Illusionist Jonas Cain treated kids and grown-ups to an afternoon of mind-bending and reality shattering spectacles that left the audience equal parts fascinated and roaring with laughter. 

The performance was held Thursday, April 18 at the North Branch Library in Dartmouth. 

From malfunctioning wands to ropes that inexplicably changed colors and untied themselves, Cain came prepared with more than just tricks up his sleeve. Between magic tricks, he provided musical intermissions with his trusty, yellow ukulele. 

“Life has shown me time and time again that there’s more than meets the eye,” Cain said. “I’m trying to touch the eternal — whatever that is.”

Perhaps the greatest trick was Cain’s ability to evoke so much laughter on an otherwise gray and gloomy day. Cain said that spreading joy is the most important element of his performances. While everyone finds their joy somewhere else, Cain said he finds his joy in the world’s endless possibilities and wonders.

“It’s that lasting joy that neither rust nor moth can destroy,” he said. “That’s really what I want to impart on folks.”

Cain, who lives in Holyoke and has a job as a music teacher, has been performing magic since he was a child. Despite starting life as a shy kid, Cain said magic helped him find his confidence. 

“For me, it was realizing that I had something wonderful to share,” he said. 

In between pulling cards out of his shoe, predicting the future and generally defying the laws of physics, Cain imparted the valuable lesson that life’s magic truly lies in shifting our perspectives, and that ultimately, nothing is more important to a good life than a positive attitude. 

“The magic is all in your imagination,” he said.