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ELS Regular user Chicagoland area, IL 191 Posts |
Hello Viewers,
Just a question on presentation of the 75-100 foot standing rope escape. I've read up on it and have done it with individuals that assist me but cannot decide if it is best to escape behind a large cloth held up by individuals at neck level (then as you free a hand you could grasp the cloth and say "could you bring it up a little higher or pull on your ends a little more". Or would you suggest to do it right in the open of everyone watching? Thank You in advance Ed
Were the border between the natural and the supernatural will be nothing any more but fuzzy. http://edwardshanahan.com
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slacker New user pittsburgh,PA 13 Posts |
In the open... even if it reveals the how-to of the trick, it will still capture the audience's attention. Not like they could do it. Houdini did escape in front of large crowds and they were very effective but when he did escapes that implied danger, he would hide behind his curtain to create uncertainty.
He'd escape quickly then and read a paper or something to make the crowd gasp. I think a rope escape is better done in the open unless it presents danger, then I'd cover it up.
SLacKeR
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Alchemist New user 48 Posts |
I think it should be done in view also. The audience will be entranced watching you escape. The essential component though is the persona you convey. Which method works best with the type of Magician you are?
Cheers |
Bretigan Regular user Milwaukee 102 Posts |
Do it in the open so people don't think you are cheating. If you are doing a "mystic" rope escape, then yes, you want to be behind a curtain or something.
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Scott Xavier Inner circle 3672 Posts |
Depends on the style of the performance.
The only problem I have ever had with escapology, is the lack of adventure. Try to interweave it into a story. I have begun studying escapology and have found that now my seances are a lot better. |
ELS Regular user Chicagoland area, IL 191 Posts |
Danger in a 100' rope tie, so one could hide?
How about a hanging - where you get up on a chair/small stage, 1st your tied up and then the noose is put around my neck and my assistant slowly pulls the stage out and the curtain goes up. Or, Curtain goes up and assistant pulls stage out - my feet drop below curtain and I'm seen struggling, after a few seconds or a minute or so, the feet stop moving, people in the audience get somewhat upset, assistants pull down curtain and there I would be, hanging from my hands, with rope around the shoulders? Any thoughts? Ed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Curiosity killed the Cat, but SATISFACTION brought him back!"
Were the border between the natural and the supernatural will be nothing any more but fuzzy. http://edwardshanahan.com
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mplegare Veteran user Forest Grove, Oregon 310 Posts |
Personally, I want to see a little 'story' happening in the escape. The classic one is the 'challenge', which was an old carny joint: Challenge a group of people, $5.00 a person, that you can get out of 100' of rope in less time than it took them to tie you up (the carny I heard this one from would
'fail' for three shows, escalating the bet until he was wagering $500.00 by the last show, at which point he'd get out just under the wire). For me, I'm going to be trying a 50' rope tie escape while bellowing Shakespeare. Hey - it's for a Renaissance Faire, ok? "Escaping to Shakespeare" should provide my audience with a nice bit of (erhem) theatre, as I try valiantly to recite 'To be or not to be' while getting untied. The 'escapologist in peril' theme's been around for a while. I think one of the more effective (and relatively recent) versions is Penn & Teller's 'Casey At the Bat' routine, where Penn starts reading the poem slowly, then keeps accelerating much to Teller's chagrin.
Matthew Legare aka Tobias the Adequate! - http://www.adequateblog.today.com - you know you want to.
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Scott Xavier Inner circle 3672 Posts |
Hey ed,
I know your into mentalism and supernatural stuff, why not take it out of the escape side of things and make it into a routine with mentalism, possible spirit cabinet, or seance? Otherwise, it's just a trick. Make it original.... I like the hanging but it just seems hokey. Better to leave them without some sort of well he's hidden/covered for a reason aspect. Are you coming to the taste of Chicago this year? I'll be by Buckingham fountain performing, if you stop by. |
Dr_Stephen_Midnight Inner circle SW Ohio, USA 1555 Posts |
I agree with the late Lee Jacobs that you should give the audience a battle to watch.
As for the whole "hanging" suggestion...DON'T!! DON'T!!DON'T!!!!! There is too much with that arrangement that can go terribly, terribly wrong, and then...that is all she wrote! Trust me on this. Steve
Dr. Lao: "Do you know what wisdom is?"
Mike: "No." Dr. Lao: "Wise answer." |
ELS Regular user Chicagoland area, IL 191 Posts |
Quote:
On 2003-06-25 16:32, Dr_Zodiac wrote: Hi Doc, 1st off, nice to keep hearing about you on a top radio station here in Chicago after working for them on a huge (over 300 people), boat cruise. I'll skip the hanging bit, as sure would be a heck of a way to prove or disprove the paranormal. But you had a great idea and addiing to it - doing the rope escape while doing a Houdini seance on Halloween!!! Figured I'd cover that here in type Doc, so everyone knows where the 'whole concept of it came from' if it should be done in this area... By the way Doc, I did my 1st official palm and Feeler reading Saturday, matter of fact 2 of them (different locations), and with Pagan & Wicca Witches. I figured it would be best to jump completely in the pool with them being the judges... It went great ! I sat after the 1st one and said - wow, where did that come from Take care Ed
Were the border between the natural and the supernatural will be nothing any more but fuzzy. http://edwardshanahan.com
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KerryJK Special user Northampton UK 621 Posts |
I think doing it in the open and physically selling the difficulty is the most fun part of the 100ft rope escape.
Personally I prefer to get tied to a chair as it adds a lot of options for increasing the specatacle and filling out the time. I escape to a 1 minute time limit measured by a volunteer with a watch, and get out as close to the limit as I can; in the meantime I fill up the time by making the chair fall over, struggling with the knots and tripping over the last bit of rope still tying me to the chair after I've apparently made it at about 51sec, leaving just seconds to get free in time. If you use a chair you've got the added spectacle of holding up the chair in triumph at the end if you want; I've thought about ended it with a chair chin balance, but am currently undecided as to whether this detracts from the escape. Punching the air with it is a better image anyway. The least fun part is having to untangle the rope and coil it back up again afterwards. |
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