In Magic and Showmanship by Henning Nelms, Henning talks a bit about having a silent script to stay in character. I think this is a very smart idea. I am unsure however if it is necessary during a manipulation routine.

What do you guys think? Should I have a silent script for a card and billiard ball manipulation routine?


Thanks,
Matt

Matt,
Your silent script (in acting, I use the term subtext) depends a lot on your character. Are you surprised by a change or production? Are you relieved that you reached your goal? Are you being thwarted by magical forces you sought to control?
Your magic has to have an effect on your character to have an effect on your audience.

Do you believe character is unimportant in a manipulation routine? I believe it is even more important. If you do not engage your audience, nothing could be more tedious than watching you juggle items.

Ditto.

Yes, I fully agree too.

It is an easy trick to figure out that you have a certain bizarre hat (colonial helmet, baseball cap, fedora, yacht captain's cap, Sherlock Holmes cap, Navy bob, American football helmet...) which doesn't match the character's admitted role: psychologically matching the ambiguity give a lot of matter to the character. For example the performer acting as a psychologist mentally wears an American football helmet, or the seaman doing rope tricks figures out that he wears a Sherlock Holmes cap...
The non admitted incongruity is actually a very creative designing method to great characters.

This is a smart way to input showmanship in the silent script. By the way, Tommy Wonder in his Books Of Wonders suplies subtle advice regarding the silent script.

Another vote for this comment.

... and another one

See if you can find a youtube video of Cardini. Watch it, then tell me what you think Cardini's answer would have been.

Great example Bill. There is definitely subtext going on in Cardini's act. And if you re-read Magic and Showmanship I'm certain that Nelm's mentions that the silent script should be used for silent acts.

You can find similar relevant insights on this topic
Steve Martin's autobiography, "Born Standing Up" -- he
talks at great length about the duality of what's going
on in his head, versus what the audience sees and hears,
as well as the ongoing effort to constantly evaluate both
his own performance and the audience's reaction to it.

Moving aware from the profound to a very personal and
mundane example...

That "inner script" is extremely important to me in my
act particularly when I'm working with my Rabbit-in-Hat
puppet. For the bits to work at maximum effectiveness...
and to get past the initial kid cries of "it's a puppet"...
I have to believe with all my heart and soul that the
dang rabbit has it in for me.

So when I look that bundle of fur, stitching, and glue
in its beady little plastic eyes, I am believing at my
very core that I'm dealing with a snarky little fiend
who needs to be taught a lesson.

And when I can do that whole-heartedly, it definitely makes
all the difference to the routine.

I'm certain Nelms would suggest we approach every single
routine with exactly the same level of total inner
commitment.

--Jack

I might suggest that Cardini DIDN"T use a 'silent' script, because in most of his performances he actually muttered commentary to himself! YOu can actually here it on the Christopher special. Of course, the concept is the same..even if it isn't always silent!

Tommy Wonder addressed this issue in his lecture.
He would say, "Do you like this sort of magic?"
and then he would do the classic manipulative sequence in which
the performer takes a pack out of its case, whereupon the case seems to have vanished,
whereupon the deck seems to have vanished,...only to reappear back in the case.
a classic bit. And he performed it beautifully.

whereupon, everyone would say at once, "Yeah!"
to which tommy would frown a little and say, "Really? Well, I don't"
It doesn't mean anything. just a bunch of ....stuff. I prefer this.."

Then he would do the very same sequence, but with a silent script in place.

the difference was so huge we were all quite mortified to have praised the original version.

always a good teacher.

Does anyone know if Tommy Wonder talked about silent scripting with close up magic? It seems from routines like his wild card that he used it, but he was also very responsive to the reactions of the people in front of him. I guess he silent scripted it but also kept it loose, but I'm sure he had insights beyond that.

In answer to that question, he absolutley did, there's a part in his book where he describes a ball vanishing and what is going through his mind as it happens. Derren Brown refers to this technique in Absolute Magic, quoting Tommy's example.

I use it to make my magic much more believable, the plot leads your thoughts and feelings, instead of trying to act a reaction you try and feel the emotion of what has happened then your natural expression comes through and makes your magic more real.

You find yourself dancing with your spectators emotions, Tommy also talks about emotional involvement, or was Darwin Ortiz.

Anyway it is refreshing to discuus elements of performane. Thank you posters.

Michael

I was just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on combining silent scripts and regular scripts. I try to script everything I perform and sometimes I add some words or thoughts in brackets as reminders of what I want to be imagining at that point in the routine. I guess that is an example of "silent scripting." How would you go about creating and learning such a combination? Also, where can one find the best explanation of silent scripting (with examples) and instructions on how to use it (without overloading your memory circuits)?

A silent script helps you believe in your magic and keeps you in character at all times