San Francisco Chinatown's Nonprofit Theater
636 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94133
636 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Devil in the Deck is the story of Jack Swindel, a gambler who, as a child, is cursed by a bad Tarot reading. His superstitious mother teaches him everything there is to know about Tarot, fortunetelling, and cheating at cards - all in some vague hope of breaking the curse and cheating death. In so doing, she leads him down the very road to perdition she had hoped to avoid. Jack travels the world searching for a cure and adventure, becoming the greatest gambler and card sharp of all time.
Each turn of the card reveals a new adventure presented by master magician and storyteller Paul Nathan. Much like his alter ego, Jack Swindel, Paul Nathan performs all over the world and the stories Nathan tells are all true (more or less) - and include running with the bulls, a three-card monte pitch in New Orleans, and cheating at cards with his father. Devil in the Deck is a series of carefully crafted adventure stories seamlessly interwoven with magic, all under the watchful eye of a camera and projected onto a giant movie theater screen. The close scrutiny makes the magician's skill all the more remarkable. As Jack Swindel, Nathan's illusions bring the audience inside the tale of a showman's travels, his cunning ways with cards, and his attempts to cheat fate.
Come to the show, and sort out for yourselves which parts are real and which are fantasy!
Directed by Drew Letchworth, a founding member of Fratelli Bologna, "Devil in the Deck" will delight all ages with its engaging characters, mystifying magic and absorbing, poignant stories.
Unlike Swindel, Nathan is not a card cheat - though he does love gambling and card games. In most other respects Nathan’s life mirrors Jack Swindel. He seeks out adventure all over the world and uses it to fuel his craft. Scuba Diving in Guam lead to the development of an underwater magic show. Skydiving in Germany turned into a magic show at 20,000 feet. Like Jack Swindle, Nathan has run with the bulls and fell in love.
John lives in Edinburgh Scotland with his wife where he studies and plays traditional folk music. John first went to Edinburgh performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and fell in love.
This show, while created for adults, is appropriate for ages 8+ and involves audience participation.
We are so excited to be reopening for live shows again, but the pandemic is not entirely behind us yet, so we have some guidelines to keep us all safe during this time of transition. Per State and San Francisco regulations, The Great Star Theater will be operating at 35% capacity and requires guests to be vaccinated or have a recent negative test (within the last 72 hours). Guests will need to answer questions regarding health and possible exposure to Covid-19, and will have temperature taken upon entering the venue. All audience members must keep their masks on except when eating or drinking in designated areas. Please bring a copy of your vaccination card or negative test to show upon entering.
If you are feeling sick or need to cancel attending in person, we will be happy to provide a full refund or change your ticket to the online stream instead. And of course we have our online stream available to anyone who is not quite ready to join us in person yet. Thank you for your help in keeping San Francisco safe and healthy!