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The hypnotyzed “shake their booty” on stage at the Little Theater. – Photo by Mike Drake
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Chris Urquia dances with a devilish lady. – Photo by Mike Drake
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Ron Stubbs uses his hypnotic powers to put participants to sleep during the 2016 Hypnotist Show at Peninsula College. – Photo by Mike Drake
By Mike Drake
The lights dimmed and an ambient calming exuberance relaxed the crowd as hypnotist-comedian Ron Stubbs performed live in the Little Theater of Peninsula college on Feb. 4
Stubbs started the show with a few laughs and then asked for volunteers to join him on stage. Eight crowd members raised their hands and walked down the isle to join in the show. Stubbs selected two of the volunteers and sent them back to the crown and chose two more to bring up on stage.
After a few minutes of soft talking and slight suggestions, one by one the volunteers did exactly as Stubbs commanded.
From shouting random, Tourettes-like phrases to dancing with a micro-phone stand with a wig, the audience enjoyed the oddity of what they were witnessing. Stubbs was like a puppet master controlling his puppets with a practiced finesse.
Stubbs said “I love making people laugh and I’m really proud of the show.” According to Stubbs, he has been doing hypnotism for two decades and does about 250 shows per year.
Stubbs said he has performed for thousands of people in his career and he said the fans are his motivation now.
Stubbs idol, Ormond McGill, told him there are three keys to having a show be successful. Did you get people on stage? Did people laugh? Did they get hypnotized?
McGill told Stubbs if you can answer yes to all 3 of these, you had a great show. Never take away the crowd’s experience. Have fun and so will the crowd.