Before the curtain or after dessert?
If your birthday plans include a matinee at Flat Rock Playhouse, book my part of the evening for the house or private dining room afterward. Nobody has to cut a story short to find their seats. If dinner comes before the play instead, tell me the time you need to leave the table, not just curtain time. Paying the check, rounding up coats, and locating that one friend are separate acts.
Give the birthday guest a say in the cast.
For a small dinner, I can start after the plates are cleared. Someone chooses a card, someone else keeps an eye on my hands, and the guest of honor decides whether to join the trick or enjoy the sight of their friends being confidently wrong. If you want a birthday surprise, tell me privately which role they’d actually like.
For a longer evening, make my theatrical comedy séance the main event at your own table. Set aside two uninterrupted hours for the haunted objects, storytelling, and audience participation. A dinner with tickets afterward is a better fit for close-up magic; the dead have yet to show much respect for a curtain call.