Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Beyond Secrets
Beyond Secrets
By Jay Sankey
“Strip away illusion. Retain the mystery.”
Special thanks to friends and magi David Acer and David Peck
for their generous editorial help, to Jon Racherbaumer for
always being in my corner with a bouquet of roses, and to Len
Cooper for showing me my first magic trick.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword ..............................................................................................................9
Preface ................................................................................................................. 12
A Dance of Glances ........................................................................................ 14
Is Magic An Art? .............................................................................................. 16
Begin By Connecting..................................................................................... 18
The Myth Of Speed ........................................................................................ 20
Incomprehensibility ..................................................................................... 22
Magic As Blood Sport ................................................................................... 23
Orchestrating Focus...................................................................................... 25
What Is Your Market? .................................................................................. 27
Popular Misperceptions.............................................................................. 29
The Anatomy Of An Effect .......................................................................... 31
Intimate Scripts .............................................................................................. 32
What Is The Method? ................................................................................... 35
If I Were A Real Magician ........................................................................... 37
A Little Experiment ....................................................................................... 39
Key Images ........................................................................................................ 42
Learning A Sleight.......................................................................................... 44
An Actor Playing The Part.......................................................................... 46
Wonder Without Secrecy ........................................................................... 47
Creating Magic ................................................................................................. 49
Wonder And Emotion .................................................................................. 52
How Did You Do That? .................................................................................. 53
Any Effect Is Possible ................................................................................... 55
Cynicism, Confusion And Ego................................................................... 56
For My Next Trick .......................................................................................... 59
Audience Feedback ....................................................................................... 63
The Opposite Of Magic................................................................................. 65
Simplicity ........................................................................................................... 67
The Emotional Camera ................................................................................ 69
The Imperfect Theory .................................................................................. 71
The Approach .................................................................................................. 73
Inspiring Humility ......................................................................................... 76
The Wonder Of Wit ....................................................................................... 78
Classic Audience Members ........................................................................ 81
Performing New Material .......................................................................... 89
Rhythm................................................................................................................ 92
Vulgar Magic..................................................................................................... 94
Whose Magic Is It? ......................................................................................... 96
Learning From Mime.................................................................................... 98
Truth And Credibility ................................................................................... 99
Minimum Effort ........................................................................................... 101
Performer As Product ............................................................................... 104
What Is The Magic About? ...................................................................... 108
Enthusiasm .................................................................................................... 110
Fewer Words, More Magic...................................................................... 111
Secrecy Is Fear.............................................................................................. 113
The Art Of Practice ..................................................................................... 116
Inside Out/Outside In ............................................................................... 117
Suspending Disbelief ................................................................................. 119
Responding .................................................................................................... 121
Parade Of Characters ................................................................................ 123
Mirroring......................................................................................................... 126
Taking It Personally ................................................................................... 128
Multiple Climaxes ....................................................................................... 131
Vivid Language ............................................................................................. 133
The Natural .................................................................................................... 140
Expressing And Communicating ......................................................... 142
Suspicion ......................................................................................................... 144
Mind Over Matter........................................................................................ 145
What Is A Narrative? ................................................................................. 147
Magic And Mentalism................................................................................ 149
Vulnerability.................................................................................................. 152
Choosing A Spectator ................................................................................ 155
Under And Over Proving ......................................................................... 157
How Do You Feel? ....................................................................................... 159
Fear And The Sudden Audience ........................................................... 161
Power................................................................................................................ 164
The Mysterious And The Humorous.................................................. 166
Becoming A Better Magician ................................................................. 169
Control And Trust ....................................................................................... 170
Circuit Practicing......................................................................................... 172
Purge Your Puzzles .................................................................................... 174
Magician, Clown, Priest ............................................................................ 177
Which Direction?......................................................................................... 179
Magic And The Magical ............................................................................ 181
Sanding ............................................................................................................ 184
Those Who Will Resist .............................................................................. 186
Let The Audience Lead ............................................................................. 189
In The Blink Of An Eye .............................................................................. 192
The Master Imagined ................................................................................ 194
Secrets, Understanding & Wonder ..................................................... 196
Is There Such A Thing As A Bad Trick?............................................. 197
Articulate Hands.......................................................................................... 199
The Best Teacher......................................................................................... 203
Random Acts Of Magic .............................................................................. 207
Self-Expression ............................................................................................ 209
Stick To Your Weaknesses ...................................................................... 211
Creative Promotion .................................................................................... 213
Reminder And Promise ............................................................................ 216
Choosing Material ....................................................................................... 218
The Play's The Thing ................................................................................. 220
In Search Of Real Magic ............................................................................ 221
Encouraging Co-Creation ........................................................................ 223
Knowing And Forgetting ......................................................................... 225
Exposure, Appreciation And Education ........................................... 227
Clothing............................................................................................................ 229
Magician Vs. Entertainer ......................................................................... 230
Tension, Expectation And Release ...................................................... 232
An Invitation To Wonder ........................................................................ 235
Larger Truths ................................................................................................ 236
All Of You ........................................................................................................ 237
Unpresentations .......................................................................................... 239
Ending .............................................................................................................. 241
Re: Creation ................................................................................................... 243
It Takes Time ................................................................................................ 247
A New Magic .................................................................................................. 248
Effects Only Happen In The Past ......................................................... 251
The Love Of Magic ...................................................................................... 255
FOREWORD
Jon Racherbaumer
The author of the book you are about to browse, buy, borrow,
read, or sample is my favorite Canadian rebel angel.
Jay Sankey, the existential jock of jocularity who put the "imp"
in "impossible" only seems like a runaway whack-job. Do I
exaggerate? Yes and no…If you pay attention and survive, his
"fine madness" comes through.
9
Not long ago I wrote this about Sankey: "The fit-to be-tied King
of Original Fits gets antsy around people who color inside lines,
put things in boxes, and collect tidy categories.
The good news is that Sankey's books (in theory) about theory
and practice remind me of another Canadian: Marshall
McLuhan. Pascal had his Pensées. McLuhan had his probes.
Sankey, like McLuhan, puts out probes. He wants to penetrate,
prick and probe your consciousness.
Then he dances off the last page. At that abrupt point, you must
carry on where he left off. Granted: He will have had much to
babble about regarding his adventures on both sides of the
Looking Glass. But he would also caution you that his words (in
all their zippity-doo-da splendor) are only a kind of mapping,
not be confused with the actual territory.
If you have seen Jay perform or lecture, you know he casts that
spell. This work is both skeletal and fleshy. As you experience
it (Note that I did not say "read'), remember the physicality of
his live performances. This book is a different kind of
performance.
10
Yet you will discover lots of fitful and fanciful acting and
reacting, lots of pacing and protestation, lots of stopping,
starting, turning, jumping, and jabbing. In the process, he will
disarm you by openly and tacitly showing that writing, like a
live performance, boils down to two things: you and him.
If he can stay two or three beats ahead of the "flow" and ahead
of your capacity to perceive what he perceives before you do,
then you will giggle, guffaw, or experience illumination. In this
work, Sankey literally brings you up to speed-your speed and
his speed.
11
PREFACE
"You see things; and say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never
were; and I say, ‘Why not?” – George Bernard Shaw
12
Some passages are especially critical of certain attitudes,
trends and approaches towards magic. I am keenly aware that
my own work is not exempt from the shortcomings of these
very same attitudes.
The answers I offer are mine. Perhaps they will in some way
assist you in finding yours.
13
A DANCE OF GLANCES
"I see you see me." Jean-Paul Sartre
14
As the above Sartre quote suggests, even a fleeting glance
directly into the eyes of another human being is a multi-
layered event analogous to two mirrors suddenly turned to
face each other, creating an opportunity for an almost infinite
interplay.
15
IS MAGIC AN ART?
“I think you get the most interesting work done in fields where
people don’t feel they’re doing art, but are merely practicing a
craft.” Douglas Adams
16
Consequently, my answer to the question of, "Is magic an art?"
is quite simple. When the magician expresses him or herself
through their performance, it is art.
17
BEGIN BY CONNECTING
“Always be inviting the audience into your theatre.” – Sanford
Meisner
18
I also think it is worth taking a moment or two to silently greet
the handful of people you can actually see in the first few rows.
Make the most of the fact that you can see them and that they
can see that you can see them.
19
THE MYTH OF SPEED
"The hand is quicker than the eye." - Traditional Expression
Few phrases have done more harm to the art of magic than the
one cited above. Ironically, even as it refers to sight, the
implications of the expression have powerfully blinded both
magicians and the lay public.
20
But in each case, these small, fast movements are concealed
within a larger action like a cloth thrown over a birdcage to
quiet the occupant's song.
All too often, when the hand is quicker than the eye, the
wonder is lost.
21
INCOMPREHENSIBILITY
“No object is mysterious. The mystery is your eye.” - Elizabeth
Bowen
22
MAGIC AS BLOOD SPORT
“The camera makes everyone a tourist in other people’s reality,
and eventually in one’s own.” – Susan Sontag
23
Thanks to the wonders of editing, not only do such shows
feature a wide variety of the usual unoriginal camera tricks,
they now also routinely cut away to spectators responding to
entirely different effects than the ones we are watching at
home.
