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brangwinj Regular user 114 Posts |
My thought is you show an entertaining amount when you can. To elaborate by example The Anderson paper tear as Gene does it, you get a to see the newspaper very completely. I believe it is a bit slow and unnecessary; I don't think you need to look at "every page" to tear it in half and then go through "every page" after restored. But my real concern is doesn't this invite the audience to want to do a complete examination of of all tricks? Understand Gene is an artist and his tear an all time classic. I am using this as an example for performance philosophy.
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Skip Way Inner circle 3771 Posts |
It depends on the psychology behind the action. Every action in great magic has a sound reason. In the case of the paper tear, casually showing the individual pages removes the suspicion that there is a replacement packet hidden within. If the action comes across as "slow and unnecessary," the fault lies in the presentation, not the action.
How you leave others feeling after an Experience with you becomes your Trademark.
Magic Youth Raleigh - RaleighMagicClub.org |
Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27297 Posts |
Without getting into any psycho-babble or techno-babble and to address the question in general:
Walk thought the routine in question and ask the following question as your proceed step by step: What specifically is the purpose of the action and who does it serve? If you find yourself with answers based around phrases like: "it lets me do this move" or "it convinces them that" then you may have a significant amount of work to do in terms of streamlining your handling, constructing your dialog, character work in terms of motivations or perhaps even methodology. Not every performer can pull of an endearing character who shows symptoms of OCD uses magic to move their ADHD into a way of expressing their worldview. For example, one reason to turn and display the pages might be to talk about speed reading as you look for a certain article which you find, circle with a marker, then tear up the paper into little bits so you can pocket the article, but then rather than throw it away you restore the paper. Perhaps asking about how someone who finds the paper might react to finding it like that as long as you don't mess with the sports pages, horoscope, cartoons or ... ?
...to all the coins I've dropped here
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brangwinj Regular user 114 Posts |
I do the Anderson tear by walking across stage going through paper saying not much in paper these days alluding to small paper size. then do tear and restore and say there was a coupon I wanted or cross word puzzel as I continue to go through restored paper , I believe this is more natural; but what do I know
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Whit Haydn V.I.P. 5449 Posts |
What is natural about walking on stage in front of an audience reading a newspaper? Who does that? Isn't that rude? Why would you be walking out in front of an audience to clip coupons?
Here is the Gene Anderson newspaper tear from my teaching act: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIzHb2zTW44&feature=related The handling and patter is right out of the Newspaper Magic booklet. |
Michael Baker Eternal Order Near a river in the Midwest 11172 Posts |
The first time I saw this performed was by Doug Henning. If I recall, the leafing through the pages was not to prove on the surface that the paper was ordinary. That was a subtle side effect. The reason for the audience was for them to remember a certain picture or headline, which of course was used later to prove that it was the same paper the second time it was leafed through. Of course this was the time when leafing through proved that there was nothing else to be found.
Regarding walking onstage while reading a paper, I think it depends on the character. Although I don't remember who's act it was, one magician walked about gathering up bits of torn paper, restored them to a whole newspaper, and carried on reading the paper. This type of presentation being more play-like, and less demonstrative does seem to justify a different form of "naturalness".
~michael baker
The Magic Company |
Whit Haydn V.I.P. 5449 Posts |
But putting a magic trick into a four-walled dramatic piece changes its nature.
It is no longer a magic effect being presented to the audience as such--something they are being asked to witness and participate in--but is a magic effect that happened in a play in once upon a time. The choice of presentation tells them that the magic isn't real. If you could really demonstrate to people that you could actually tear something up and put it back together again with your mind, would you choose to demonstrate it as part of a play? Would you want to use this stunning ability just to illustrate a little pantomime about magic? If I could actually cause a card to come to the top of the pack by will alone, would I immediately begin looking for ways to use that ability to illustrate a morals lesson on ambition? These are actor/writer choices which are at the heart of Theater. That is why it is so important to understand these subtle distinctions in goals and in the performer-audience relationship, as well as in the various types of suspension of disbelief. Avner the Eccentric does a wonderful piece in which he comes on stage sweeping with a large broom, gets interested in a story on a piece of newspaper and looks for the rest of the story, eventually putting the whole thing back together again. It is good theater, and the audience likes the magic effect. It is an artistic and lovely piece. But it is not the strongest presentation of the dilemma, because the use of such artistry in presentation belies that the performer is serious in his claim to real magic. The less theatricality and presentation, the stronger and more believable the claim will seem. That was what made Blaine's affectless presentation so believable to the lay audiences. He just showed the magic. He didn't ask for applause, or try to seduce or entertain his audience. He made his claim with sincerity, and created a character and presentation that suited such a claim. I am not saying that less powerful presentations of the dilemma aren't entertaining, artistic and wonderful--just that they are not the strongest way to present the dilemma. The impact of the magic will not be as strong if the presentation choices "tell" the audience that the magic isn't real. The idea of the theory is to help us make the compromises and choices we want to make in our performances. |
tommy Eternal Order Devil's Island 16544 Posts |
“dictum meum pactum” as the old London villains say. Saying it in Latin shows great erudition, thus adding credibility. The motto, meaning my word is my bond, hangs above the doors of the London Stock Exchange, where our friends, the too big to jail, do their business. Beware of the man who insists on telling you he is honest, for he doth protest too much, as they say. My advice to the villians is don't overplay how honest you are for the flats will surely get sus.
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.
Tommy |
Whit Haydn V.I.P. 5449 Posts |
I'm as honest as the day is long...but you know it sure seems the days are getting shorter and shorter...
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