Keene Equinox

Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: A & E

Media Credit: Will Wrobel Hypnosis participants were instructed to daring tasks and were fully entranced by Santos' hypnotic power.

On the evening of Saturday Oct. 4th laughs pervaded The Colonial Theatre. Comedy hypnotist Frank Santos, Jr. took the stage and asked for volunteers to be hypnotized.

Numerous members of the community volunteered but only seven succumbed to the power of hypnosis.

The seven people and a few members from the audience were the stars of the show. Santos used several relaxation techniques to induce hypnosis.

Through the power of suggestion and tranquil music, the volunteers drifted off into a peaceful state of mind.

Santos asked the volunteers how they felt under hypnosis. Responses ranged from "feeling good" to "a little bit drunk" to "a little bit gigglish and happier".

Santos has been a comedy hypnotist for more than 10 years. His stage presence and tone of voice grab your attention and generate an instant energy from the audience. He has performed at over 100 colleges across the nation along, with casinos.

According to the Colonial Santos' shows are "like the swirls of a fingerprint, no two shows are ever the same." This is true, since everyone acts differently under hypnosis.

The beauty of hypnosis is you never know what to expect. When Santos suggested something under his command, the responses varied depending on the individual. This adds extra flavor and humor to the show.

Prior to Santos' performance was a stand up comedy set by Chance Langton. Langton literally conducted the audiences' laughter with his wit. His timeless jokes were a definite crowd pleaser.

One joke Langton told, "I'm dating a woman with one leg, she's a waitress. She works at IHOP. I swept her off her foot."

Other jokes revolved around imitations of famous musicians. Langton impersonated Jonny Cash on acid as well as Bob Dylan. He played acoustic guitar as he sang horribly and goofed off on purpose. No one in the audience could refrain from laughing.

Once Santos had the volunteers hypnotized, the atmosphere of deep concentration subsided and the fun began. Santos had the power to animate the susceptible people on stage. He came up with various scenarios and assigned each person a role. The results were priceless.

Imagine every time someone takes a step your underwear becomes tighter and tighter. Santos paced back and forth across the stage and narrated the routes from Rhode Island to New Hampshire.

As he did this the volunteers underwear became unbearably tight. Their facial expressions and fidgeting were evidence of their discomfort, which the audience found quite comical.

Another act featured a performance of Shania Twain's "Man I feel like a Woman." One woman believed she was Twain while two men believed they were butt shakers and another woman played the air guitar.

When the music came on a five-star performance unfolded. The unsynchronized improvising and butt shaking seemed to lighten up the crowd.

Performances of songs by Garth Brooks and the new 'Nsync followed. Santos gave the volunteers the power to see the audience naked, which repulsed and confused them.

One of the final scenarios featured a dance contest: four ballerinas competing for a $25 million dollar prize and three exotic dancers competing for top ranks.

The intensity of the performances made them seem almost realistic.

It is amazing what hypnosis is capable of and it is hilarious when people are under the influence.

This natural state of mind is enlightening and refreshing. After being hypnotized you feel like you have been sleeping for hours and wake feeling refreshed.

The volunteers on stage had no recollection of what they did until an hour after the show.

Overall, the show was vibrant with creativity and laughs. You don't see something as raw and refreshing as hypnosis every day, it is truly an intriguing experience.



Danielle Rivard can be contacted at drivard@keeneequinox.com

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