Nothing more than test subjects, they are not performed for,
but rather, are subjected to. In a sense, savaged, even raped.
There is nothing gentle, subtle or poetic about it, and certainly
nothing original.
24
ORCHESTRATING FOCUS
“The relationship between what we see and what we know is
never settled.” – John Berger
25
Seventh, to aid in this guiding, the experienced performer will
employ his eyes, the direction and angle of his head, his hands,
words and props.
26
WHAT IS YOUR MARKET?
“Nature never deceives us; it is always we who deceive
ourselves.” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Now imagine meeting a magician who hands you his card and
it reads, "Restaurant Magician." Who are you going to be
tempted to interview first? And who is going to be able to ask
for more money? That's right. The specialist.
27
Magicians claim that they have to work at birthday parties,
restaurants, office parties, banquets and a dozen other venues
"to make ends meet," but in my experience, spreading yourself
so thinly across so many markets is a great way to guarantee
that you will be struggling to make ends meet for years to
come.
There's an old show biz adage, "Grab one bell and ring it until
your arm falls off." It takes years to establish yourself in a
market and typically just when you are beginning to get
completely bored with a market is when that market
"suddenly" takes notice of you and your services are in great
demand.
28
POPULAR MISPERCEPTIONS
“One should respect public opinion in so far as it is necessary to
avoid starvation and to keep out of prison, but anything that
goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary
tyranny.” – Bertrand Russell
I am not sure how you feel about such narrow and ignorant
perceptions, but I find them sad and upsetting. Such
misinformed views dwarf the general public's expectations and
limit their receptivity to magic while also dramatically
reducing the performance and employment opportunities of
every magician on the planet.
29
Consequently, talented, skilled and original magicians regularly
lose work to cut-rate magicians who stop by their local magic
shop to pick up their new closing effect on the way to the gig.
30
THE ANATOMY OF AN EFFECT
“Man is a history-making creature who can neither repeat his
past nor leave it behind.” W.H. Auden
Set-up: two coins are placed in the spectator's hand and one in
the magician's hand. Outcome: The magician's hands are empty
and all three coins are found in the spectator's hand.
31
INTIMATE SCRIPTS
"The script is the actor's greatest enemy." - Sanford Meisner
Every effect should have a beginning, middle and end, but this
theatrical axiom can actually be accomplished with six well-
chosen words or even silence.
You do not have to talk about "three princesses and two kings"
or "the boy who sold a chair at the market" or "the magical
healing powers of reptilian love" just to make a thimble vanish
and appear behind your ear.
32
Nurturing a lively and spontaneous exchange is one of the
surest ways to encourage your audience to invest emotionally
in the proceedings, and the degree to which they invest
emotionally is precisely the degree to which they will care, be
amazed and remember.
33
And, "I found this coin lying on the sidewalk less than twenty
feet from the Eiffel tower," is an example of emotional.
34
WHAT IS THE METHOD?
“Everything that deceives may be said to enchant.” - Plato
35
This child-like fascination with the clever gimmicks of our craft
only serves to distract us from the great many other elements
involved in creating a moment of magic, elements which are
not only equally fascinating, but which are also far more
powerful and fundamental than any "bright and shiny"
gimmick could ever be.
36
IF I WERE A REAL MAGICIAN
“Train yourself for a profession that does not exist. That is the
mark of an artist- to create something which previously existed
only in his or her heart.” – David Mamet
For me, a real magician does not perform effects that are
difficult for the audience to understand. The effects of a real
magician require no explanation.
For me, the musing, "If I were a real magician . . . " is a kind of
hope and prayer, like the wooden boy who dreamed of
becoming a real boy.
37
Like many who practice and love the art of magic, I suspect
that on some level I imagine that, if I act like a real magician,
perhaps one day I just might become one.
Miraculously, you are one. Trust that and follow your heart to
your own magic, the magic that is real for you.
38
A LITTLE EXPERIMENT
“Acting is a masochistic form of exhibitionism. It is not quite the
occupation of an adult.” – Laurence Olivier
But now, I would like you to try to imagine how you might
execute the move if you were feeling really sad about
something.
39
Spend a few moments visualizing the sad event and when you
sense that you are in touch with whatever feelings come up, try
to express some emotion through the execution of a Double
Lift.
For much more exciting and satisfying results, I suggest you try
performing one of your favorite effects for several different
audiences and each time try to perform it while being in touch
with different feelings. Try an "angry version," a "sad version,"
a "joyous version," and more.
But does that mean we cannot have feelings about our effects
or even script our routines so that they are more emotionally
engaging for both our audiences and for ourselves? I think not.
In fact, I think that should be our ultimate goal.
40
And as we come to feel more about what we do, and express
those feelings, our audiences will respond emotionally in turn.
A far cry from mere "fun and games."
After that, you might want to consider reading one of the bibles
of modern acting, The Actor Prepares by Constantine
Stanislavski.
41
KEY IMAGES
“In our culture, sight has become a kind of life-preserver used to
make sense of the world around us.” Mary Carole McCauley
Five, both sides of the ten dollar bill are shown (the
magician's hands are still empty).
42
In a sense, we present our audiences with a series of
mathematical figures and their minds do the final tallying with
some spectators arriving at one total, some at another.
43
LEARNING A SLEIGHT
"Beginnings are important because all else follows from them." –
Frank Herbert
But the mind must first establish a relationship with the move,
often by being introduced to the move through a book, video,
lecture or fellow performer.
44
In a sense, before the sleight has a life of its own. Like the
foundations of a building, if they are even a tiny bit askew, no
matter how perfectly the rest of the structure is constructed,
the building will still lean dangerously to one side.
45
AN ACTOR PLAYING THE PART
“Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people from
coughing.” – Ralph Richardson
Robert Houdin claimed that a magician is, “an actor playing the
part of a magician." Perhaps this was true in his day, but more
recently, many magicians appear to be extremely limited
actors playing the parts of tragically outdated, clichéd
characters with the emotional range of sex trade professionals.
46
WONDER WITHOUT SECRECY
“The purpose of the play is to bring to the stage the life of the
soul.” -David Mamet
How can that artist create such beauty? How can that film
trigger such an exhilarating series of emotions? How can that
athlete achieve such mastery?
47
Wonder does not inspire the question, "How did the artist
carve such an aquiline nose out of granite?"
48
CREATING MAGIC
“The history of art is the history of revivals.” – Samuel Butler
Take for example, Edward Marlo's "In Lieu of the Through the
Fist Move," also known as the “Twirl Change.” What exactly is
the essence of this move? Two playing cards, held back to back
as one, are secretly spun 180 degrees undercover of a brief
shaking action to affect the change of one card into another?
Wrong.
The move can be performed with more than two cards, even
half a deck. The move can be done with many other objects
other than playing cards, including business cards, beer
coasters and matchbooks.
You can also execute the move to bring about effects other than
an overt color change (such as the secret switching of one or
more cards).
49
Sometimes I will develop an effect or handling beginning with
a single line of script such as with my effect “Half A Coin Trick.”
One day I just thought of question, “Would you like to see half a
coin trick?” and the routine sprung into existence.
(However, this is far from always the case. There is a great deal
to be said for implication in that it leaves room for the
audience's supremely powerful imaginations.)
And then it struck me, one of those plastic snow globes you see
in souvenir shops! I developed my effect Snowstorm (including
a handling idea from Richard Sanders).
50
Other times I create with props in hand, slowly trying to arrive
at a more direct route to the imagined goal.
I often have an effect in mind and work towards it, but even as
I do, I always try to stay open to exciting detours along the
way.
51
WONDER AND EMOTION
“When I play from my mind I get in trouble.” Stevie Ray Vaughan
52
HOW DID YOU DO THAT?
“Play well, or play badly, but play truly.” – Constantine
Stanislavsky
The reply, "Years of practice" plays all too well into the popular
misconception among both magicians and laypeople that the
art of magic can be reduced to manual technique.
53
Mindful repetition is all that is required, and to suggest that the
"how" of a magic performance is the "moves" is not so very
different from asking Van Gogh, "How did you do that?" and
him replying, "With a paint brush."
I dislike the first two replies, but to me, "By magic" is the most
reprehensible. How many times must we hear people say, "I
wish I had brought the kids!" before we clue into the fact that
the reason many people view magicians primarily as children's
entertainers is because too many magicians treat people like
children and act like children themselves!
54
ANY EFFECT IS POSSIBLE
“There is no reality except the one contained within us.”
Hermann Hesse
After all, effects occur in the minds of your audience and given
the profound susceptibility and malleability of the human
mind, any effect IS possible.
55
CYNICISM, CONFUSION AND EGO
“We can be absolutely certain only about things we do not
understand.” – Eric Hoffer
Cynicism on either side of the deck of cards may not doom the
exchange, but it cannot help but severely limit it, especially on
emotional levels. To combat this deadly enemy, the magician
must nurture his faith in magic as a profound catalyst for
transformation.
