Getting into the magic
[Dendy on the set of Nothing Up My Sleeve, Simple Deceptions for Curious Humans at Round House Theatre. Photo by Margot Schulman.]
A review of Nothing Up My Sleeve … Simple Deceptions for Curious Humans
By Tom Navratil
What a moment for a show juxtaposing truth and deception. In Nothing Up My Sleeve … Simple Deceptions for Curious Humans, master illusionist and actor Dendy delivers a wondrous, multifaceted solo performance perfectly calibrated to confound your mind, tickle your fancy, and touch your heart. This world premiere runs through March 15 at Round House Theatre in Bethesda.
I’ve never seen anything like it. With leading-man presence and Fred Astaire grace, Dendy interweaves a poignant and vulnerable memoir with a hilarious stand-up set and a philosophy seminar led by the star professor on campus.
And the tricks. Astonishing. Unbelievable. Impossible, yet …
This clever and generous genre blend, co-authored by director Aaron Posner and Dendy, nourishes while it entertains. It serves up a lot of food for thought, about ideas such as the shared responsibilities of performer and audience, the permeable nature of trust, and the universal need for belonging. Posner, a prolific veteran of the DMV drama scene, is in peak form with this one. He and Dendy previously collaborated on a production of The Tempest, which was staged at Round House in 2022, with renowned magician Teller.
[Dendy on the set of Nothing Up My Sleeve, Simple Deceptions for Curious Humans at Round House Theatre. Photo by Margot Schulman.]
In an interview in the playbill, Dendy said that while The Tempest was on stage in Las Vegas, he attended Teller’s show at the Rio a truly obsessive number of times, and realized that “this is really what I want to be doing. I want to be on the stage doing a collection of things that I feel good about doing.” Nothing Up My Sleeve is the resulting labor of love. Posner stepped forward to help guide and shape the project. As he put it in the same interview, “I know how to take things and turn them into plays.” Clearly.
By his account, Dendy grew up in a series of conservative small towns in Missouri, not fitting into the prevailing culture. At each new school, he would perform magic tricks in an effort to make friends, or at least gain acceptance. His arc from lonely, magic-obsessed child to a star of the stage is heartbreaking at times, but Dendy has found and burnished the humor in it. He also threads in a good portion of lore about the stature of magic shows in previous eras and about the most prominent practitioners, a lineage that he is now continuing. Seeing the great joy that doing what he loves has brought Dendy is powerful and moving.
A bit more about the comedic side of this performance. The material is rich, and Dendy brings it fully to life with adept timing, the ability to communicate just with a posture, an expression, or the lift of a finger, and confident, collaborative crowd work. He landed laughs throughout. Dendy’s delivery and the confessional nature of the subject matter invite comparisons to superstar British comedian James Acaster.
[Dendy on the set of Nothing Up My Sleeve, Simple Deceptions for Curious Humans at Round House Theatre. Photo by Margot Schulman.]
The set is a cozy and inviting classical parlor, suitable for séance or salon. Candelabras, a gramophone, steamer trunks, and your grandmother’s petite table lamps all emit an enticing whiff of mystique. Kudos to scenic and projection designer Daniel Conway and his team, as well as to composer and sound designer Sartje Pickett, lighting designer Thom Weaver, and costume designer Jeannette Christensen and their teams. All the elements work with unobtrusive delicacy, and the entire production sparkles with professionalism and care.
At its core, this is a show about honesty and connection. It left me inspired to pursue my passions with renewed vigor, which is accomplishment enough. More magically, this experience nudged me to open my heart more to the passions of others. The subtitle’s invitation to curious humans is apt. Dendy’s magical deceptions illuminate truths, profound and prosaic, about compassion, the risk of reaching out, the gift of curiosity. The illusion helps us see what is most important. All of which, at heart, depends upon the persuasive power of honesty. Have we ever needed it more?
Honestly, go see it.
NOTHING UP MY SLEEVE runs through March 15 at The Round House Theatre, which is located at 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814. Runtime is approximately two hours with an intermission. Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at (240) 644-1100 or online.
This show is the headline production of Round House Theatre’s 2026 Bonnie Hammerschlag National Capital New Play Festival. The festival also includes other programming, including developmental readings of new plays that are free but require a reservation. Learn more about the festival here.
Read Washington Unbound Editor Norah Vawter’s review of Aaron Posner’s aforementioned 2022 production of The Tempest at Round House. (Published in DCTRENDING.)
Tom Navratil is the author of Dog’s Breakfast, a comedy of international intrigue. Read Norah’s interview with Tom, covering his novel, his past career in the U.S. foreign service, and many things in between.
