By: Nick Amon
At 11 years old, Cody Clark was your average boy. Unobtrusively living day to day with little to worry about, Cody knew little about his future. It wasn’t until Clark happened to be on a vacation with his family one year, that he became aware of the limitless talent he once unknowingly possessed. During this vacation, Clark and his family attended a magic show. In the middle of the show, Clark was randomly called on stage to voluntarily help with the magician’s act. As the act came to a close and the crowd began to applaud, young Clark had an astonishing epiphany. Not only did Clark know the crowd was applauding for the act itself, but he knew the crowd was applauding for him. Inspiration has been no stranger to him ever since and now at 20 years old, Clark is a proficient magician himself continuously growing to reach his full potential.
Nine years since he took foot on stage, Clark’s unlimited passion for his craft has lead him to a plethora of stages across the city, several being right here at the University of Louisville. A junior marketing major and theatre arts minor, Clark takes pride in his individuality. Clark is currently diagnosed with high-functioning autism and confidently views it as a bridge of opportunity that he can incorporate into his magic. Instead of allowing his autism to overshadow his talent, he is able to identify the median in which he can use the two together and ultimately reach for success as an up and coming magician. Performing underneath the name “Cody Comet”, Clark has created an alternate persona on stage that continues to benefit his networking skills here at the University.
When asked of the process Clark undergoes when creating his acts he calmly responded, “I draw and relate many of my acts from experiences throughout my life in order to connect with the audience on a more personal level.” Clark simply isn’t the type of magician to wow you with awe-fulfilled and shock reliant material, but the magician who is constantly working to make sure what he performs is something more substantial and enjoyable throughout his entire performance. True magic to Clark is the relationship between the magician and the audience, which inevitably plays a large role in the process of creating his acts. From the Comedy Caravan to theatres here at U of L, Clark is no stranger to large audiences and their applause. Nowadays Clark has continues practicing his acts and receiving constructive criticism at the campus located Thrust Theatre throughout the weeks, solely in order to prepare himself for his upcoming performance at U of L’s Studio Theatre’s Diversity Weekend this Oct. 24-26th at 7:30.
As member of the Louisville Magic Club, Society of American Magicians, and Magic & Mystery School, Clark prides taking his talents to an unparalleled level of dedication. Planning on using his marketing abilities in the future in relation to his theatre art skills, Clark is also able to acknowledge the business side of being a magician. He is aware in order to continue growing as a well- known magician he must first market himself to the niche audiences he wishes to perform for. When asked if his work ever became noticed on a larger scale how he would react he quickly answered, “I would give back to everyone who helped me along the way, and donate as much as I can to the theatres here at the University.” Clark enjoys the idea of giving back to the community and University in response to all the knowledge and opportunities they gave and continue to give him.
Overall, Clark is someone we all can learn from. Letting nothing hold him back, Clark shows us the ideal mentality as a student to hold at the University, along with the ideal mentality to hold personally as an individual. Instead of straying away, Clark represents someone who merely embraces each challenge life seems to throw his way.
Photo Courtesy of Google Images