56
Respect and revere our craft, but introduce yourself to your
audience with a love of magic uppermost. More than anything
else, that love will combat the cynicism, anxiety and fear often
evoked by a magician suddenly appearing in the midst of a
surprised group of people.
57
Often, this is due to an overly involved effect, unconvincing
technique (acting, script or sleights) or poor routining. An
example of the latter would be when a performer opens with
his or her strongest effect and then goes on to perform three or
four more routines, each less impressive than the last.
58
FOR MY NEXT TRICK
“The only thing that keeps the audience in their seats is
wondering what’s going to happen next.” – David Mamet
As you put your coins back in the purse, gather up the four aces
or take a prop out of your case, what happens between your
effects? As magicians, we tend to spend a lot more time
thinking about the effects themselves rather than the time
between our effects, and yet these transitional moments are at
least as important as the moments during an effect.
59
And as for the middle of an effect, so long as the routine is not
overly long and the performer is adept at building tension and
expectation, an audience will seldom disconnect halfway
through. Which leaves the time in between your effects as the
moments when people’s focus is most likely to wander.
60
For example, having just finished a card effect, you could turn
to one spectator and say, "I know what you're thinking. You
wouldn't want to play cards with me, right? Actually, I gotta
admit, I'm pretty good at finding the four Aces . . . " and there
you are, segueing into another effect.
Apart from using your script, there are many other ways to
create an effective transition.
Just as the final shock of a coin routine is beginning to
dissipate, you could pick up one of the coins, give it a squeeze
and change it into a sponge ball. This immediately creates fresh
interest and neatly transports the audience into another
routine.
61
Of course, given that you are striving for seamless transitions
and a steady build, an audience does not experience the best
performances as a collection of effects but rather one powerful
effect.
If asked, they could break the experience down into, "He did
this, and then this happened, and then this . . . " but when they
later say, "That guy was astounding," they are referring to the
overall experience. They are not distinguishing between you,
your effects and their experience.
62
AUDIENCE FEEDBACK
“The theater is not a place where one should go to forget, but
rather a place where one should go to remember.” – David
Mamet
The question is: do you want that feedback? Really? Are you
sure you would not rather just stick to your effects and your
fantasy of being “a great magician?”
63
We have all had an audience going crazy for our magic; then
suddenly a spectator grabs our wrist, turns it over and reveals
a coin in Classic Palm. It sucks. The circus has definitely left
town and it is starting to rain.
64
THE OPPOSITE OF MAGIC
“The eye altering, alters all.” - William Blake
Have you ever wondered what the opposite of magic might be?
We are often so steeped in givens and assumptions about our
craft that I suspect we lose sight of what exactly it is we are
trying to achieve, especially regarding our audiences.
65
One theory is that they are disowned parts of ourselves,
aspects of our personalities that -for some reason- we rejected
during our formative years.
66
SIMPLICITY
“Good things, when short, are twice as good.” Baltasar Gracian
67
In asking about the prices of the two, he was surprised to
discover that the simple design cost three times as much as the
ornate one.
"You see," said the clerk, "with the ornate design, any tiny flaws
can be concealed within the pattern of lines and grooves, while
with the extremely simple design there is no place to hide any
such flaws. It must be perfect, and requiring a greater degree of
craftsmanship, it costs more."
68
THE EMOTIONAL CAMERA
“An editor can make a movie where the director has failed.” Ian
Rankin
Early on in this process, as you ask yourself, "What are the key
images of the effect?" also ask yourself, "What are the feelings I
am trying to inspire/explore?"
69
The order of these revelations profoundly influences the
audience's experience and creation of the effect. And
considering the subjectivity of their involvement, the word
"creation" is accurate.
70
THE IMPERFECT THEORY
“Slight not what’s near through aiming at what’s far.” - Euripides
With this in mind, I would like to humbly suggest that the "Too
Perfect Theory" should now and forever be referred to as the
"Imperfect Theory” (I will not hold my breath waiting for this
shift of labels).
71
Assuming the card is unsigned and a duplicate is involved, the
physics of the routine do not require the magician to ever
touch the matchbox.
72
THE APPROACH
“The true adventurer goes forth aimless and uncalculating to
meet and greet unknown fate.” -O. Henry
Then I walk up, introduce myself, shake a hand or two and tell
them I am a magician who has "been asked to walk around and
show everyone a quick trick."
73
For over twenty years, this kind of introduction has served me
well in the smoke-filled trenches as a professional walk-around
magician, but it nonetheless has at least one serious
disadvantage.
74
Actually, unlike many professionals I have chatted with, I quite
enjoy performing for individuals sitting alone at a table or
perhaps on a couch at a cocktail party situation, though of
course it presents its own unique interpersonal performance
challenges.
A lot like two strangers standing alone at a bus stop, this is one
of the few situations where I may even sit down while working,
just to encourage this sense of the two of us being alone and on
the "same level."
75
INSPIRING HUMILITY
“Angels can fly because they take themselves so lightly.” G.K.
Chesterton
76
A person may not need to be humble in order to enjoy the
experience of magic, but being in touch with a sense of our
humility creates a significantly more receptive state of mind,
which in turn can only benefit the magic experience. And of
course, the best way for performers to inspire humility in their
audiences is to convey a strong sense of humility themselves.
77
THE WONDER OF WIT
“Everyone likes a kidder, but nobody lends him money.” – Arthur
Miller
78
To not only say sparkling, funny things, but to even run the risk
of offending, then instead charm, now that is a thrill!
Improvising is magic and juggling combined, and much of its
strength lies in its ability to reveal new truths.
For this reason, the first few witty comments I make in front of
a new audience tend to be gently self-deprecating. I will often
ask someone if I look like a magician, to which they often reply,
"No." In response,
79
Take it as a sign that you trust that they are a secure enough
person to not take it “the wrong way.” But of course, choosing
the right people to joke with and choosing the right joke is
everything. Learning this takes years of performing for "real
people" on a regular basis.
80
CLASSIC AUDIENCE MEMBERS
“Man has four faces. The one he shows to the world, the one he
shows to his friends, the one he shows to those he truly holds
dear, and the real one.” – Charles Fourier
First there is The Shy Person. More often a woman than a man,
when you introduce yourself to the group you get the distinct
impression that she wishes a hole would suddenly open in the
floor and she could jump inside.
You can still enjoy the show from over there." After gently
watering this person over several minutes, if you get a sense
that she is relaxed and would perhaps even like to get more
actively involved, have her play a minor part in an effect.
Remember, she is already stretching.
81
The next classic audience is Mr. Loud, and yes, he is more often
a man than a woman. The behavior of both The Shy Person and
Mr. Loud often stem from the same emotion: discomfort. Mr.
Loud is forever making "funny" comments and is in a big rush
to be as involved as possible. He wants to be the one to pick the
cards, polish the Dove Pan and grease the needle for Needle
Through the Balloon.
I suggest you give him Mr. Loud a little attention, joke around
with him for a moment or two, and hopefully that will do the
trick so that when you turn your attention to someone else, Mr.
Loud has a chance to get control of his emotions, and in doing
so, no longer needs to try to control the situation.
82
Whenever I encounter a know-it-all, I also always make a point
to immediately perform one of my most powerful effects, but I
do not get the know-it-all directly involved.
But this does not always work. In such cases I adopt a "script
within a script." While continuing to share my magic with other
people in the group, the next time the know-it-all offers a
theory, I draw everyone else's attention to whatever I am
holding in my hands and then take the opportunity to look the
Know-It-All straight in the eyes.
83
This character's insistence on relating to magic on a strictly
intellectual level may also be an attempt to emotionally
distance himself from the proceedings, which of course, is his
prerogative.
As for the Drunk Flirt (or the sober flirt for that matter) I will
either gently ignore her or him or flirt back in a way that
clearly communicates to everyone present, "Okay, I'll play
along. But that's all it is, play."
84
For me, the most challenging of the classic audience characters
is the Jerk. Both men and women can play this part, drunk or
sober.
This is the spectator with malicious intent, the one who really
just wants to screw things up for you and make you look like
"the fool." As always, the best way to deal with conflict is to try
to make sure it does not come up in the first place.
These are precisely the traits that coax the jerk to come out
swinging. When he does, there is no way to subtly handle this
character type.
85
I will either perform one of my most powerful close-up effects
(for example, my folded card in paperclip routine) or send a
few quick one-liners towards the jerk, nothing too harsh or
designed to humiliate, but a few witty comments to let him
know that if he is going to take a run at me, I'm going to shut
him down.
In this instance, you may mistake a guy who just needed a tiny
bit more attention with a hardcore Jerk. Ignoring a jerk will
seldom work, but it may be worth a try for a minute or two.
Maybe you can get through two quick effects and move on to
another group.
86
Mind you, if you would like to take a break for a few minutes
during a long evening of performing, it may not be such a bad
idea to let him show you a trick in some relatively private
corner of the performing area.
87
At the same time, give yourself the opportunity to be watered
and really appreciated for your talent and hard work. Such
chances do not come every day and you have an obligation to
your creative self to make the very most of them.
