OK, Curtis, we know you for your coin and card stuff, but is there anything else you perform? For example, silks, ropes, etc.

Bye for now

Harold

Good to see you again, Harold,

Thanks for mentioning that. As you know, but many may not, I have a weekly stage show here in Hawaii, and have designed illusions for some of the larger shows that have come and gone, or stayed. I'm a close up guy at heart, but there are a few things I'm proud of from the other material I've created. Eventually I may publish this stuff. Around here, it's the standup and stage shows that make money.

We've talked about the Color Changing Handkerchiefs, and many close up guys, and myself have tinkered with this routine for years. After 20 years, I finally hit upon the proper presentation, and the all-important closing line. I often close my standup show with this.

I have a presentation for the Shadowbox Illusion (the "Lady from the Light") that solves the problem of anticipation. Once the shadows appear, the audience knows more or less that some one will be coming out of the box. My routine plays with that.

I have an interactive presentation for Daryl's Rope routine, and a stronger middle rope sequence based on Flip's work.

A "Spectator's Bill in Paper Shredder" routine, featuring a device I built that looks a lot like the Collector's Workshop "Carnival Countdown", incorporating the "Balls over the Head" and ending with the "Snowstorm in China."

I've talked about my giant (well, okay, maybe just Large) linking ring routine, an improbable 6 minutes long, and all I do is link four rings into a chain, slowly. Heck, you try it.

I have tried, more or less unsuccessfully, for years to present the "Slydini Knots" effectively.

I have an egg bag routine with an obvious and definite ending, a final production that is impressive, easy, and appropriate, and is not a giant egg.

Of course, you and I await the publication of my "torn and restored (marked) cigarette paper" routine in Genii, probably by Richard's daughter, at this rate.

Is mentalism different enough? I must admit I dabble, and stage audiences seem to listen to what I say, so this stuff is very practical and effective for me.

Along those lines, here's a topic starter: I think that the most impressive thing you can do with a deck of cards is appear to read someone's mind. Nothing else comes close. The only contender is effects where the cards appear and disappear, adn most of those are really coin tricks in drag.

Anyone want to talk about a new way to do the long pour salt trick?

I have a killer routine for standup work involving a borrowed bill, smoking your thumb, the multiplying pipes, Jimmy Yoshida's "Volcano" effect, and the Bill in the Cigar. It was my closer for years, until the anti-tobacco lobby killed it.

I suppose that should give folks some idea of the reams of odd notes and sketches I have lying about. Levitation presentations, concepts for huge t.v. stunts, a new "Dancing Hank" method I worked out with Don Wayne for a large show here in Waikiki, The workings of an effect where one car drives through another, for use at the Pro Bowl, and some really odd and impractical things Jonathan Townsend and I fiddled with. Someday, I have to get him to perform and/or publish "Magicland" complete with its flourescent orange mountains, silver moon, and solid puddles.

Oh yeah, and I used to produce doves. HATED IT.

Appearing and disappearing cards being "Coin tricks in drag"?!! I love that line. It's a killer,Curtis. You never fail to hit me with something profound,but that almost takes the cake!! You have to officially give me permission to use that one!! It's an instant classic.(I can't get over that one!) Rock on Curtis, rock on!!

Use at your own risk, Lee. On another thread Geoff Latta suggested that one of my coin ideas might be a "Card trick in drag"!

OK, I'm better now.

Further to the Slydini Knots, I am currently doing the routine as per the original instructions (and have been doing it for about two years).

To "sell" the routine, I talk about the very first summer job I had. My job was to tie up boxes, but before I got the job, I had to pass an exam. He handed me two handkercheifs and asked me to knot them together... Well, you know the rest.

Bill Malone has caused a resurgence of interest in the effect with his presentation on his DVD/video. Steve Draun (and others) sell the silks, but I'd recommend making up your own using a diamond pattern, rather than the traditional square.

Also, Pavel has an interesting twist on the knots with his Chameleon rope routine.

Bye for now

Harold

Harold, I like the hook in your presentation. When you say that you're doing the routine "as per original" are you doing the "splitting the knot" ending, or the later version that left this out

Here in America, I once considered talking about passing a merit test for the Boy Scouts, using two Boy Scout neckerchiefs. (I realize this may just read as so much American gibberish. If so, please ignore.) I would then publish the routine under the name "Boy Scout Bondage".

DO you do the routine in a standup setting? I have had irregular success with the effect close up, but the really frustrating bit (as you know) has been geting the routine to work on stage. There is a thread about this at the Genii Forum, I believe, and there it is claimed that Charles Edwards used to perform his routine with the knots on stage. Have you seen it?

I have never tried the routine in anything other than a closeup context (audience within a five foot radius of my performance spot), and, as you guessed, I end with the split knot. I think the split knot is the best (most logical) way to end, and it really comes as a magical surprise. I thought of using the silks as a cover for a production, but most Slydini silks are too sheer to allow this.

For me, the silks are a solid middle piece, and they have the advantage of packing small and playing big. However, I don't know if they play THAT big. I have never tried (or seen) the effect on stage. If I were to consider doing it as a stage effect, I'd like to involve the spectator a bit more at the end, so I'd probably leave out the split knot. Although I haven't read his handling, Slydini used to do Houdini silks as a followup, so this bit might play better on stage. However, this does make the routine longer.

Bye for now

Harold