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by Rama K. Ramaswamy
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
The summer is sure busy at the Wellesley Free Library, with events such as “Ed the Wizard,” no less. One of Emma Weiler’s staff introduced the magician to approximately 100 attendees, about which she said, “it was a good one!” Weiler has been with WFL for about a year as the Children’s Department Supervisor. Ed the Wizard had performed last year at WFL as well, but returning audiences feel this year boasted a bigger turnout.
Before the show started, Ed, having been a street magician, too, had begun to engage the children who were in attendance with small tricks. For example, he wore a cloak with many pockets from which he took out different tricks. Apparently, the Harry Potter books inspired Ed to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a wizard and he learned a lot of tricks from library books! Weiler mentioned some of these things in her introduction, including her joke-trick: “I just know how to make a piece of candy disappear- gulp!"
Not only did Ed perform his usual, dazzling wizardry but he also handed out pamphlets on magic tricks so kids could learn and practice at home after the show. According to Weiler, “we try to have a variety of types of performers throughout the year (magician, live animal show, music , theater, etc.). People love to see these shows, especially with experienced performers like Ed who know how to read and adjust to the crowd of people before them. I particularly appreciated that Ed worked in a push for summer reading into his show, which ties the show more closely to the library.” For a list of other summer events at WFL, visit https://www.wellesleyfreelibrary.org/events.
