New Bedford Illusionist Lyn Dillies Reminds Us Your Vote Is Magic

Renowned illusionist and New Bedford native Lyn Dillies is at it again. She's reminding all of us that our vote is important, and we should make time on November 5 to vote.

For years, she's been doing non-partisan performances across the region, in front of students and the general public, stressing that voting is our civic duty.

On Friday, October 25, Dillies is joining with the League of Women Voters SouthCoast to present "Your Vote is Magic" to 11th and 12th grade students at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School.

That will be followed by another performance that's free and open to the public, starting at 6:30 p.m., also at GNB Voc-Tech.

Speaking this week on Townsquare Sunday, Dillies said her involvement in politics first began with her father.

"As a young girl, I remember going to the bottom of Union Street with my dad, who was very active in political campaigns," she said. "I would hold campaign signs and my dad made sure I waved to every car that went by."

"Later on, in 2007, after my father died, I had a brainstorm about a really magnificent illusion I could perform that would deliver a visual message about the importance of voting," she said.

That illusion happened in 2008 at Buttonwood Park, just prior to the presidential election. In the illusion, she produced an elephant and a donkey, symbols of the most prominent political parties in the U.S.

Dillies later wrote a book about her spectacular illusion and election history, and that book became the basis of her performances before high school students and the general public.

"Kids are on the edge of their seats, wondering when the magic is going to happen, but the magic isn't just eye-candy," she said. "It's strategically included in the program with some of the illusions correlating with some mini-lessons about voting. I teach them that every vote matters."

The complete interview with Lyn Dillies can be heard here:

If you would like your organization featured on Townsquare Sunday, please email the host at jim.phillips@townsquaremedia.com.