the crime. It’s time to see the city anew. A city is made up of 1000s of stories. Stories of the people. Stories of the neighborhoods. Small stories of often forgotten men, women, and places. Storyteller William Pack returns with a program like no other, a collection of unusual short stories that add texture and depth to the everyday life and history of Chicago and celebrates the surprising people who lived and died in the city of big shoulders. (Powerpoint and storytelling, ZOOM available )
Time Machine 1920s
It Happened in Chicago
It Happened in Chicago
We think of the 1960s as a revolutionary time, socially and culturally in America. The 1920s was the 60s before the 60s. The spirt of the era was characterized by a feeling pf novelty and modernity, something that resulted in a break with many traditions. It may be the dividing point between the Victorian and Modern world. Hear the stor
We think of the 1960s as a revolutionary time, socially and culturally in America. The 1920s was the 60s before the 60s. The spirt of the era was characterized by a feeling pf novelty and modernity, something that resulted in a break with many traditions. It may be the dividing point between the Victorian and Modern world. Hear the story of how the culture and everyday life changed radically for our recent ancestors. (Powerpoint and storytelling, ZOOM available)