Illustionist Believes He's Fooled His Audience
Illusionist still convinced he’s convinced audience
By: Stephen Tompkins
Orlando— Neil Chopdust, a 33-year-old illusionist, remains convinced the people coming to see him perform at Yo-Yo’s Burgers in the town’s strip mall, thinks what is happening before their eyes is real.
“There’s nothing like seeing the look on the crowd’s faces right after I finish one of my illusions,” Chopdust said. “Nothing but smiles, and the sounds of joyous laughter. Always laughter.”
Chopdust is unaware he has become the town novelty—a comedian who’s the butt of his own jokes if you will— and is convinced that people adore his performances.
“He has been performing here twice a week since May 2007,” Brian Jungrys, owner of Yo-Yo’s burgers said.
“It doesn’t bother me none. I sell a few burgers and get a laugh. When a crowd comes, and I use ‘crowd’ loosely, all I hear is people laughing and talking about how shoddy his illusions are.”
Chopdust, a divorced man, who sites Penn Jillette as his greatest influence, remains unfazed even though he has never drawn a crowd larger than 22 people. Just being able to perform his illusions is what makes him want to “continue to live.”
“I’m not really sure what I would do without loyal fans. They’re my reason for living. Illusions and these people are all I have,” Chopdust commented.
Crowd members note that Chopdust “doesn’t seem too concerned with improving his performance.” And almost never adds tricks to his routine.
“I still apply the old tricks. There’s no need to incorporate any new illusions,” he said. “What could possibly give the audience more joy than seeing me pull a rabbit out of a hat?”
“I’ve been coming to see him since I was 19, I’m 22 now,” Kyle Afraid said. “I just feel bad for him, he thinks he casts everyone under some spell, but its obvious how he does each trick.”
Sitting in Yo-Yo’s dining room after watching Chopdust fumble through a 40 minute performance, he was asked how he would like to be remembered.
“If its not for something I have already accomplished, surely it will be that I am going to saw a woman in half some day,” he said.
And with that he pulled a dollar store smoke bomb from his pocket lit it, and visibly attempted to vanish in the smoke underneath the table.