"No other magician has ever attempted it live on stage since Houdini," Spencer said, excitement evident in his voice. "How do you turn that down?"

Walking through a wall of cinderblocks under the watchful eye of an audience volunteer is one of many illusions Spencer and his wife, Cindy, will perform this weekend in Clayton. Their show, "The Spencers: Theatre of Illusion," is scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday at The Clayton Center, 111 E. 2nd St.

The Spencers take their inspiration from Kevin's mentor, Doug Henning, who was popular in the 1970s. Henning invited Spencer backstage after a show and gave him advice on how to get started in the magic world.

"Doug wanted to take magic out of the bad stereotypes we have of magicians," Spencer said. "He believed if you could combine magic with theater, it would be an art form. So much of our show reflects his philosophy."

The Spencers' show combines magic with theatrical elements such as lighting, music and special effects. They have a five-member road crew that puts it all together and helps them develop the illusions.

"It is great teamwork that makes it happen," Spencer said. "We're the second-largest touring illusion show in the country next to David Copperfield."

Lots of technical elements are required to make the show come off smoothly, so the Spencers will be enlisting the staff of The Clayton Center to make it happen.

"We depend as much on the crew at The Clayton Center as we do our own people," Spencer said.

Spencer became interested in magic as a kid when he got a magic kit as a gift. He used his talents to work his way through college. He majored in clinical psychology but decided at graduation that he'd rather be a professional magician instead.

"I'd rather mess with people's minds than help them," he joked.

But he has put his college degree to use in helping people with his side projects, The Healing of Magic and Hocus Focus. The programs, which he developed, use simple magic tricks as therapy for children with disabilities.

Another unique aspect of the Spencers' work is that they're a husband-and-wife team. Their partnership got started when Kevin Spencer was in a car accident and he needed Cindy to help him with the show while he got back on his feet. But he's quick to note she's a partner in the show, not his assistant.

"What it does is it gives you a tremendous amount of respect for each other," Spencer said. "It makes for some great chemistry on the stage because it's natural."

For more information on the show or to purchase tickets, call The Clayton Center at 919-553-1737. Tickets are $15.