Vinny DePonto's Mindplay

Vinny DePonto always knew he wanted to be a performer. It all started when he was very young. He became interested in acting, scripting, music, theatre, and puppets, and he realized magic could be the best container for all these things.

His show, Mindplay, has been running in New York since December 2024 and will close on May 11th. DePonto previously performed the same show in several other cities, including Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., and Boston.

The show has changed over time, adding new layers and elements to resonate with different venues, cultures, and types of audiences.

Mindplay is a mind-reading show. But don't get dragged into the old cliché of the mentalist controlling the audience's thoughts—DePonto created the show as a conversation with the audience, where his thoughts and vulnerabilities are also at stake. Speaking with us, he shared:

During our conversation with DePonto, we found at least two big takeaways that we believe can really improve the way we think about our magic—and (if it's your cup of tea) mentalism, too.

A Conversation With The Audience

One is this idea of "the big conversation," which feels more like sharing than controlling. We're so familiar with the idea of the mentalist controlling, making predictions, and always being one ahead (no pun intended) that this feels so refreshing.

DePonto embraces this development throughout the show, evolving his character as the minutes go by and attempting to address the bigger question: Why are mind readers after somebody else's thoughts?

This strong emphasis on the audience's experiences permeates every aspect of DePonto's show.

So we asked him, How can magicians apply this same philosophy and build stronger connections with their audiences?

Setting Challenges

The second key takeaway from our conversation is to challenge yourself. That is the one piece of advice DePonto would offer to magicians who want to explore mentalism more deeply and make their performances stand out.

And this comes from experience: for Mindplay, DePonto set himself a challenge of never writing anything down. Think about it—that's quite unusual for a mind reader, right?

DePonto does not have Sharpies or big white pads to reveal people's thoughts. He had to work hard to avoid this cliché, and during the process, he came up with creative solutions to address it. To do so, he drew from his design background and explored how he could "visualize thoughts."

DePonto encourages other magicians to reflect on how they view and present their magic, crafting it in a way that draws from their background and identity, while also creating a meaningful and lasting connection with the audience.

DePonto has done a lot of work for theatre, consulting on Broadway shows. He has a deep interest in music, writing, and art, and this diverse set of inspirations helped him write the show over time, too.

The process started in 2016, and he stresses the importance of "physicalizing" ideas. For him, that came through a notebook full of sketches and notes that later became the show.

Nearly ten years later, the show is still evolving and adding more layers to adapt to the audience.

DePonto highlights the importance of staying open to inspiration wherever it may come from. Whether it’s drawn from a personal memory, a museum visit, or a moment in a film, any of these elements can feed into and enrich the larger conversation you share with your audience.

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