88
PERFORMING NEW MATERIAL
“The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make
anything.” – William Connor Magee
When should you perform a new effect? The same day you
bought it at the magic shop in order to get an immediate sense
of the routine's impact?
I believe magicians often try out a new effect either too soon or
too late.
89
With all that in mind, my advice is to spend no more than a
couple of weeks diligently practicing the required sleights,
rehearsing the entire effect and developing a rough idea of
your script. Then start performing it for real people.
Even if the first few times you perform the effect it leaves your
audiences cold, do not give up just yet. Stick with it at least a
little while longer, if only to be absolutely sure that you are not
able to make the routine work for you at this time.
90
I tend to try out new material for couples instead of individuals
or large groups. I want to see how more than one person
responds to it (increasing my feedback information), but I do
not want to leave too many people utterly un-amazed if the
effect "bombs."
91
RHYTHM
"It does not matter how fast or slow you go. Just don't stop." -
Confucius
How long after the climax of a previous effect do you begin the
introductory comments or actions of the next effect? How do
your hands move in relationship to your audience, your body
and even each other?
92
And inversely how, when you say something very quickly or
try to "get away" with a move by executing it with great speed,
an entirely different message is sent to the crowd.
93
VULGAR MAGIC
“Audacity, more audacity, and always audacity!” – George
Jacques Danton
Even the so-called "bad boys of magic" Penn & Teller perform
decidedly traditional effects combined with deliberately
outrageous stunts and bits of business.
94
We can all name magicians whose work we find uninteresting,
but can you name a performer whose magic you actually take
exception with? Magic that you find offensive? What would
such magic even look like?
One of the paradoxes of our craft is that those with the most
performing experience are often the least creative among us,
i.e., full-time professionals.
In fact, more often than not they achieve all that experience by
not taking creative chances, once again, the exact opposite of
most of the successful work done in other arts.
All too often, magic professionals cite, "I have to pay the rent"
as to why they stick so closely to woefully traditional routines
and presentations.
95
WHOSE MAGIC IS IT?
“The music is the most important thing. The guitar is only the
instrument.” - Jerry Garcia
Does the magic that occurs during your show belong to the
audience? If so, do you reveal their own magic to them or do
you inspire them to express it?
Where does the magic you perform come from? Unless you are
a member of the school of Voodoo Romance Storytelling (Ooga
Booga 101), your answers to these questions will not appear in
your scripting, but be more a matter of theatrical subtext.
96
One moment I am "demonstrating," the next I am "guiding,"
and the next moment I am acting like I had nothing whatsoever
to do with the magic.
97
LEARNING FROM MIME
“The poet is the priest of the invisible.” – Wallace Stevens
98
TRUTH AND CREDIBILITY
“You can’t make a living from telling the truth.” – Ian Sansom
Of course, ideas or statements that are true are also very often
credible, but there are plenty of true statements that are
incredible, just as there are plenty of lies that are credible.
What does all of this have to do with magic?
99
Then he politely asks the people sitting at the table, "Excuse
me. Did anyone lose a black pocketknife? No? How about a . . .
white pocketknife."
After the first change, he goes into the full routine from there,
an ingenious “fit” for the situation, audience, performer and
routine.
100
MINIMUM EFFORT
“The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be.” Bruce
Lee
For over fifteen years I held the deck too tightly. I could still
perform strong card magic, but it was not until I was in my
sixteenth year as a student of sleight-of-hand that I finally felt
my grip relax.
101
For the very first time since I began exploring card technique,
it did not feel so much like I was executing the move as I was
coaxing or even inspiring the cards themselves to perform the
move.
It may sound a little surreal and certainly very Zen, but it was
as if my hands had finally stopped trying to impose their will
and "make" things happen, and instead, were flowing in a less
stressful direction as a result of a new relationship with the
objects.
102
It takes the time it takes. You will undoubtedly experience your
own unique breakthroughs when it is time and not a moment
before.
103
PERFORMER AS PRODUCT
“Advertising may be described as the science of arresting human
intelligence long enough to get money from it.” – Stephen
Leacock
104
This kind of commitment phobia results from imagining
dozens of doors closing rather than focusing on the handful of
doors that will swing wide open if only we will have the
courage to market ourselves in a decisive fashion.
Then comes desire, the fuel behind action. People only reach
toward a thing or try to make it happen if it is something they
desire. Without desire, they will not act. And action is the end
goal of the entire process.
105
Another powerful idea I learned during my days in advertising
is something called the "unique selling point" (often referred to
as the USP). This is especially relevant to the marketing of
performers in an industry where "brand loyalty" is very weak.
You have many unique qualities; you just have to shift your
perspective! Do not just consider obvious things like your
"look" and performance style. Instead, sit down and write out
everything you can think about yourself. Your age, educational
background, employment history, cultural background,
everything!
106
If you have three children, consider promoting yourself to the
birthday party market as "the magician with kids of his own."
107
WHAT IS THE MAGIC ABOUT?
“Houdini’s first magic act was called ‘Metamorphosis.’ It was
never just a question of escape. It was also a question of
transformation.” – Michael Chabon
"I slipped your signed card in the center of the pack, but now it
is in my pocket. Watch carefully. I'll do it again." To avoid this
kind of redundant, uncreative and dull scripting and at the
same time present a script that is truly relevant to the effect, it
is always a good idea to ask yourself, "What's the effect about?"
108
Establishing what a routine is “about" is also one of the best
ways to bring your own creativity to the routine because it
requires you to interpret the happenings for yourself, then
share your interpretation with your audience.
109
ENTHUSIASM
“Unless I feel something, I can’t sing.” Billie Holiday
110
FEWER WORDS, MORE MAGIC
“Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don’t claim
them. Feel the artistry moving through and be silent.” – Rumi
Have you ever noticed how the longer you perform an effect
the shorter the verbal presentation becomes? Of course, this is
not always the case, especially for performers who do magic
mostly to have an opportunity to talk with people (or perhaps
just at them).
But generally speaking, I have found that most scripts are far
more likely to be too long than too short. This is why editing is
so very important.
111
When scripting an effect, I always ask myself about editing and
replacing. By editing I mean, "Does this sentence or word really
need to be said? Does it add to the proceedings?"
112
SECRECY IS FEAR
“Without courage wisdom bears no fruit.” – Baltasar Gracian
113
This secrecy is no true brotherhood nor measure of artistry,
and the mechanics we are in such a rush to keep hidden have
nothing to do with what makes what we do an art.
Too many magicians are afraid that, "if we give away the
secrets we'll have nothing left!" The secrets are among the
least artistic and most impersonal aspects of our craft.
But of course, if all you have are the secrets, if you have not
honed your skills, tended the love of your craft, developed your
performance character or nurtured your creativity, then you
may have nothing other than secrets.
114
Callous and exploitive acts of exposure are no better than the
toy collectors who buy tricks, practice them twice, perform
them once and call themselves "magicians." Instead of ignoble
exposure, why not try to rise to the challenge of education?
The blood flowing through the veins of the art of magic does
not consist of the small material secrets behind a parade of
tricks. Its blood consists of far more profound stuff, and it is
these immaterial aspects that we would do well to share with
our audiences in an unprecedented fashion.
We have kept both the bath water and the baby locked away in
the closet for too long. Let us share the beautiful baby and let
the dark stale bath water drain away.
115
THE ART OF PRACTICE
“Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to the smallest acts.
This is the secret of success.” – Swami Sivananda
116
INSIDE OUT/OUTSIDE IN
“The function of the imagination is not to make strange things
settled, so much as to make settled things strange.” – G.K.
Chesterton
117
We perform strange events with everyday objects and
sometimes even perform strange events with strange objects.
118
SUSPENDING DISBELIEF
“Human kind cannot bear too much reality.” T.S. Eliot
They believe the card you removed from the pack was not their
selected card. And a moment later, when you revealed that you
were now holding their selection, they believe that it actually is
the same card you held a moment before.
119
If you present yourself as a person who truly performs magic,
not only are you a small-minded liar, you run a serious risk of
being unbelievable.
120
RESPONDING
“The most important thing I look for in a musician is whether he
knows how to listen.” Duke Ellington
This is particularly the case if you are aware that many people
in the audience also took note of the potential distraction.
121
Stand-up comics sometimes refer to it as, "calling the
situation," and rather than sidetracking your performance it is
actually one of the most effective ways of diffusing a potential
focus breaker.
122
PARADE OF CHARACTERS
“Variety is the soul of pleasure.” – Aphra Behn
There are many ways we can go about changing this, but I very
much doubt that any of us are going to chuck all our
presentations and store-bought tricks in the trash and start
over from a perspective of, "What are people's real concerns?
What do they care about?"
123
The second kind of character (with a lower-case "c") is still an
actor, but more subtle and toned down. Most experienced
professional magicians are aware of how, just before they
begin a performance, there is a shift in their energy.
And how, even just a few minutes into the show, this shift is
expressed in the different way in which they move, speak and
interact with their audience.
124
With one foot in the everyday and the other in the surreal and
unpredictable, such a contrast is the ideal breeding ground for
a fascinating array of truly eclectic personas.
