{{Short description|U.S. American escape artist}} {{about||the beauty queen|Kristen Johnson (Miss Kentucky USA)|the American actress|Kristen Johnston|the filmmaker|Kirsten Johnson}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox person | image = Kristenleaning.jpg | image_size = 150px | name = Kristen Johnson | birth_place = Glens Falls, New York | occupation = Escape artist | spouse = Kevin Ridgeway }}
'''Kristen Johnson''' is an American escape artist who works with her husband, magician Kevin Ridgeway, under the names Living Illusions, Ridgeway & Johnson, and Breathless. She was the featured magician on the cover of the June 2009 issue of the magicians' magazine ''The Linking Ring''.
==Early life== Johnson was born in Glens Falls, New York, and grew up in Carmel, Indiana.<ref name="current">{{cite web |url = http://currentincarmel.com/?p=437 |title = Famous Carmel Illusionist Returns Home |publisher = Current Publishing LLC |date = 12 February 2009 |accessdate = 2009-06-11 }} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> Her mother, Sunny Johnson, was also a performer best known for her work as a clown.<ref name="allaboutmagis">{{cite web |url = http://www.all-about-magicians.com/johnson.html |title = Kristen Johnson |publisher = Allaboutmagicians.com |accessdate = 2009-06-11 |url-status = usurped |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20100910000219/http://www.all-about-magicians.com/johnson.html |archivedate = 2010-09-10 }}</ref> Sunny was featured on the front cover of ''The Linking Ring'' magazine in March 2002 and still lives in Carmel,{{As of?|date=June 2024}} where she owns a clowning supply company.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Cover page | journal = The Linking Ring | volume = 82 | issue = 3 | publisher = The International Brotherhood of Magicians |date=March 1977 }}</ref> Johnson began learning magic when she was a teenager and used it to earn money to pay for college.<ref name="allaboutmagis"/>
==Performing career== Johnson and her husband Kevin Ridgeway are Christians and, under the name Living Illusions, built up a reputation as performers specializing in faith based events such as the Will Graham Celebration with evangelist Billy Graham's grandson in May 2008.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.christianhollywood.com/Articles/LivingIllusions.html |title = Living Illusion |first = Debbie |last = Fuller |work = Christian Hollywood |year = 2006 |accessdate = 2007-03-10 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070421063107/http://www.christianhollywood.com/Articles/LivingIllusions.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-04-21}}</ref> In 2007, they launched a full-length touring theater show under the name Breathless, which has played across the United States.
Johnson's signature escape is the Full View Water Torture Cell, in which she is chained up and locked inside a water filled tank from which she escapes in full view of the audience. The full view aspect differentiates it from Houdini's Chinese Water Torture Cell escape, which required a curtain to be drawn to obscure him from the audience while he escaped.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.angelfire.com/wi3/earl/ke_pix_main.html |title = Kristen Johnson's Full View WTC |publisher = Escape Artist Reference Library |access-date = 2007-03-10 }}</ref> She performed the original version of the stunt as part of the Worldwide Escape Artist's Relay in 2005, which was an attempt to set a world record for the largest number of escapes performed in a day.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.memoryelixir.com/WEAR/wear.html |title = ''Worldwide Escape Artist Relay, October 29, 2005'' |publisher = Dr Wilson's Memory Elixir |accessdate = 2007-03-10}}</ref>
thumb|Full View Water Torture CellOn October 29, 2006, during the 4th Annual International Escape Convention, Johnson was presented with The Masters Award by Thomas Blacke of ''Escape Masters'' magazine. She performed a new version of her Full View Water Torture Cell, making her one of only two artists to have performed at the first four international escape artist conventions that had been held.<ref>For 2nd convention see {{cite web |url = http://www.cannonsgreatescapes.net/Indy.htm |title = Cannon's Great Escapes |accessdate = 2007-03-10 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070627023432/http://www.cannonsgreatescapes.net/Indy.htm |archivedate = 2007-06-27 }} For 4th convention see {{cite web |url = http://www.dailybulletin.com/living/ci_4405743 |title = ''Escape artist convention to mesmerize in Ontario'' |last = Sholley |first = Diana |publisher = DailyBulletin.com |date = 27 Sep 2006 |accessdate = 2007-03-10 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929131622/http://www.dailybulletin.com/living/ci_4405743 |archivedate = 2007-09-29 }}</ref>
Johnson's water cell stunt requires her to hold her breath while she picks up a series of locks that fasten chains and secure the lid of the cell. She averages 2 minutes and 48 seconds underwater on one breath. However, she has occasionally taken up to 3 minutes and 18 seconds to free herself. The longest time she has ever held her breath is 5 minutes and 2 seconds. She ends her shows with this escape and has performed it as often as 30 times in ten days. She offers a $10,000 challenge to anyone who can prove that she takes a second breath, uses an underwater breathing apparatus or a key once she has dropped below the water.
==Accident== On January 16, 2009, while performing her water torture cell escape during the halftime show of a basketball game featuring the Detroit Pistons versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, Johnson lost consciousness while attempting to open the top of the cell. She had to be quickly rescued by assistants. A week later, she successfully performed her water torture cell escape at the Ford Park Event Center in Beaumont, Texas. This was her 600th performance of the escape.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.thestar.com/article/473345 |title = ''Houdini torture revived right before your eyes'' |last = Taylor |first = Bill |newspaper = The Toronto Star |accessdate = 2008-08-11 | date=2008-08-08 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.livingillusions.com Living Illusions]
{{Magic and Illusion}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Kristen}} Category:American magicians Category:Escapologists Category:21st-century American women Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:People from Glens Falls, New York