Joy and I went to see Jack Hanson perform at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California one night in 2001. Something exciting happened on this night, and it was not a planned act of stage illusion.

The Magic Castle is a Victorian mansion and private club that houses the Academy of Magical Arts, where top notch stage magicians and illusionists perform. The mansion has three stories and a basement, with almost every inch of it is either decorated with memorabilia, or rigged to amuse and amaze club members and their guests. There are portrait paintings with eyes that follow you, a telephone booth where a skeleton appears in the glass, a table where your drinks revolve, and a piano played by a fake ghost named Irma.
The point about the Magic Castle is, the place is geared toward creating illusion, which is why I was so surprised by what happened to me after dinner.
Joy, Jack and I had dinner at the Magic Castle before Jack’s show. Jack had arranged for us to get VIP seating, which meant we needed to be in front of the Parlor stage door at a certain time. Since it was a good idea to use the restroom facilities beforehand, we timed ourselves with that in mind. Jack had already left to prepare for his show, when Joy and I left the dining room. The ladies restroom was at the bottom of the staircase on the same floor as the Parlor. Joy and I entered the small ladies room, which was only big enough for two stalls and two side-by-side sinks. There was no room for furniture, and only one narrow door in and out. The walls and stalls were covered with a collage of old time magazine ads. When we entered the ladies room and saw that both stalls were empty, we went in each to her own. Joy left first and said she would be right outside. I replied that I was right behind her. I heard Joy leave.
Moments after Joy left, I exited the stall and made a left turn for the sink to wash my hands. That’s when I nearly collided with a beautiful woman. I hadn’t heard her enter. She smiled, said hello and I realized at once that I was standing in a Magic Castle ladies room smiling at Sharon Stone. Really. The Sharon Stone."I love your dress,” she said. All I can remember stammering was, “Thank you.”
I opened the ladies room door to leave. Joy quickly approached me, pulled me over by the photograph of Houdini on the wall, and said with some excitement “Did you see who that was? Your favorite actress in the entire world!”
I smiled and said, “I sure did. If I wasn’t a woman…” I let it hang in midair as we both laughed at the irony of the situation. I have loved Sharon Stone for decades and when I finally get to meet her, I am also a woman. What a life!

Post by: Kathryn Cleve
Country: United States
My Blog: Longing to be a Woman