125
MIRRORING
“My left hand tends to want to play straight-up melodies. My
right hand wants to play too many notes. Somewhere in between
it all comes together.” -Bill Kirchen
When you gesture for a few beats with both hands so that they
rightly mirror each other there is a lulling quality to the action,
a kind of visual balancing of things, such that you can perform
actions that would normally spark suspicion if the hands
moved independently of each other.
After a few beats I slip them out of my pockets, each hand again
mirroring each other, and I straighten up (the coin now palmed
in my right hand). I will even adopt the same approach when
switching decks or ditching a palmed object after an effect.
126
To further appreciate how effective this technique can be, try
slipping just one of your hands into a pocket or gesturing with
one hand while the other remains at your side.
You will find that the individual hand in motion will attract a
fair bit of attention. Of course, gesturing with only one hand
can be a very powerful means of directing the audience's
attention, but during moments when you are more interested
in diffusing focus rather than directing attention, be sure to
explore the mirroring technique.
127
TAKING IT PERSONALLY
"Don't wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty but the pig likes it." -
Traditional Saying
But I admit, it always hurts my feelings a tiny bit and for just a
moment, it leaves me feeling annoyed, misunderstood and a
little embarrassed. Also, a little like a failure.
128
It’s as if the reason they were not interested in my magic is
because I failed to charm them with my intro and it is all my
fault.
Over twelve years ago, when I was just starting out as a stand-
up comic, I performed in this decidedly rough bar.
I had long run out of even my B-grade material and had spent
the last ten minutes stumbling through some stream-of-
consciousness stuff, trying to find something, anything the
surly crowd might find even vaguely amusing.
129
When I finally limped off stage, shell-shocked and covered in
sweat, a kind-hearted veteran comic took me aside and gave
me this very wise advice, "Instead of scrambling to try to
please the audience, stick to what you do, to what you enjoy.
The best you can hope to do is hang your sign straight. Do what
you do, as best as you can, and the audience will either enjoy it
or they won't.” Inspiring words.
130
MULTIPLE CLIMAXES
“In my beginnings, is my end.” - T.S. Eliot
This not only waters down the first surprise, it can even result
in confusion simply because the audience was not allowed the
necessary time to fully appreciate the first climax.
131
Even when the performer gives the first climax enough time to
register with the spectators/participants, there is still the issue
of the degree to which the magician himself commits to the
first surprise. So this is not just a matter of timing, but also
energy and focus.
132
VIVID LANGUAGE
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” –
Ludwig Wittgenstein
But when you take a moment to step back and really consider
such popular phrases as, "Pick a card," "Watch carefully," and
"Please hold onto this," they seem strikingly dull, even robotic.
133
We have spent far too long pretending to be friendly, polite,
tidy, emotionally repressed "vanilla performers!") But the hitch
is that a rather brusque, rude persona would be a very hard
"sell" in many corporate environments. It also may not suit
you.
Mind you, most of us employ a variety of languages depending
upon context, so the question remains, "How can I develop a
language specifically suited to the performance of magic?"
134
What do I mean by “emotional language?” Professional actors
are of course able to say pretty much anything and imbue their
words with a range of emotions.
"Pick a card."
135
In stand-up comedy, I learned the simple rule of thumb that, if
you do not talk a certain way offstage, you probably should not
talk that way onstage.
There are plenty of exceptions to this rule, but unless you are a
trained actor, you would do well to stick to your own everyday
language. When performing be sure to make the very most of
your language!
If you stick with language that suits you, your audience will
experience you as natural and authentic, two of the most
powerful allies in theatre.
136
Make explicit reference to whatever is around you, including
the people, the performance space, your props and yourself.
The more you do that, the more you "ground" your magic in the
here and now, and the more powerful it will be as a result.
137
Many of my scripting preferences reflect my experience as a
close-up magician and may well be less applicable to stage
magic.
138
Thanks to such verbal framing, the selection has moved from
the physical plane (peeking at a card) to the immaterial
(thinking of a card).
What you say before, during and after a routine should not
only support the proceedings, but also subtly frame the events
so as to gently coax the audience towards a maximum magic
interpretation.
A little less time working on that nifty flourish and a little more
time thinking about what you want to say and how you want to
say it will yield amazing results
139
THE NATURAL
“It is a great ability to be able to conceal one’s ability.” – La
Rochefoucauld
140
Ultimately, when we refer to an action performed by a
magician as "natural," we mean that it suits him, seems second
nature and appears to be organic rather than contrived. But the
question still remains, "What is it about naturalness that is so
desirable for a magician?"
And assuming that what is natural for you is natural for your
audience, the chances are very good that by acting naturally
your audience will also be able to relate to what you are doing.
141
EXPRESSING AND COMMUNICATING
“The real work involves unleashing the things within you, and
repressing the things that you don’t need.” Daniel Day-Lewis
Not that you need craft to express yourself any more than a
dog needs training to bark or an infant needs to be taught to
cry when hungry. But to effectively communicate requires a
dramatic shift in intention.
142
While expressing deals with the relationship between what
you feel and what you do, communicating is about what you
feel and how you want others to understand you.
143
SUSPICION
“To him who is afraid everything rustles.” – Sophocles
The spell is broken, and even if, a moment later, the steady
train of the song finds its way back onto the tracks of the
original melody, the disquieting experience lingers. Suspicion
is like this.
144
MIND OVER MATTER
“Five senses; an incurably abstract intellect; a haphazardly
selective memory. How much of total reality can such an
apparatus let through?” C.S. Lewis
145
Yet, with the right psychology and theatrical direction, you can
leave the audience with the impression that you never even
picked up the pack. This is the power of mind over matter.
146
WHAT IS A NARRATIVE?
“You can’t make a living from telling the truth.” – Ian Sansom
147
One camp is filled with performers who are forever struggling
to saddle every gesture and phase of a routine with an ornate
"meaningful script” resulting in entire repertoires of contrived,
dull, long-winded and even laughable presentations, e.g., "The
Jack of Hearts was down on his luck so he asked his drinking
buddy the Two of Clubs for advice."
Share something that is real and vital for you through the
effect. Without this, we are little more than wind-up toys in top
hats. “Pick a card, pick a card, pick a card . . . "
148
MAGIC AND MENTALISM
“Consistency is contrary to nature, contrary to life. The only
completely consistent people are the dead.” – Aldous Huxley
Think of the archetype of Merlin the Magician. Can you see him
waving a wand over a cauldron causing sparks to burst forth?
How about changing a stone into a frog? And finally, can you
imagine him revealing another person’s thoughts or foretelling
an event? For me, all of these abilities are from the same
family, especially as embodied in a character such as Merlin.
149
If you perform a number of flourishes with a pack of cards,
then have someone select a card, return it to the pack and
announce that you will find the card with "mind reading," you
may be pushing your luck.
This works nicely in that it moves from the sensual and public
(a selected card everyone sees) to the more abstract and
private (a thought-of number).
150
That way, you and your audience have a chance to develop a
bit of trust and comfort through the visual and tactile before
steering the collective boat into more implicit waters.
151
VULNERABILITY
“The English language with its elaborate generosity,
distinguishes between the naked and the nude. To be naked is to
be deprived of our clothes and the word implies some of the
embarrassment which most of us feel in that condition. The word
nude, on the other hand, carries, in educated usage, no
uncomfortable overtone. The vague image it projects into the
mind is not of a huddled and defenseless body, but of a balanced,
prosperous and confident body.” - Kenneth Clark
“Fear can give you an extraordinary energy. Don’t refuse it: learn
to employ it. Try to turn it into its positive form: theatrical
excitement.” – Yoshi Oida
152
Because for the uninspired there is a very serious risk of losing
the audience and quickly finding yourself panicked and
frantically trying to regain that all-important connection.
153
How can you do this while maintaining focus, rhythm and
character? That is the question. Then again, how do jazz
musicians go off on a melodic tangent, yet never lose touch
with the initial or underlying groove?
154
CHOOSING A SPECTATOR
“Close-ups make us anxious about things.” – Jean Luc Goddard
You are at a large, elegant cocktail party. About 200 people are
standing around dressed in their finery. You walk up to a
cluster of six people, three men and three women.
155
Another important factor is availability. If two of the people
seem engrossed in a conversation, or if someone is holding a
drink in one hand and three slices of pizza in the other, or even
if an enthusiastic person is seated at the far end of a large table,
they may well be less available to assist with an effect.
I have found that people who are secure about who they are
tend to be receptive to new experiences and able to make
emotional investments without a great deal of reassurance and
explanation. These qualities make for consistently wonderful
assistants.
156
UNDER AND OVER PROVING
“In the theater the audience wants to be surprised – but by
things that they expect.” – Tristan Bernard
If you remove a pack of cards from a card case and then a few
minutes later cause a sponge ball to appear inside the case, if
you never gave the audience the opportunity to peer inside, I
would deem that as an instance of under proving.
157
Unlike adults who tend to stay extremely close to what they
find familiar and "well known," children spend much of their
time being reminded that there is in fact a lot they do not
know.
158
HOW DO YOU FEEL?
