On Tuesday evening, some Wayland High School students found themselves sleeping on each other’s laps, acting like five-year-olds, dancing (one of them with his shirt off), admiring each others’ body scents, feeling confused, but laughing—they had been hypnotized.

The Student Council had brought professional hypnotist Peter Gross to the Little Theater for a return engagement. And just like last year’s Winter Week visit, he made the audience giggle while enjoying the sight of their peers engaging in unusual activities.



The audience was already in a joyful mood when the show started. As the hypnotist set up the right mood for his magic, people were receptive and eager for humor. Students who wanted to get hypnotized raced up to the stage, and several had to go back to their seats because there were too many volunteers.

The positive atmosphere grew into frenzy of laughter, and after the show, students came out of the Little Theater with big smiles on their faces. Trevor Dixson (Class of 2011) explained his delight:

“After the tough, stressful week of midterms, watching the hypnotist show really made everything worthwhile. It was one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time!”

Lauren Jenny (Class of 2010) also commented that one of her most memorable moments of the show was when “Dan Cowen took off his shirt.”

While the audience clearly remembered every detail of the show, people who were hypnotized were unaware of their actions. Nicole Barrett (Class of 2008) describes her oblivion:

“I really don’t think I did anything.”

Scarlett Hoey, president of the student council, was delighted by the outcome of the show.

“The show went really well. Peter Gross is a very clever hypnotist, and I am glad we brought him back to Wayland’s Winter Week. People who were hypnotized were hilarious. From Alec Mitnik doing a really amazing cartwheel, to Dan Cowen ripping his shirt off and Seth Harper speaking “Martian”— I personally had a complete blast!”