I normally do kid-centric shows. I'm scheduled to do my first adult-centric show, and I'm not sure about my list of routines and the progression of my show. I will be performing for a long-term care and rehab facility. Some of the residents are recovering from illness or injury, and some are never going to go back home. So there will be alert and participating people there, including staff, but I'm not sure about the amount of audience volunteer participation.

Here's my list:
Five Card Opener
Prof Nightmare
My first job in a spaghetti factory
Cut and Restored Rope
Introducing my assistant Herman the Rope, who made that last trick work. He will now escape from the Scissors of Death!
Chicken and Card (needs one volunteer)
My student (a mechanical chicken) and his one trick - finding your card (he can't)
Ring in Spider's Web
A ring - can be borrowed - pulls off a string. Can be done close-up, so I can go up to someone in a wheelchair and do it "in their hands".
Mind-Reading Sharpie (needs one volunteer)
My version of Jay Sankey's "Instrumental" - divining a card and duplicating the scribble on it.
Spoon Bend
Sankey's bend in a napkin. Needs a volunteer to pick the spoon and then fold and hold the napkin. Can be done at a wheelchair if no one can come up.
Twisted Sisters
Jumbo cards. I can put them in holders clipped to the edge of my table and have the "work" done by people sitting down, although I'd prefer to have people up with me for this.

Any thoughts?
Ed

Is it maybe a bit long, ed?

What is the endurance of your audience. Have they told you how long a show they want?

They want 40-45 minutes, give or take.
As it is, it looks about that to me.
It might go longer, depending on how much I need to slow down for them.
I'll check myself after the chicken and cut the spoon and maybe the sharpie.

Ed

Three things Ed - on the ring off the string, nobody's going to have any idea what you're doing except the one person you're doing it for.

#2 Be prepared to have staff members be the volunteers - if you can, talk with a few of them before the show and line some up ahead of time. It's doubtfull you'll have any patients for volunteers.

#3 Card tricks are iffy for this group. The McCombical deck works well due to the obvious color change. But don't exect them to remember a particular card for any lenth of time.

Just my 2 cents.

Jim

Jim:

Several of the residents are not minimal-response, but instead are rehabilitating in a facility where they can be cared for because their injury doesn't allow them to function on their own yet. They're "all there" and desperate for outside entertainment. (At least, that's what I've been told.)

But I'm also prepared to use the staff extensively - exclusively if I have to.

The Ring off String can be done with someone lifting their hand over their head to hold the ring. Hopefully that would put it up where others could see it. If not, I'll need to have someone up front - or drop it.

Nothing I'm doing needs anyone to remember a particular card for any length of time.

I generally use colored circle cards with my chicken, rather than regular cards. Kids remember the color better, and they draw a smiley face rather than sign it.

The Sharpie allows me to put my drawing up next to the card, so the comparison is immediate.

And I hope enough people are "there" to appreciate the Twisted Sisters, and it does have the color change and the Queens-against-jokers.

Ed