Have any of you worked out a way to display Sander's Line of Silks after you have produced them? They are just so beutiful I don't want to ball 'em up and put them away in my case. I'd love to tie them, clip them, velcro, or use magnets to connect them to something and keep them on display the entire show. Just started thinking about this after this weekends shows, so I'm starting from scratch.

Thanks!
DeWayne

Friend DeWayne... Considering the cost of silks (I have,perhaps a thousand bucks in Rice 6 foot ART silks, plus a few hundred in 36" ART silks) your desire to display them is understandable.

However, you need to keep in mind that the PERFORMER is more important than the PROP!

I have learned, over almost 70 years of performing (for money!) that, if the spectators are looking at the backdrop, or my prop case, or an intriguing prop siting on a table, THEY ARE NOT LOOKING AT ME! --And, I'm the guy who merits the applause, NOT a PROP (line o' silks, in this case).

Another example: At Abbott's GTG about 25 years ago, a young magician had three Jet Set frames on stage. On each frame was displayed a 6' Rice Butterfly Silk. (Beautiful!) He did the "gangster funeral act" (i.e., he produced about TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF FLOWERS) All those flowers were "lost" against those silks on the Jet Sets.

If you produce a line o' silks, maybe you could use them as 'cover' to produce a bouquet of flowers, or "whatever" (Harry Blackstone Senior used them to produce a goose and a burro. (I know it was a live burro--I had taken it for a walk in downtown Milwaukee!) Harry Jr. used the line o' silks (produced from the "drum that can't be beat") to produce a live pachyderm. (I didn't walk her, but I did on the circus, and I KNOW she was alive!) Then, those lovely silks (and the goose, burro,or ephelant) go off stage, or at least out of sight. --and the show goes "on". Yes, I know how to spell elephant! (I've washed enough of them.)

So you want me to get an elephant?

Silks are great for cover, to produce a kicker.

I have 2 different silk production routines (one to music using a square circle, and one to patter using a drawer box). I produce individual silks from small to large, picture silks, rainbow silk streamers, and a chain of silks (also, a chain of beads). I take appropriate time to display a picture silk as it's being produced, but I don't put it on my backdrop after the routine is over.

From the silks in one, I produce 4 flower bouquets as 1 big bouquet and then split them into 2 smaller bouquets, as a part of that same routine.

From the silks in the other routine, I produce a flagstaff, as a part of that same routine.

Immediately after the kicker production, the silks are piled onto the top of my table. After I'm done with the silks / whole routine, I put them into a large folding laundry hamper to the side of the stage. I used to gather them up and put them down into my su-table, but another performer explained that made the produced silks look "smaller" again. So, now they go into the large hamper (remember, they came out of a small square circle or a small drawer box). I don't use that hamper to dump other props... only the silks.

- Donald

I understand what you both are saying AND I think you are correct. It is a pile of silk and I think the advice to use cthem for an additional production is the way to go. I truely appreciate both of you taking the time to type such extensive posts.

DeWayne

Dewayne IF you wanted to show off the silks before gathering them try using an assistant and have them walk the line down the center isle or to one side of the performing area. Have them walk slowly as you produce the line of silks. Make sure you are shaking them up and down a bit to give the line life and make the production dynamic and look large. As the final silk comes out take it and the two of you hold the line high. Then you gather it and make your production. A killer finale to a production.

My line of silks comes from the center of my Fountain of Silks. Between the fountain and the gathered up line I can produce almost anything. I have produced a magnum of Champagne and I have produced a large rabbit. Both are stolen from behind my table. The bottle production is just the "This" production silk (alone and without the cover silks). The rabbit is also stolen from the back of my table. It is in a simple rabbit bag that has several old silks sewn on it. Totally invisible in the bunch of silk I am holding).

