GOT ME!

-Mary

I do sometimes perform in troubled areas where there is a risk to meet kids that really will challenge me. So far I have handled those situations fairly well, but I am convinced that he, or they (sometimes they work in kohort), is out there somewhere who will take me down one day. (You don't have to perform in troubled areas to encounter at least the light versions of those kids. They are everywhere.)
I think the greatest risk is that I will loose my temper and become sarcastic or aggressive and belittle the youngster by giving him a severe blow to his ego or by making people laugh at him. This is of course not a good idea, but it is a temptation. Outside the situation one can conclude that there can come nothing good from that more than short timed satisfaction. These are troubled kids and you never know what lies behind their attention-seeking and provoking attitude, but you know that there will be people around that get that perspective and they will tell others about their opinion of you.
In one of his books Castaneda writes that the wizard Don Juan told him that he could consider him lucky if he has a bully, because no one can teach you more than a bully. When I am challenged by a kid the first thing I do is thinking about this and send the kid a warm thought and feel gratitude and thankfulness because he tries to make me a better performer. This puts me in a good mood and then most often half the battle is won. People can see that I am not provoked, but have a bigger smile on my face.
I do not confront or provoke them instead I ignore them and trust my magic to fool and entertain the rest of the audience. The more they like what I do, the more difficult it becomes for the antagonists to disturb the performance as the more lonely they will become if they do. After all their behavior is motivated by a desire to be accepted and liked. This indirect way to handle it becomes almost a subprocess in the performance because you are well aware of this kid all the time and if it turns out well you can see how he transforms during the the performance and begins to keep a lower profile. If your performance is successful you can almost feel that he sends you a grateful thought at the end for saving him from making a fool out of himself. This is most satisfying for the performer as well. Saying this I also say touch wood, because you never know.
The bottom line is that I can see no reason not to welcome those situations. They can make you a better performer and sometimes even into a real magician.

Of course, in school assemblies (That's what I did for 50 years!) my audiences were often, all high school students, or all elementary students, or all primary students. In "middle America" small towns and villages, my audiences were often Kindergarten through High School! The smallest audience, that I can remember, was 7 kids (primary age) in a rural school in Galata, Montana. The big high schools in "the cities" could/would number up to about 2,000. The occasional college, would run anywhere from 500 to a thousand.

With only a FEW exceptions, I used the SAME TRICKS! The PRESENTATION was varied to fit the group. The basic concept was "Keep It Simple, Make It Fun!

School programs, ARE, a bit different than birthday parties, or table hopping. The school auditorium is the "principal's classroom"! The "three Rs" are, of course, important, but, learning appropriate behavior in public, is also important. The LYCEUM PROGRAM, or convocation, or assembly provides opportunities for youngsters to meet a "new" person who is expert in his vocation, who can show or demonstrate something interesting, fun, educational, etc.

Wise teachers, reminded the kids about proper behavior before entering the auditorium. Very occasionally, I would encounter a youngster who would interrupt. --And, the peer group would "handle" the noisy kid! (Get the audience "on your side" when you begin!) The old philosophy: "Destroy your enemy, by making him your friend!" is, IMO, GOOD PHILOSOPHY!!!

My opening, with a simple, "soft sucker" routine (color changing silk) helped the kids (even high school late teens, and college young adults!) quickly realize that "this is going to be FUN", and, "this magician is going to fool us, without making fools OF us!" I followed that with a brief presentation on "ILLUSION". I would explain how our own senses, not being infallible, would confuse our minds! The "kids" would realize that their own minds, would let the "magic happen"! I used several "standard" props, like the Jastrow Area Illusion (e.g. boomerang sticks) to demonstrate the concept. (Even Kindergarteners could grasp this!

Using simple generic props which don't "telegraph" the EFFECT, of course, helped me! Hippity Hop Rabbits, Die Boxes, ETC. CAN be very entertaining, but, too often, they make fools OF the group, by creating an "adversary" situation. Also, one of the elements of entertainment, is SURPRISE. --Once, anyone has seen the HHRabbits, they won't be surprised again!

I wrote a few hundred words in my book, about "Softening the Suckering". I outlined the three basic types of sucker tricks, and explained how to make the "climax", FUN!

I really appreciated Stellan's philosophy! (Scroll up to his post on 15 February.)

I find that when a kid says, "I know that one!" they often mean not that they know how it is done but that they've seen it before.

They'll say this many times even when they've never seen the effect but when the prop itself is familiar such as when you bring out some cards, a wand or even a silk handkerchief.

They're just trying to show how smart they are in the eyes of the other children (and the parents) and I usually let them have that moment. I realized this when I noted they were just as amazed as everyone else when the effect was over.

You're correct that many times "I know that one" means ....


I've seen "bigger wands" before
I've seen the PBJ trick
I saw run rabbit run last week
I've already seen all the kiddy tricks that all magicians seem to do


One way to eliminate that is to...
do your own stuff
do difficult tricks that most people don't do
do the classics, usually not done for kids, adding a unique presentation


Let them have their moment if you want, but I'd rather say something entertaining and negates their assertion that they know what I'm doing.
I have no interest having anyone think I'm doing stuff the kids already know.