On Wednesday, students, faculty and families were invited into the world of the MAZE, a mystery performance piece led by illusionist Jim Munroe. Watching means entering into a world where you can’t quite trust what your senses tell you about the tricks and magic feats.
Christian-based ministries Cru and Chi Alpha sponsored the MAZE, which was held in Talley Student Union’s State Ballroom.
“We first heard about the MAZE around five to six years ago, and Jim actually came to NC State and had a similar event in Stewart Theatre, and it was well-attended,” said Todd Smith, a staff member with Cru. “He has since redesigned his performance and has been scheduling college visits over the past few years. Many of the CRU staff saw him this summer at a conference in Colorado and had talked about booking him this school year at State.”
Outside of NC State, the MAZE partners with Cru and Chi Alpha organizations on a national basis, according to Smith.
“In talking with the Chi Alpha director here at State back in the early fall, we decided we would work together to have him come and scheduled him for this past week,” Smith said. “[Cru] shared in the publicity and promotion along with getting the facilities set up. Overall, it was very well-attended, and the responses were very positive.”
Munroe began his pursuit in magic after a shoulder injury turned him away from a career in baseball while at the University of Texas.
“I’ve loved magic since I was a kid, so my favorite part of being a magician would be people’s facial expressions, wonder, their minds exploding,” Munroe said.
In a heavily audience-involved performance, Munroe not only presents his artistry but also recounts a significant time in his life that changed his perspective on what goes on behind the scenes in life.
Munroe shared the story of his battle with leukemia during the second portion of the MAZE and how that time in his life changed his religious beliefs to the current Christian faith he now holds.
“He used his own personal experience to show his belief that Jesus was the one who saved the sinners of the world, and I love that he did that in a not-pressuring, non-condemning way — he just shared it,” said Hannah Thompson, a junior studying creative writing.
Munroe said he was told he had only months to live. During MAZE, he displayed pictures and videos of himself as he received the chemo treatments over time before learning of a possible bone marrow transplant procedure. Out of the small chances of hearing about a close enough match, one was found: a 19-year-old woman.
Munroe received the transplant on April 23, three days after his birthday, and he recounts the doctors telling him that he was getting a brand new birthday on that day. Munroe connected his personal experiences to symbolism found in the Christian Bible, such as the “perfect blood” that was transplanted to him and the blood of Christ, as well as Munroe’s “rebirth” on the third day after his birthday.
“Today, I’m 100 percent cancer-free as a result of that perfect blood,” Munroe wrote in “Behind the Curtain.” “And when they look at my blood today, they see a 19-year-old female — they see XX chromosome.”
Throughout the MAZE performance, Munroe reiterated a theme of not ever settling for your five senses.
“The MAZE was incredible,” Thompson said. “It was cool getting to see the magician pull people from the audience and use them in his tricks — it made you believe that his tricks were real. I also loved that he talked about what he believed in his past and what he believes now.”
