FIRST EDITION, second printing of this hardcover book. Glossy black boards with pictorial. Boards are rigid and warp-free. Indentations at bottom of both boards. Scuff at middle of front board. Spine is flat and square. Corners are crisp wit slight rubbing and top front corner with inward push. No previous owner marks (no names, no underlining, no bookplates, etc). No remainder marks. Pages are clean, crisp and bright, although a small ripple at bottom where bump of book occurred. Photos coming! In the meantime, contact us now to request pictures of the ACTUAL book you will receive. All of our books are in-stock and ready to be shipped immediately. Synopsis Spirit Theater: Reflections on the History and Performance of Séances by Eugene Burger is a classic 1986 text exploring the intersection of magic, theatrical illusion, and historical spiritualism. Book Structure and Content The book is divided into four main sections that take the reader from historical context down to practical stagecraft: Setting the Stage: Introduces the core concepts of spiritualism as a performance art, defining how séances operate as a unique form of intimate theater. Ghostly Visitors in the Nineteenth Century: Explores the history of the 19th-century spiritualist movement, looking at mesmerism, suggestion, imagination, and master mediums of the era. Performance: Offers practical advice on building better seance shows, staging in the dark room, and features conversations with notable mystery entertainers like Tony Andruzzi and Max Maven. It also includes Burger's own seance presentation, Hauntings. Wanderings in the Spirit Field: Provides a retrospective look at history, investigations of phenomena, and a reprint of a 1901 catalog of spirit paraphernalia alongside an annotated bibliography. Core Themes Séance as Theatre: Burger treats the historical seance not as genuine supernatural contact, but as a powerful, dramatic theatrical performance. Psychology and Illusion: The text examines how suggestion, atmosphere, and human grief are harnessed by a performer to create an uncanny experience. The Magician's Role: It serves as a guide for mentalists and close-up magicians who want to responsibly and effectively evoke the eerie atmosphere of Victorian spiritualism.

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Bibliographic details

Title: Spirit Theater: Reflections on the History and Performance of Seances ** 1ST EDITION **
Author: Burger, Eugene
Publisher: Richard Kaufman and Alan Greenberg, Washington, DC
Publication year: 1986
Condition: Very good
Binding: Hardcover
Language: English
Edition: 1st Edition
Printing: 2nd Printing

River and Gold Books

Etters, PA, U.S.A.

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