CORNWALL, Ontario – Mentalists Jeff and Tessa Evason have made believers of audiences around the world, but could they do the same with fellow entertainers Penn & Teller? The husband and wife duo, who are based in Annapolis, Maryland and Toronto, predicted success when they recently appeared on The CW show “Penn & Teller: Fool Us.”
The Evasons had five minutes to convince the famous skeptics their act was based on skill and supernormal mind power rather than tricks or gimmicks.
The experience was exciting and a little nerve-wracking. Jeff and Tessa said it felt like they were under a microscope. Penn & Teller examined everything to rule out secret microphones, earphones or cameras. They even chose random members of the audience for The Evasons to work with.
“Penn & Teller watched us like hawks!” they said. “We asked audience members to pull things out of their pockets without Tessa looking and then have her guess the items. Eventually, Penn & Teller pulled out a $100 bill and she not only knew what it was, she even recited the serial number.” Teller was so impressed that he ran up on stage and got down on his knee and bowed to Tessa!
The Evasons’ act is based on a very specialized branch of mentalism called Second Sight.
“Very few couples in history have dedicated the time and work it takes to develop the connection,” they said. “We hoped that Penn & Teller would recognize what we’ve achieved.”
So, did they?
The Evasons’ contract with “Fool Us” prevents them from revealing the outcome, so you’ll have to watch the show to see what happened. The show airs Wednesday, September 7th at 8pm on the CW Network.
Of course, astounding audiences is nothing new to The Evasons. Since 1983, they’ve performed at corporate events, colleges, country clubs, private parties, casinos and a host of other venues.
Their act has evolved over the years, at first focusing on more traditional magic before slowly morphing to mentalism. When they met, Tessa was working as a model and Jeff was a radio broadcaster doing sleight of hand on the side. Their relationship was magical almost from the start.
With Jeff acting as MC, Tessa has left audiences agape by knowing details about things people keep in their pockets – including names and numbers of contacts on their phones! They constantly update the act, so stayed tuned to be continually dazzled!
Jeff Evason is a former Cornwall resident. He did his first magic show at the age of 15 while he was a student at CCVS. It was 1975 and the show was for residents at Glen Stor Dun Lodge. After college he worked as an announcer at CJSS radio for a few years. These days Jeff and Tessa often visit the Lodge because his mother is now a resident there.
