Brad Barton’s The Gift at Eclectic Box Theater

Brad Barton’s The Gift: A Hopeful Magic Show for Right Now

Most magic shows help you escape reality; The Gift is designed to help you stay. Magician and mentalist Brad Barton brings his most personal work to the Mission for a strictly limited residency. This is an intimate experience that ditches the tropes for something honest, humorous, and surprisingly vulnerable. Asking the question, “can we be thankful for the more challenging moments in our lives?”, while also exploring the boundaries of what a “magic show” can actually be. Whether you're a fan of magic, a theater lover, or just looking for something different on a Friday night, this is where wonder meets real conversation.

Inspired by Kintsugi—the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold—this show explores the beauty in the things that break us. Through never-before-seen illusions and mind-reading that feels like fate, Barton examines the relationship between gratitude and our more difficult times. Every night is a unique collaboration; the audience’s own stories guide the performance into a collective "gratitude bowl," ensuring that no two evenings are ever the same. The show gives guests the experience of mind-reading, astonishing generosity, and original magic while it reflects on the beauty of broken things.You don’t need to believe in magic to feel it at work.

Located in the 70-seat Eclectic Box in the Mission, The Gift is a smart night out for anyone tired of screens and small talk. The audience’s choices shape the outcome of the show as they contribute their stories to a collective gratitude bowl, making every night’s performance different and exciting. Each night a different audience member receives a gift, even Brad Barton doesn't know what it is.

Created through collaboration with over 30 different Bay Area artists, makers and magicians,The Gift is funny, honest, and hopeful. This series of performances in the Mission is created and run by a community of 15 San Francisco artists, a defiant stand for live performance when the city needs it most.

Come for the impossible. Leave with something real.

Eclectic Box Theater - 446 Valencia St., San Francisco, CA - March 5–28 | 70 Seats Only