“Seeing’s believing, but feeling’s the truth.” Thomas Fuller
So the big question is: how do you feel about what you are
performing? Excited? Bored? Uncertain? Practice your sleights
and rehearse your handlings, but be sure to also put some
work into exploring and developing your feelings about each
effect.
159
There is nothing wrong with being a presenter, but if you are
to be the best presenter you can be it is crucial to be aware of
yourself as a presenter rather than an actor.
This awareness and acceptance is one of the ultimate keys to
artistic empowerment.
They do not really care if we find their cards and they do not
really care if we make coins vanish and they do not even care
(that much) if we burn their twenty dollar bills. They know
everything will work out fine because "magicians are all really
just fun and games, right?"
If this is how you want your work perceived, fine. But it is most
definitely not how I want my work to be viewed.
160
FEAR AND THE SUDDEN AUDIENCE
“The only opponent is within.” – Samurai Expression
161
As an experienced guide you know the many trails, each with
its own charms, but how far you travel together and how much
fun you have on the journey will be almost completely
determined by the audience's willingness. You must earn their
trust every step of the way.
Fear that you will make them look and/or feel gullible and
unintelligent by "fooling them," i.e., make them look like fools.
Fear that if they lower their guards and play along, you will
embarrass them.
You would also do well to keep in mind that when you ask a
member of the audience to play a part in creating an effect,
they are doing so in front of their peers.
162
Do you remember how you felt the first time you performed
magic in front of your family or friends?
163
POWER
"Power is the great aphrodisiac.” – Henry A. Kissinger
At the same time, it cuts off the performer from being involved
in precisely the kind of spontaneous, trusting exchange that
raises the show above a level of mere "tricks."
164
While a yearning for power over his audience inevitably
enslaves the magician to the approval of his audience, a
passion for sharing frees the performer to practice his art on
his own terms.
165
THE MYSTERIOUS AND THE HUMOROUS
“All human knowledge takes the form of interpretation.” –
Walter Benjamin
But how does one distinguish between the moments you want
the audience to laugh and the moments you want them to feel
awe? Of course, many "comic magicians" attempt to marry the
two, but this can be extremely difficult.
166
While a magic show requires the audience to believe, many
gags and jokes actually require the audience to disbelieve.
167
It seems to me that to inspire awe and wonder (as opposed to
"That’s a neat trick!”) you have to appear to take what you do
seriously. Not overly seriously, but with some degree of
seriousness, if only during the key magic moments.
I love magic and have the greatest respect for it, though I do
understand that because many people find magic and
magicians threatening, they are the perfect grist for the
comedy mill.
168
BECOMING A BETTER MAGICIAN
“Practice and opportunity very soon teach the language of art.” –
William Blake
169
CONTROL AND TRUST
“Keep your hands open, and all the sands of the desert can pass
through them. Close them, and all you can feel is a bit of grit.” –
Taisen Deshimaru
Of course, smoke, mirrors and telling lie after lie rarely quells
this longing, so more than a few magicians become cynical. In
the end, instead of nurturing an appreciative relationship with
magic and striving to understand it like a lover, these
disappointed souls often end up using magic like a blow-up
doll.
170
I feel most comfortable (read "most safe") when I am in
control, not just of my own words and actions, but also of the
information others glean from my words and actions.
There is part of me that even attempts to control what people
feel about the information I carefully convey!
171
CIRCUIT PRACTICING
“Correct handling of flowers refines the personality.” –Bokuyo
Takeda
Rehearsal then adds meat and skin to the effect through the
addition of script and emotion. Finally, this fully fleshed-out,
but still sleeping creation is woken, only learning to walk
during live performances.
172
There are few things I enjoy more than sitting down and
spending time practicing, especially if I am learning a new
sleight in the “practice set.”
173
PURGE YOUR PUZZLES
“Cleverness is serviceable for everything, sufficient for nothing.” –
Henri-Frédéric Amiel
Do you know how I did it?" and in that moment my mind took
two small and unenthusiastic steps towards the postulating of
possible methods for what I had just witnessed ("Crimped
card, Si Stebbins with a peek . . . ").
Then my brain just stopped dead and muttered to itself, "I just
don't care." It was a lifeless puzzle.
174
Mysteries on the other hand, resonate with implicit far-
reaching values and meaning. Rather than an end in
themselves, they are a means to a fuller appreciation of the
hidden relationships in the world.
175
One of the reasons many people find reading a novel more
enjoyable than later watching a movie based on the same book
is because the printed word leaves room for the reader to
make every character and scene his own.
176
MAGICIAN, CLOWN, PRIEST
“He who confronts the paradoxical exposes himself to reality.” –
Friedrich Durrenmatt
177
But when I am "on," the humor serves as a kind of set-up and
the magic the punch line. I am a natural salesperson and I
sometimes run the risk of overselling the magic, so the humor
can be a great way to take a bit of the edge off.
At the same time, my comedy can get a little too aggressive for
a beat or two, crossing the line from cheeky to rude, and in
those moments the magic dissolves any tension.
When people take it too much to heart and get a little too
disoriented or excited, I feel invisible. I feel like they are no
longer with me and are caught up in an emotional loop inside
themselves.
As for the archetypal role of “the priest,” I am not sure how this
may or may not develop in my life over the coming years. Yet
another mystery which will reveal itself in its own sweet time.
178
WHICH DIRECTION?
“The audience is the true mirror.” – Yoshi Oida
179
Instead of being intent on concealing, adopt an attitude of
revealing. This changes everything.
To wave your left hand to distract the audience from your right
hand (as you execute a One Hand Top Palm) is very different
from waving your left hand in order to create a magic moment
and, at the same time, intelligently structuring your handling
so that you may take the opportunity to palm off a card in your
right hand.
180
MAGIC AND THE MAGICAL
“Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.”
– Aesop
When you sit in a movie theatre and during the movie someone
is killed in a car accident, you might think to yourself, "Very
realistic."
But if, when driving home from the movie, you pass a car
accident and get a brief glimpse of someone lying on a
stretcher being loaded into an ambulance, you are not going to
think to yourself, "Very realistic," because you experience it as
real. It is not like the real.
181
Again, they are stylistic choices, but you can never remove the
audience's beliefs from the equation because to be a magician
is to be experienced as being a magician. For this, you must
fulfill a variety of subtle conditions of belief.
182
Or rather, they understand only too well what has happened,
but cannot even begin to fathom how it happened.
183
SANDING
“No house should ever be on a hill. It should be of the hill. Belong
to it.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
Note that, just as sanding not only removes bumps and scuffs
from a wooden board, it also blends and feathers the remaining
elements together.
184
I also think about it when developing an individual move,
including the finger placements and the "size" of the overall
gesture.
185
THOSE WHO WILL RESIST
“Men are more unwilling to have their weaknesses and
imperfections known than their crimes.” – Lord Chesterfield
This may seem like a silly question, but there are more than a
few magicians who are quite happy with the present state of
affairs.
186
Then there is the magician who on some unconscious level
realizes that he is a very bad magician. He has no interest in
practicing, is forever making a muddle of effects and is more
than a little relieved that people know as little about magic as
they do.
Despite the fact that they usually employ the most traditional
of magic methods, they actually have more in common with
snake oil salesmen and faithless televangelists.
187
However, these foes of magic's progress, these used car
salesmen of the theatre, will not be easily defeated because of
their all-too-predictable popularity with certain segments of
the general population.
These are but a few of the personalities hiding inside the magic
community who resist any attempt at nurturing a different
relationship to our craft and the general public. And make no
mistake.
188
LET THE AUDIENCE LEAD
“It is the spontaneous involvement of the spectator’s own senses
that enables the magician to create his illusions.” – David Abram
These are often the same magicians who are less interested in
mechanized exchanges ("Not that hand, the clean hand. Oh,
that was the clean hand!”) and are more interested in organic
interplay which, if not without goals, is at least somewhat free-
flowing.
The braver of us (and that sure as heck does not always include
me) want a real response to what they do and want to respond
authentically in kind.
189
But let us take it a step further. Rather than spending any more
time discussing the virtues of those magicians emotionally
open to spontaneous feedback, what about those even rarer
citizens of the magic community who occasionally let go of the
steering wheel altogether and let the audience drive.
Nothing changes the fact that you are the one onstage. You are
the headliner, the "entertainment" and the artist. It all rests on
your shoulders. But such magicians understand that they
cannot take the audience anywhere the audience does not
want to go.
190
The performer and the audience share the power and, in fact,
these wise and seasoned practitioners understand that nothing
excites and impresses an audience more than a sense that they
have a definite say in the proceedings and that they are able to
dramatically influence the tone, rhythm and direction of the
show.
191
IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE
“When you practice, imagine that you are doing your exercises in
front of an audience. It suddenly becomes important that you
engage fully, and avoid sloppiness. In this way, the quality of
your work will improve, and the training will be genuinely
useful.” – Yoshi Oida
Such awareness comes and goes with the start and finish of
each performance, and its fleeting nature is precisely what
makes ours a performing art.
192
Just as Narcissus became obsessed with his own reflection in
the waters and eventually drowned, so too do some magicians
succumb to their practice mirrors and come to unconsciously
edit their own experience of their sleights, rendering them
virtually invisible. How? By blinking.
Over the years I have known more than a few magicians with
this self-deluding habit and based upon my experience at
recent conventions, I suspect their numbers are increasing.
193
THE MASTER IMAGINED
"Angels can fly because they take themselves so lightly.” -G.K.
Chesterton
During the show, you are nowhere else but there, participating
with all of you. Then when the show ends, it feels a little like a
spell has broken and as you come back down to earth you
experience a type of awe different than you felt during the
performance.
194
You are left with a memorable collection of impressions, but
one in particular stands out: the magician was wholly himself,
and that was no small part of the magic of being in his
presence.
195
SECRETS, UNDERSTANDING & WONDER
“Brain, n. An apparatus with which we think that we think.” –
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary
You turn your back and a moment later turn around holding
the solved puzzle. When they ask you, "How did you do it,"
(assuming they even care to know) and you refuse to share the
secret, they will not necessarily experience wonder.
196
IS THERE SUCH A THING AS A BAD TRICK?
“Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed.” – Francis Bacon
But there are good tricks and bad tricks, just as there are plots
with greater audience appeal, sleights that are better suited for
the majority of real-life performance situations and routines
that are structured more seductively than others.
197
And as for the critical issue of credibility, the human mind
believes an event happened only if the experience fulfills a
number of criteria and the more impossible-seeming the event,
the more stringent the criteria. Some routines fulfill these
criteria. Many do not.
198
ARTICULATE HANDS
“The hands may almost be said to speak. Do we not use them to
demand, promise, summon, dismiss, threaten, supplicate, express
aversion or fear, question or deny? Do we not use them to
indicate joy, sorrow, hesitation, confession, penitence, measure,
quantity, number and time? Have they not the power to excite
and prohibit, to express approval, wonder or shame? Do they not
take the place of adverbs and pronouns when we point at places
and things? In fact, though the people and nations of the earth
speak in a multitude of tongues, they share in common the
universal language of hands.” – Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, XI,
3
The switch of the card held between the right thumb and first
two fingers and the card resting on top of the deck is
accomplished almost exclusively by the left thumb.
The thumb first pushes the card off the top of the deck so that
it slides beneath the right hand's card, then the left thumb pulls
the uppermost card back onto the pack.
199
This exchange happens as the left hand, holding the pack,
begins to move forward towards the spectator. I am typically
asking a question such as, "Was this your card?" (referring to
the card which was originally in the right hand) and as I
gesture towards the spectator, I extend my left first finger in a
casual pointing gesture.
200
As New Age as it undoubtedly sounds, there is no limit to the
power of striving to do each sleight with all of yourself. Think
of a painting as wide and as high as your eye can see, or
hearing a single tone go on and on with no sense of which
direction the sound is coming from.
But if you execute your sleights and deliver your script in such
a way that they express, not just a part of you, but all of you, in
that particular situation and at that particular point in time, the
result is a seamlessness that will inevitably inspire unblinking
belief.
With mindful and heartfelt practice you can give your hands a
voice. Two voices, actually. They have so much to say: "I am
empty," "I am holding a coin," "There is nothing to see over
here, but look, look what is happening over there," "The . . .
coin . . . has . . . vanished!" "Hello." "Hold on. Wait a second."
"Come closer." "What could be more fair?"
201
I have witnessed more than a few sleight-of-hand wizards who
left me with the strong impression that if their hands were
suddenly chopped off, the performer might fall to the floor in
shock, but the hands would continue to perform.
Give your hands a clear voice, the more articulate the better,
but they should never be more than supporting actors in the
play.
202
THE BEST TEACHER
"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear."- Zen
Buddhist expression
But you can learn so much more from your audience, especially
about the one thing none of those educational sources can:
how you are in front of spectators.
If you have both the desire and the courage to learn from your
audience, they will unconsciously guide you, not just to what
they enjoy, but to what is inherently powerful and important.
Of course, they can teach you a great deal about what is funny,
mystifying and moving, but each of these relatively small
lessons is only a single piece in the puzzle of an infinitely more
valuable set of lessons.
203
These are the lessons regarding why people believe what they
do and how they respond to events beyond their
understanding.
As you rattle off your patter and secretly obtain your pinky
break under the top two cards of the pack, do not merely look
at your audience. See them. See them for what they are, a
collection of utterly unique individuals graciously giving you
their time and attention.
204
Sense their excitement, impatience, astonishment, annoyance,
boredom, doubt, embarrassment, delight, confusion and
wonder.
I have done precisely that many times over the years due to the
fatigue, nerves, anger and frustration resulting from difficult
performance situations, dealing with rude people or even just
feeling burnt out after too many hours of performing.
However, the more often you can, the more you are going to
learn. An audience can teach you through their words, their
silences, their glances, their laughter, their surprise and of
course their applause.
205
Yet again, it comes down to brave, mindful sharing. Share your
clever words and your well thought-out effects, but in the
process, do not forget to share the most important thing you
have to offer: yourself.
206
RANDOM ACTS OF MAGIC
“I want your heart. If you want to learn something, go to school.”
– Stephen King
The light finally changes from red to green and you step off the
curb. At the exact same moment, the sky opens up and it starts
to pour.
207
What would it be like to witness such a patently unperformed
feat? No lame music, no corny lines. Not a smile or a wink. Just
magic which, for all you know only you witnessed.
208
SELF-EXPRESSION
“Don’t perform, express.” – David Mamet
209
For that, you need more than a new tuxedo and a large glittery
gizmo with well-oiled doors.
You need guts, desire and the courage to try something a little
more personal, even though you know it might be dismissed or
even laughed at.
210
STICK TO YOUR WEAKNESSES
“Natural abilities are like natural plants that need pruning by
study.” – Francis Bacon
211
Or if you only perform other magician's effects, spend some
time striving to develop your own handlings and effects. Such
enlightened efforts and courage of spirit will yield so much
more than continuing to exercise your already strong muscles.
212
CREATIVE PROMOTION
“Live by publicity, you’ll probably die by publicity.” – Russell
Baker
Put down those playing cards, close that magic book and shelve
all those videos sitting on top of the television. You know
enough tricks. Instead, grab a pad of paper and let us
brainstorm about promoting your services to your key decision
makers.
In the same way, you are not selling your magic to a company
appearing at an upcoming trade show. You are selling the idea
of increased sales.
You need a card that says, "I am very successful, I am not trying
too hard to impress you, I have a quiet, confident, personal
style and I am first and foremost a business person."
213
And cards printed on your home computer are definitely out.
They simply will not make the kind of impression you need to
make if you are serious about magic as a business.
Finally, get the card professionally designed and laid out. If you
are not prepared to spend at least a few hundred dollars on
your first batch of cards, wait until you can. Otherwise you will
just be throwing your money away.
214
Appearances matter, especially in show business. I suggest you
save up your money and splurge on the second best "head
shot/musicians/performers" photographer in town.
You do not need the very best. In this case, second best will
suffice. It will probably cost you between $500 and $1,000.
(Remember, many people borrow tens of thousands of dollars
to start a business). Do not be cheap! Invest in yourself!
215
REMINDER AND PROMISE
“Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible.” –
Paul Klee
216
In fact, one of the hallmarks of experiencing wonder is that,
because it has a way of dramatically expanding our perception,
it sparks thoughts and feelings of a less particular and more
universal nature.
Mixed with these feelings of surprise, joy and curiosity are also
often feelings of excitement and awe. Of course, surprises can
be quite exciting, but when we experience wonder, much of the
accompanying excitement is a response to the sudden rush of
possibilities wonder suggests.
After all, as the small and overly familiar walls of our everyday
consciousness crack, buckle and disappear in the wake of an
all-powerful wave of wonder, we commonly find ourselves in a
strange world.
217
CHOOSING MATERIAL
“Reality only reveals itself when it is illuminated by a ray of
poetry.” – Georges Braque
This may seem obvious to you, but all too many magicians are
blinded by their own love of an effect.
The first group of effects will polish your existing abilities and
nurture self-confidence, the second will encourage you to
stretch and grow, and the third will completely shift your focus
from sleights and routining to pure presentation.
218
Technically easy effects also tend to be simple and direct, and
the more you cultivate an understanding and appreciation of
these twin paragons of magic principles the better.
If you perform close-up, don't just stick with cards and coins.
Commit to learning effects with rubber bands, business cards,
borrowed bills, rings, sugar packets, cutlery and more.
219
THE PLAY'S THE THING
“Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow the
talent to the dark place where it leads.” - Erica Jong
220
IN SEARCH OF REAL MAGIC
“I have been a stranger in a strange land.” Exodus 2:22
What the heck am I getting at? I think maybe, just maybe, all
the sleights, clever words, audience interaction and self-
analysis have been a parade of much needed guides, security
blankets, training wheels, crutches, parables, echoes, canvases
and gymnasiums.
221
And as for the years spent in front of a mirror and in front of
responsive audiences, I feel as if only now I am beginning to get
a vague sense of what was staring back at me from the mirror
and the eyes of the audience all this time.
