|
|
daffydoug Eternal Order Look mom! I've got 14077 Posts |
I'm not sure where to post this, as. it involves two different topics, I'm afraid if I post it in the Mentalism section, they may lynch me.
I want to get some thoughts on the subject of  mixing magic with mentalism in a show. I don't want to cause a firestorm of controversy, here, because I'm sure there are purists who are vehemently opposed to that for personal reasons. In fact, as I post, I'm still iffy as to whether it's a great idea or not. I'm toying with the idea. But in putting together this commando act, or "club act" as some would call it (a rose by any other name..) it occurs to me that I could round out the show with mentalism, and the props for such would or could be minimal, and therefore fit nicely into the parameters of my shoestring budget that I'm forced to work with at this time of my life. I just wonder if any of you guys has ever mixed magic and mentalism successfully in one show, or know anyone who has? For those who say it's a no-no, what are the reasons you are against it? I'm still not sure I'm going to do it. I may defenestrate the idea if I hear substantial objections as to why it's a bad idea.Â
The difficult must become easy, the easy beautiful and the beautiful magical.
|
Sealegs Inner circle The UK, Portsmouth 2596 Posts |
What 'Mentalism' is for mentalists can be quite different from what it is to many other people. If mental magic is what you're thinking of, i.e. tricks that revolve around matters of the mind, then it's just another genre; like cards, levitations, handkerchief magic etc. So if you have some particular effect you want to do then I would suggest you do it. But I wouldn't be looking at mental magic tricks for reasons of convenience… I'd only look to these kind of effects if they fit with your entertainment objectives. Cards, ropes, handkerchieves, coins, thimbles, etc etc all take up little room and little financial outlay. If these are a better fit for your proposed show use these….. if mental magic effects are a better fit use those.
And the golden rule is, 'there are no golden rules'.
Neal Austin
"The golden rule is that there are no golden rules." G.B. Shaw |
Frank Simpson Special user SW Montana 883 Posts |
I think the ultimate question here is one of character. Many mentalism acts are built upon the premise of what might be called "convincing ability" (á la Kreskin et. al). With such a character, "magic tricks" would seem out of place, and would undermine the act. Although I do not so so regularly, I have been known to round out an act with some mentalism, usually presented as an "experiment", or as a "let's try something a bit different for a few minutes". AS long as the presentational flow can be maintained it can be quite successful.
If your stage character can pull it off, I see no reason not to add it to the act, but you may find that even though you feel comfortable it may fall flat. Ultimately your audiences' reactions will let you know what works and what doesn't. |
daffydoug Eternal Order Look mom! I've got 14077 Posts |
Well then, with that in mind, I guess there's only one way to find out...
The difficult must become easy, the easy beautiful and the beautiful magical.
|
MrQuinn New user 35 Posts |
I don't think Annemann would disapprove. I've just been reading issues of The Jinx, and he's much less doctrinaire about the distance between mentalism and magic than a lot of modern mentalists. Segues could be a challenge, but IMO Frank Simpson's suggestion on that is very good.
|
daffydoug Eternal Order Look mom! I've got 14077 Posts |
I have several Osterlind DVD's, and a few by Max Maven. Even a few by Banachek. Seems a waste to have them and not take advantage of the knowledge contained in them. When you have a shoestring budget, you are forced to be resourceful.Â
Speaking of Kreskin, what do you think it was about the man that allowed him to pull off his act so convincingly that many thought of him as being the genuine article? Was it his knowledge of the effects and methods , or was it just something in his looks, his demeanor that came across as so believable? A bunch of us could have done the same act, and never pulled it off. But folks actually BELIEVED him. I've always wondered how he pulled that off.
The difficult must become easy, the easy beautiful and the beautiful magical.
|
jay leslie V.I.P. Southern California 9498 Posts |
Like Frank
It all depends on your personality. We have toured with 3 different one and a half hour illusion shows, that feature (In each) 5 illusions, an escape, one or two mentalism routines, a few comedy magic routines and comedy audience participation. One show's second half was Mutilated parasol, Mismade lady, linking finger rings in the audience McComb style, Asrah, Jumbo Monty, Ment O Flex followed by Assistants Revenge to close. So it can absolutely be done but it totally depends on your style
Jay Leslie
www.TheHouseOfEnchantment.com |
daffydoug Eternal Order Look mom! I've got 14077 Posts |
So if I do decide to go for it, I will NOT be boldly going where no man has gone before?
The difficult must become easy, the easy beautiful and the beautiful magical.
|
jay leslie V.I.P. Southern California 9498 Posts |
"So if I do decide to go for it, I will NOT be boldly going where no man has gone before?"
Or dummy -- - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - After a few shows, you will know whether the audience is buying it. Record audience reactions for a measuring stick. Never accept comments from people who come-up after and tell you how good you were. There are some people who are just happy to get out of the house Hide a tape recorder in the back of the room or set-up your video camera in the last row. You want to hear honest comments from people sitting in the back.
Jay Leslie
www.TheHouseOfEnchantment.com |
daffydoug Eternal Order Look mom! I've got 14077 Posts |
The dummy doesn't stand a chance, anyway. because he is stuck in my wife's storage shed, over 600 miles away, and will probably never see the light of day, anyway.
The difficult must become easy, the easy beautiful and the beautiful magical.
|
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Boxes, tubes & bags » » Magic and Mentalism? Oil and Water? (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.01 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |