By Bridget Mudge
Most teenagers spend their free time scrolling on their phones.
Not 17-year-old Jacob Goetz of Syosset. He spends his spare time with cards and dice.
And he’s turning his skills into something big.
This fall, Goetz earned a spot in the prestigious Magic Castle Junior Society Program in Hollywood, a national honor for promising young magicians.
Goetz’s fascination with magic started when he was just 7, after receiving his first magic kit. From there, he took lessons at Ronjo’s on Port Jefferson Station, the last remaining magic shop on Long Island.
“I had a magic kit and I picked it up and thought it was really cool,” he told Greater Long Island. “Then I went [to] Ronjo’s … and I did lessons there for a little while where I learned a lot of what I know now. It’s just a complete distraction from stress and life.”
Over the years, Goetz has attended several magic camps, where young magicians learn directly from some of the best performers in the world.
“It’s super fun and you learn a lot,” he said. Many of the teens he met there also end up applying to the same junior program he just joined.
The Magic Castle Junior Society Program is open to magicians ages 13 to 20 who show exceptional talent. Members take part in workshops, receive mentorship from industry professionals, and connect with peers who share their passion.
To get in, Goetz submitted a five-minute performance highlighting his top tricks. When he got the acceptance email, he said he was “really happy about it.” He’ll now participate in ongoing online lessons as part of the program.
Along the way, he’s also built a circle of magician friends — collaborators who help each other refine ideas and techniques.
“It’s awesome because we can compare our ideas,” he said. “Magic is a very weird thing as you don’t know if something is good or not until you perform it. … I’ve thrown out ideas that I thought were bad, but then my friends have taken them and ran with them and now they are very good, so it’s very cool.”
Locally, Goetz performs close-up magic at restaurants, including Tommy’s Tacos, moving from table to table and surprising guests as they wait for their meals. He started gigging in 2024 and says those appearances have sharpened both his magic and his presentation.
“I enjoy doing magic in restaurants,” he said. “It’s something you wouldn’t expect … it’s like an interactive show for them. The reaction you get from people — they scream, they laugh — it’s amazing.”
He’s now developing his own close-up show, with each trick tied to a philosophical or physics principle. And earlier this year, he also had the chance to work at Comic Con, pitching and performing for attendees.
Top: Jacob Goetz, 17, shuffling cards at his family’s dining room table in Syosset. (Credit: Anjolique Powell)
Bridget Mudge is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.
