Just curious, who among you Magi working
restaurants, bars, or tables have a structured table act?

I use a combination of both. Before the night begins, I have set up six sets of magic with three routines in each set. The first effect is to gauge how the table is going to react. Their reaction is whether I do the other two or change my direction in midstream.

For example, if I've got "grabby" customers, I offer what doesn't matter if grabbed.
If I've got rude people, I just forget the two other effects and move on.

If the waitress shows up with the food, I'm gone. No sense in interrupting their meal, and I know I'm there to turn the table as fast as I can.

Some of my routines are structured in little modules. That way I can end it in the middle of the routine if need be. For example, my coins across routine has five different spots where it could be ended.

This idea allows me to work for a good half an hour to forty five minutes without having to repeat. I can also head for the other side of the room and repeat if need be (we have a system in place that tells me what table needs to be done next).

If I've got something that I've been rehearsing, I may repeat it several times just to get the "newness" out.

I found many years ago if I didn't have some sort of structure to the restaurant act, I just wandered aimlessly and then tried to make small talk while I figured out what I was doing for that table.

Hope this helped.

Jongallagher:

Thanks for your input, Mind sharing with us what your "system" is for what tables need to be done next!

This is something I came up with 20 years ago, but it seems to work in most situations where there is a small waitstaff or a hostess table (who seats patrons).

The hostess has a deck of cards. They're in new deck order, Ace through King, CHaSeD order. When a customer arrives, she asks the standard, "How many?" "Smoking or non?" and "Would you like our house magician to perform at your table?" If they say "yes," she takes the next card from the deck and when she seats them, places it face up at the edge of the table. Sounds kinda dumb, but it serves a couple of purposes.

It keeps the tables in order, plus, when I perform for the table, I tell the people to write their comments on the card and drop it at the cash register. I get comments from customers, the management sees how many tables I worked in a given night, and it eliminates me having to approach a table cold.

If someone says "No," when asked at the front of the restaurant, they can always tell their server, and the server will get them a card.

It's worked well for me for the most part and costs me just a deck of cards a night (bought at Dollar General for a buck). We also use table tents which patrons can set at the edge of their table if they want entertainment, but the card system seems to work very well.

Oh, I forgot to mention that it also allows a waitress to tell me "The Five of Hearts has a birthday, anniversary, etc" so I know I'll need to do something special for that table. When they would tell me "Table 38B Red Dog Boston has a birthday," I'd usually end up doing the wrong table because whoever numbers tables in restaurants usually doesn't subscibe to any numbering system known to man.

I have three standard routines that I start with using sponges,cards & coins.If I feel (or they express)that they want more (& food does not come) I do others that I think they would like (using rope & cards) but not more than two.
It works for me.

Have a structured set (or sets) and use them except when you have to deviate (for example, by ending a routine early because the food has arrived). The audience should experience a "performance," not just a bunch of tricks strung together, meaning you have a logical opener, middle effect (if you perform 3 effects) and closer. The order of your effects and the flow of your performance are just as important as the particular effects you choose. As the saying goes, the whole should be greater than the sum of its parts.

I tend to disagree. When I perform resturaunts sometimes I will approach a table and JUST talk to them. If magic comes into play then great but it always doesn't have to. I have a definite opener effect that I will do.. but my closer and middle part )if I have one) will always depend on the guests and how I think they will react to what I show them. I have to keep in mind that I'm not there for a performance... I'm there to entertain and I can't do my set flowing "smoothly" because let's face it.. there are so many things that could come up compared to a formal close-up show. Just my two cents.

My answer to the Structure or wing it question would be that I'm both.

I want to say I never plan any show that I do. Weather in strolling magic or a parlor type show, but that's not entirely true.
I do plan shows. I know what I'm going to open with and what I'm more in likely going to close with. I know what I have with me and what routines I can do. I usually have a two or three closing routines. I decide which one I want to do while I'm up there.

My entire act is usually like that. I plan out what I'm going to do. Some routines tie together so they are basically one routine. But I never fallow an order like I planned. I kind of feed off the audience and they tell me what I should or shouldn't do next.

In walk around I'm pretty much the same way. KNowing that every group will be different it's a powerful tool to be this way. I have certain routines I do as an opener. Quite often when the restaurant is full I only do one or two routines per table. I might do my coin routine at this table, then a floating bill at the next as an openner.

So my answer would be that my routines are pretty much structured. Each have their built in jokes or bits. When that routine is done and I'm going to being doing another for this group, I'll decide then which one I'll do based on their reactions. I usualy have some filler tricks or bits between them to keep things flowing.

If there's one thing I've learned from being deaf is that their actions tell you a lot more then their words do. They can say they loved it and not mean it, but thier body and face can be more honest. Most people aren't actors and don't have that ability. So they really can tell you what you should or shouldn't do for them next.

Just my two cents.

Ron Jaxon

I come from the Eugene Burger way of thinking about things like this so with that in mind take this for what it's worth. I think you would be absolutely insane to go into a restaurant gig with no structure to your routines at all. A least a plan for what you might do for good opening pieces, middle pieces, and closing pieces. Scripts and structure give you so much freedom. They provide security for those times you freeze up. That's not to say you can't deviate from them. With them you always know what is coming next and you still have the option of spontaneously doing something "different" whenever you want.
My 2 cents.

Mark

I'm structered in that I have two or three openers, three or four middle effects and several closers. In the restaurant enviroment so many things can happen that will interfer with a true structered set that you have to be able to end and move on.

Yup, that's why I said deviate WHEN YOU HAVE TO. But performing effects in any order is like acting the scenes of a play in any order. As far as doing what the audience wants, the sets I've developed reflect what I've learned from audience reactions in more than 20 years of performing close-up at restaurants and bars. Not having a structure (from which you deviate when necessary) will not produce consistent results in my opinoin.