How to go
What: Boar’s Head Feaste
Where: Springfield Masonic Temple, 125 W. High St., Springfield
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, Friday, Jan. 22, and Saturday, Jan. 23; 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24
Admission: $40 a person for the Thursday-Saturday events; $25 for Sunday
More info: Go online to Facebook and search for the Springfield Civic Theatre's page
Kolton Rice doesn’t have any tricks up his sleeve. Just ask him.
“My pockets are always full of magic,” said the 14-year-old aspiring magician/ventriloquist/balloon artist/actor/director, who recently added juggler to his resume.
Rice may be in need of a new business card soon (he actually has one) considering the speed he learns new skills.
He’ll be amazing audiences with magic tricks appropriate to the time period as the Jester at the third Boar’s Head Feaste, starting Thursday, Jan. 21, and running through Sunday, Jan. 24, at the Springfield Masonic Temple.
While that’s his latest performance outlet, Rice can be found all over the area — performing at birthday parties, for elderly groups or other small groups and at events like Holiday in the City.
Or for impromptu moments at Possum School, where he’s in eighth grade.
“A group of girls always asks me to perform tricks at school,” Rice said.
Inspired after seeing a magician at the Clark County Fair at age 7, Rice has been fascinated by magic since and immediately began honing his skills.
“I just remember how it made me react and feel,” Rice said, confessing he can’t recall the performer’s name.
In fall 2015, he won a Halloween magic contest sponsored by Doc’s and Fun Magic Shop, one of the country’s top magic shops, located in Tennessee.
Rice won on the strength of a video in which he tries to bring back the ghost of Harry Houdini.
His reward was being asked to perform before his biggest crowds yet at Doc’s store in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. A born performer, Rice said he wasn’t nervous at all.
Among his favorite tricks is the professional joker tube. He also likes card tricks and parlor stage tricks, and claims he can do an escape trick in which he can free himself in less than two minutes.
Several of Rice’s magic tricks can be viewed on YouTube by searching for Kolton Rice.
Rice said one of the best parts of performing is seeing a child’s look of wonder and the parent being equally enchanted.
Always looking for new tricks, he just recently got into juggling, researching everything he could.
“When he gets into something he goes full ahead and wants to know everything in detail,” said Kolton’s mom Jessica Rice, who also acts as his “agent.” “He keeps me busy, but his dad and I are proud of him.”
When not doing magic, Rice performs at various stage productions including for his school, for Springfield Junior Civic Theatre and the Springfield Arts Council’s upcoming Youth Arts Ambassadors’ “Into the Woods.”
Another interest, video and filmmaking, got Rice recognized locally by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office for an anti-bullying video he created.
His dream job is to be in the performing arts, with magic in there somewhere.
Should he achieve it, Rice won’t forget where he came from.
“My big dream is to do a world tour starting at the Sydney Opera House, I’ve always loved that place, and ending at the Kuss Auditorium,” he said.
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