The blocking is I am to the front and to one side of the table and I step back as the line is being produced. On one pull of the line the Silk Fountain drops (letting more line come out) and the steal is made. Then I move the hand "as if" I am pulling out more line but just move my arm and hand up and down the line of silks as I step forward again and my assistant steps back. The illusion is that the line grew. The assistant's spot in the audience or across the stage is the visual marker for the audience. When the line is fully exposed the assistant takes a couple of steps back toward me as I am pulling it back in. Then she tosses it high into the air and exits out of frame. Pulling the last of the line in brings all attention back to the performer (me!) and I am well away from any table when the final production is made. The technique can be used for almost any production device or prop.

Just remember be well away from anything when you make your final production.

Just an idea to piggy back on what is already been said.

All three of you have inspired me. I mean it.

Now about getting that ephelant, I have a source in India......

DeWayne:

Great question!!

My answer is:

IT DEPENDS ON YOUR PERFORMING SITUATION......please notice Harry Murphy's specific use of the word "assistant" in his post, above.....No assistant, you say? Hmmmmm...maybe it's time to "Hire One"....

The best reaction I got from using Bob's Line of Silks (Mine are 18's) was during a "body Load" of a kid (10 years old or so) who was a great grandchild of one of the residents of an Assisted Living Facility I was performing for.

The Body Load was done A LA Al Flosso........when I produced the very first silk of the line, I handed it to the kid, saying to him "Here....take this and hold tight".... and stepped back, step-by step to produce the entire line...it filled about 24 feet of that Assisted Living Facility and all the residents loved it since it was all happening right in front of their eyes........

The kid came up to me after the show and said..."That was FUN!"

Audience participation can be priceless. At time I even get the audience to pass the line around the room. (This works especially well when they are seated in a horseshoe around the walls as in a nursing home.)

I just read down this thread again, and it reminded me of a 25 foot streamer production that I used when I did a tour for a "phone show" promoter, about 35 years ago. I used a Merv Taylor "Tambourine" to produce a bunch of 36" Rice picture silks. The streamere followed. It was loaded "center" first, so that both ends started the production. My assistant (the only time that I've worked with an assistant since I started working!)took one end, and I took the other. I walked stage left, and he walked stage right. We finished with a streamer that stretched across the stage. He held his end tightly, and I stretched the streamer TAUT. Then, I released my end, and the streamer, on account of its elasticity, "sprung" to Jeff. He was at the wings,and backed off, as I moved back to the tambourine and produced a 6' Rice Dragon. I draped it over the tambourine and its tripod table. While doing this production, Jeff dropped the bundle of streamer over the botania that I had used in the opening of the show. He had earlier covered the chrome botania tube with the black pants leg from an old pair of jeans. As I draped the 6' dragon, he entered and we met, center stage. I held out my right hand, and he lowered the covered botania, so my right hand could grab the bottom of the botania. He lifted the bundle of streamer (and tube!) and I got my nickel's worth (!) out of the botania!!!

I don't know if the line of silks would be elastic enough, but the assistant could just pull them "hand over hand" (!!!)and duck into the wings! If you use this, 'ya owe me a cup of coffee!'

P.S. I like Bob Sander's idea of passing the streamer around the room! AUDIENCE INVOLVEMENT!!!

The most important idea in silk production is to let the audience see and appreciate them (LONE, SIZE, DESIGN) before ditching them -- and if you use them for a background have some good eyes evaluate how you display them -- if you use dragons -- make sure you have not only a reason for bringing them forth and displaying them -- but they are displayed in such a way to not disturb the focus on the rest of the act.

If you use a small clothesline of 12 inch silks that stretches 15 feet across the stage -- they easily add to visual clutter if left visible. An assistant taking them out of the way is a good ditch--
but having a sting reel pull the mine off flying though the air may be better and more amazing.

If your line is 18 or 24 inch silks -- you can gather them into a bundle and use that as a shield to pick up or conceal a load. (See Mr, Electric's work for great ideas on this.)

Avoiding visual clutter can be a problem -- unless you put the clutter to work for you.

An advantage of the Line of Silks is that can make a stage act out of one that is not! I don't leave one out on stage because it is easy for your assistant (Miss Direction) to bring attention back to you (she moves and you don't) but gives you an opportunity for a major body load. (Simply the concept of large movement covering a small movement.)

Another major advantage is that they don't twist like solid streamers do!