Mind-Reading Mentalist Scott Silven Returns with Impossible Illusions

Tucson, Ariz. – There is a slip of paper on every seat at The Lost Things. On it, you write something you have lost. Scottish illusionist Scott Silven collects them and builds the evening out of what is written there, in 75 minutes of mind-reading, impossible predictions, and storytelling, set inside a forest recreated on stage.

Arizona Arts Live, at the University of Arizona, co-commissioned the production, which is now touring the country with stops at Charleston Gaillard Center, the Virginia Arts Festival, and Texas Performing Arts in Austin. Tucson audiences can see it at Marroney Theatre November 17-21. Silven last played Tucson in 2024 with Wonders at Tornabene Theatre. The New York Times named him a Critics' Pick, and Forbes called him "equally dazzling and mystifying."

The story at the center is a true one. Silven was 12 when he got lost in a forest, and he uses details from that day, and from his life since, to explore how memory shapes the way we see things. Some guests join him on stage. Directed by Graham McLaren and designed by Jamie Vartan, the show lets the audience find that even in loss there is something worth keeping.

“Theatre is a doorway,” says illusionist Scott Silven. “A place where we gather in the dark, drawn together by stories that remind us who we are, who we were, and who we might become. It’s where we witness the impossible, feel the weight of the past, and step into the unknown, together. And The Lost Things is about that unknown.”

“Everyone experiences loss. A job. A loved one. A feeling. A way of life. Scott asks you to name yours, and then a room full of strangers ends up carrying it together. We helped commission this show because we had never seen magic do that. Bring someone with you. You will spend the drive home trying to explain it.” said Chad Herzog, Executive & Artistic Director of Arizona Arts Live.