222
ENCOURAGING CO-CREATION
“The beautiful moments in theatre always come from a desire on
the part of artist and audience to live in the moment- to commit
themselves to time.” - David Mamet
223
Just as a hundred people may appreciate a painting hanging in
a gallery for a hundred different reasons, so too do members of
the audience appreciate a magic effect in a wide variety of
ways.
This is especially the case when they are encouraged, not just
to witness, but to take part. Unlike stage magic, by the end of a
close-up performance it is quite likely that you have exchanged
glances and words with every member of the audience.
Many of the people may have even held props and been
directly involved in the events. But this does not change the
fact that the effects you share with your audience consist of
elements and moments each member of your audience will
intellectually and emotionally assemble in their own way.
224
KNOWING AND FORGETTING
“We never do anything well until we cease to think about the
manner of doing it.” – William Hazlitt
225
You know how you sometimes feel before a performance? Part
nervousness and part something else? With a great deal of
experience the nervousness will subside, leaving you just with
that something else.
All too many experienced magi become jaded and no longer get
a kick out of performing magic.
226
EXPOSURE, APPRECIATION AND EDUCATION
“Only the educated are free.” – Epictetus
I love magic and would very much like the general public to be
able to appreciate it more than they are currently able to. I say
"able to" because, how can they appreciate something that they
know so little about?
227
Of course, by the end of the movie, not only has the truth been
revealed, but the greater honesty yields greater intimacy,
which in turn yields understanding and finally, true
appreciation. (Note that the instances where things do not play
out "happily ever after" are when it is revealed that the lover is
a thief or unfaithful.)
228
CLOTHING
“Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.” – Henry
David Thoreau
229
MAGICIAN VS. ENTERTAINER
“Acting is not about showing my presence or displaying my
technique. Rather, it is about revealing ‘something else,’
something that the audience doesn’t encounter in daily life.” –
Yoshi Oida
230
If the answer is the latter, you are not a magician. You are a
comic who also does a few tricks.
231
TENSION, EXPECTATION AND RELEASE
“The only thing that keeps the audience in their seat is
wondering, ‘What’s going to happen next?” – David Mamet
232
Or to put it more precisely, the audience experiences the
magician signaling that something important is just about to
occur. This tension inspires heightened focus, expectation,
curiosity and even wonder.
233
In the same way, to wave your hand over the pack then reach
down and turn the top card face up to reveal the selection is all
well and good.
This happens when the audience "gets ahead of the effect” and
the lifeblood of the performance, the audience's curiosity,
evaporates.
234
AN INVITATION TO WONDER
“I write by twiddling the strings into a different tuning. I throw it
open to the cosmos.” – Joni Mitchell
235
LARGER TRUTHS
“A work of art has an author and yet, when it is perfect, it has
something which is anonymous about it.” - Simone Weil
The first of a single card where there are two, the second of an
ease where great effort exists, and the third of a shadow (and
thus dimension) on a flat canvas.
Art is filled with illusions, deceptions, even lies. But what raises
many creations to the level of art is that they are small lies told
in the service of revealing larger truths.
236
ALL OF YOU
“When you do something you should burn yourself completely,
like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.” Shunryu Suzuki
I perform the Classic Pass with all of me, or at least I try to. Or
rather, that is the goal I hope to achieve without trying
(because trying has a way of impeding things).
You can even perform the same effect twice for the same
audience on the same day and they will nonetheless be two
very different experiences (and this is not simply due to the
audience having already seen that trick).
But how can you possibly perform a sleight with all of you and
at the very same moment deliver a script with all of you and
look into a spectator's eyes with all of you? That is a very good
question.
Perhaps it will help if you think of the sleight, the script and the
action of looking into a spectator's eyes as three clay bricks.
Just as you originally had to work on the script until it was
effortless, so too did you have to practice and polish the sleight.
237
Looking directly into the eyes of a stranger takes considerable
practice as well. And of course, if you actually have to think
about the sleight as you execute it, you have yet to master it.
You need to practice it some more. The same applies to the
words of your script and the glance.
You can begin this process anywhere in the mix. With the
words, the glance or the sleight. Make sure your finger
placement is correct, but do not stop there. Pay attention to
how smoothly your hands execute the sleight, but do not stop
there.
How do your arms feel during the sleight? Are your shoulders
relaxed? Consider how you want to hold your head, but do not
stop there. What do you want to communicate with your face
as you execute the move, say the words and meet the
spectator's gaze?
238
UNPRESENTATIONS
“How you play a note is just as important as what that note is.” –
Henry Kaiser
Then when you secretly switch the card for their selection, the
effect is devastating.
239
By gracefully slipping the information, perspective or even
attitude into the waters of their experience, almost without a
trace of its origins, the stone falls further and is unconsciously
embraced in a manner quite different than when the
information is "presented."
240
ENDING
“A good ending helps you find a good beginning.” - Yoshi Oida
And you will find, for your part, it is much better expressed
with the eyes and a smile than with words.
241
Finally, try in some way to acknowledge the fact that you have
all just shared special time together.
242
RE: CREATION
“When the chord changes, you should change.” - Joe Pass
But then it comes to the second, third and fourth show, and
what does the green comic do? The most natural thing in the
world. He attempts to recreate the vitality and experience of
his first time.
And for the majority of young comics, the results are disastrous
because they lack the tools needed to deliver the same
material, in varying venues, for varying audiences with
consistently satisfying results.
243
For the comic, part of this necessary collection of performance
tools is a script featuring jokes that have been first written and
edited, then delivered and polished in front of hundreds of live
audiences.
But just as lifeless logs are not enough to create a blazing fire,
so too are these routines necessary but far from sufficient to
create stellar shows.
Bare, but far from empty. After all, if you greeted your audience
as an empty shell, that would hardly inspire and excite.
244
But even the greatest practitioners fall prey to the numbing
routine of countless shows and find themselves performing
"routines." In stand-up comedy this is referred to as, "phoning
in your set." A script you have delivered a thousand times
performed in an utterly lackluster fashion.
245
All other moments are instances of recreation and, as effective
as they can be, they will always pale in comparison to the
vitality and joy inherent in truly creative theatrical moments.
246
IT TAKES TIME
“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Also, keep in mind what you are trying to achieve and accept
that anything worth doing takes time. Yes it is a cliché, but that
makes it no less true. Trust that you are indeed on your way,
every day a little closer.
Lastly (and I admit that I personally am not very good with this
one) be sure to enjoy all that you have accomplished up to this
point. This is one of the true keys to a successful and satisfying
career.
247
A NEW MAGIC
“All successful revolutions are the kicking in of a rotten wooden
door.” - John Kenneth Galbraith
248
(And no, these audiences were not just "playing along." They
sincerely cared, if not about the dummy, then at least about the
cruel display.)
Perhaps this new magic will meet with a similar response, but
instead of the argument revolving around the issue of realism,
it will revolve around the issue of deception and of "fooling
people."
I do not know what this new magic will look like, but I believe
it will be a direct result of three things:
249
This will necessitate a profound re-evaluation of our thinking
in regards to the role our audiences play in our performances,
as well as moving away from demonstrations of skill or power,
challenging attitudes and appeals to the puzzle mind-set.
250
EFFECTS ONLY HAPPEN IN THE PAST
“Who controls the past,” ran the Party slogan, “controls the
future: who controls the present controls the past.” - George
Orwell, 1984
During the performance, they are raised from the dead, from
the potential to the actual, and they exist, fleshed out, though
only for an instant.
251
As for the idea that effects only happen in the past, I believe
this is another point which, though decidedly philosophical can
yield significant "real world fruit." Given that it takes time for
light and sound to travel from any object to our eyes and ears,
it follows that we exist in a world of "past objects."
With all this in mind, it is not surprising that all magic effects,
though experienced in the present, immediately become
citizens of the past. Memories. Memory is a very important part
of magic.
As for the "real world fruit" I promised, given that effects exist
in the memories of our audience and given that memories can
be influenced, coaxing shifts in people's recollections of effects
can be a very effective way to enhance an effect. To literally
make it more powerful than it "really" was.
252
(Sorry about the continued use of the quotation marks around
the word "really," but I feel it is important for me to draw
attention to the erroneous implication that effects can exist
apart from the minds of the audience. There is nothing
whatsoever objective about an effect. It is a purely subjective
construct.)
Near the end of the effect I pick up the card, remove the clip
and lower my hands back down towards the table so that they
are just a few inches from the surface.
In this way you can plant suggestive seeds which, when the
audience waters them in their own minds, bloom into effects
that, in a sense, never happened.
253
To unfold it completely would not only deny the spectator this
all-important experience, but would also completely relegate
the image of the folded card to the past.
254
THE LOVE OF MAGIC
“Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” – Jean Baptiste Massieu
For me, this has been magic. It has given me so much. I love
magic. I love the idea of it, the practicing and, with the right
audience, the performing. With the wrong audience, I still love
magic, but the performance frustrates and even saddens me.
Magic is so amazing, the way it can make people feel, the way it
can make me feel, the excitement, the mystery, the fun, the
intimacy. I am one of the truly blessed.
255
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