There’s much more to Louisvillian Cody Clark’s magic than pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Clark, 22, has been performing magic for more than 11 years, but his show is a bit different — much like his life. He combines traditional magic show components with theater and storytelling to share his story on how living with autism has shaped his experiences. His one-man show, “Cody Clark: A Different Way of Thinking,” tells the story of his life through card tricks and illusions from birth through his recent graduation from the University of Louisville. It takes place Friday, Feb. 12, at the Alley Theater.

Clark tells Insider he got bit by the magic bug at age 11 while on vacation at Gulf Shores, Ala. He and his family were attending a show by magician Bart Rockett, and Rockett pulled Clark up on stage to help him out with his tricks.

“All my life, I had tried to find what I was good at, but to no avail until I succeeded at helping out this magician,” he says. “So from that point on, I’ve vigorously pursued the art of magic. A lot of magicians bring up audience participants to be the butt of their jokes. So the fact that Bart didn’t, instead using our moment on stage to empower me, is what inspired me to become a magician.”

http://insiderlouisville.com/lifestyle_culture/7-questions-cody-clark/