“Classes set at Poulsbo Parks and Recreation. POULSBO – This is one of my favorite tricks, Jonathan Drake explained, pulling three different lengths of rope out of his heavy briefcase. I think it’s one of the best rope tricks ever devised. It’s called the ‘Professor’s Nightmare.’ Telling the story of how he once got out of his math homework for a year by betting his teacher he could do the trick, Drake quickly makes the rope all the same length, then reverses the process. Pretty amazing to the untrained eye, he agreed. That’s what makes a good trick. It’s very visual and it seems impossible, he said. Drake’s magic has been getting oohs and aahs from audiences for about a decade and he has been showing kids its secrets for the past six years. He teaches children ages six to 12 about a dozen or so tricks using ordinary items like rope, coins, napkins and spoons. Drake will be offering classes at Poulsbo Parks and Recreation later this year, getting local kids interested in the mystical art. It’s a lot of fun, he said of teaching. Most of the kids can do all of the tricks by the end of the class. It’s rewarding when they say, ‘Oh, that was pretty easy.’ Drake’s show got started on the road, where he spends quite a bit of time traveling for his other job. He got hooked, started teaching himself tricks and things just took off from there. The Sphere of Truth and The Zombie are just a few of the tricks he shows his classes to get them into the act. While Drake is passing on his trade to the future magicians of the world, he is quick to tell them that they, in turn, are not supposed to give their secrets away.’ I tell them they shouldn’t tell their audience how they do the tricks. Otherwise they’ll lose their audience, he explained with a laugh. Magic Classes Saturday, Feb 3 or Saturday, March 3 10 a.m.-noon Poulsbo Parks and Recreation Center (360) 779-9898 “