THE UNEXPECTED: TELLER SPEAKS!

More on the making of Women in Boxes....a Documentary about Magic's Better Half...

I LOVE TELLER! He is interesting, insightful, funny and brilliant. And he directed Macbeth with real magic. I directed Macbeth with young children and didn't edit the "dash the baby against the rocks" line. Here is the story of how Teller got in our film. (Though he remains quiet for other cameras, I feel very privileged that he spoke on mine.)

Over a year ago, we were on a hot pursuit to have Penn & Teller appear in our film. We were told by their gatekeeper, frankly, Penn will not speak in our film and Teller would like to, but he doesn't speak on camera. Ever!

We used our family magic connections to Penn: and...they BACKFIRED. Imagine that.

Now it's been a year. Our film was nearly done. We were driving from L.A. to Vegas to see my biological mother, long story, but she is to meet her grandchildren(ages 5&6)for the first time.

She put us up at her gambling hole, the Orleans, for two nights. Before leaving for Vegas, I decided to try one last time for Teller! This time, I reached him directcly. He had seen our rough cut, enjoyed it and agreed to be interviewed for Women in Boxes. There were a few little wrinkles, like it had to be around midnight - after his show, and to stick with his Teller Mystique, he wanted to be lit in Half Shade.

We didn't have our directors with us - it was the holiday. They didn't believe Teller would EVER speak to us. So meanwhile we didn't know "half-shade" from a levelor blind.

I was a wreck from 3pm to MIDNIGHT. Cut to: My mother’s living room. My kids are still awake so I drugged them with Nyquil.

Dante started jerry-rigging lights because....

The Show Must Go On.

12:03am - Teller arrives inside the unlit and confusing maze called Spanish Trail , where everyone always gets lost. My mother was locked in the bedroom with the children - my daughter apparently said of the Nyquil "This isn't doing anything for me." My son, on the other hand, passed out cold.

But two hours later, we were done. The interview was spectacular and I only wish the entire piece could be in our film.

Thank you Teller!