Greetings,
The focus question is: "In the overall presentation of your show, does preselecting volunteers lessen or take away more benefits than it adds? Please explain."

There are times when I am asked to do a shorter show and it really helps with time management to have already picked the needed volunteers. Sometimes it's a list of names that the client has helped me gather and they don't know they're being picked, other times I recruit volunteers in the hallway and pre-position them in the audience so they can come up on stage faster. I am not implying that they are "stooges".

Sometimes I like to go to the audience before a show to find out how they are what they like and to get the feel for them. usually by walking around and doing some small magic that way I know who to call on and who not.... my wife says I always chose the bad ones when I don't walk around first.


you just never know what your going to call up or how they might try to ruin your show... Which that has happened to me before

Good question.

I have been thinking about this recently, Where possible Aaron's ideas make a lot of sense. I certainly wouldn't pick someone from the stage who looked showy offy.

If I ask for volunteers, which is fairly routine for me, I do the same thing as aaronharp88. I try to mingle prior to a show and get a feel for as many people as I can. You can also watch the audience as you perform for a bit, before getting to a bit that needs a volunteer. Most of the time, you can tell by how people are reacting as to whether or not they'd be a good choice.

I think preselecting the volunteers it's very imporant. While on the first tricks, just watch people's reactions. The best ones are those that are either timid neither show off. Also, the best ones are the ones that had the strongest reactions.
Also, I never really ask for a volunteer. I just point someone and invite him/her to come up "stage".

I always preselect. Nothing is worse than standing there with my ...hat.. in my hand waiting for someone to volunteer. I do anounce they were preselected to avoid any heckling.

I use a Comedy Leegs Table in my show. The routine always goes best if using an assistant to yell out the words at the appointed time. I don't use an assistant, but always set it up before and ask a person connected with the person that hired me to answer me when I ask them the question. I don't share with them the routine so they don't know whats going to happen, but it makes the routine much funnier

I am not a fan of pre-selecting participates. Year ago I learned from watching Copperfield of going into the audience with great music and asking for a person to come to the stage. It works well.

II went to see a show by Arthur Trace a Magician in Los Angeles, and after the show I asked him about the "volunteer" and he assured me she was not pre-arranged. After speaking with the volunteer from the audience as well, I got the same impression from her. All in all I think it depends on the venue. I do believe that to keep the authenticity of the act, the spontaneous route is the way to go.

I agree I think it depends on the trick and the audience. If you are performing for a family audience and need help from a young person elementary age it's usually not a problem to find someone to volunteer. However if you're working in older audience corporate etc. you can find resistance from some members of the audience to helping on stage. If you're working a trick that you need someone dressed a particular way, say with a tie and there's only one person in the audience with a tie it's probably wise to speak to them before the show.
Rodney

I'd never thought of pre-selecting a volunteer but now I just might...

I second this

I never pre-select, if a person is terrible at assessing people, maybe they should do an act without audience participation in it. One should trust their instincts, after many shows, one should be able to see who would make a good person to call up, and who would not. Many a great magicians, have said they peek out from the curtains, and look over the audience to see, in their mind who would be a good selection.

If the person is pre-selected, then that makes them more comfortable and will not react as if they have no idea why they are their. It kills the excitement for them internally, and makes them bored and just there because they were asked.

I have to qualify this a little, I perform a cut and restored necktie trick. That means I have to talk to an audience member and give him a necktie. I don't set anything up, I just tell him if I give him this silk tie, will he come up on stage. He as no idea what is going to happen or why he was selected. He might figure it out, if he is the only person there wearing a necktie.

At the end of his time up on stage, I give him back the tie to take home.

I have never in my 20 years of performing used pre selected people. I do what Mac King does and during my opener I look at the audience and try to find people who are enjoying themselves and are expressive and seem to be good assistants for my later routines

Juha-Matti

Well, in my opinion you are preselecting people by doing this. Whether you are assessing people before your show or as your show goes on, the performer who chooses someone based on conclusions drawn from observations or interactions is preselecting people. Now if you simply say I'll use the first person to come up on stage, then you are not preselecting as you could get any random audience member.

DelMagic, thanks for clarifying the term "preselected." A lot of times in magic I notice we use the same vocabulary but not always the same definitions.

I think engaged and attractive audience are the best «voluenteers» on stage.