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Grasshop34 Veteran user Cincinnati, OH 308 Posts |
I'm a long-time magician, but new to the bizarre magic world. I ordered a lot of items from Rick Roth in hopes of getting them before my Halloween shows. The OE website has some amazing products. My question is How do you answer the question, "is this real?" When you're performing seances, do you claim it's real? How do you handle this? I would rather not claim it's real and I can talk and connect to spirits. I more like the story-telling with more of an emotional hook than a magic trick. Can someone help guide me how to handle my dilimmea I'm sure you had as well when you first began. Thanks! I'm loving this creepy, fun world. Any other sites besides OE I should explore? I picked up Poe, killer clowns and WA from Vic. Great products there. Can't wait for my OE products to arrive!
Thanks, Jason |
Pasteboard Alchemist Special user 502 Posts |
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On Oct 19, 2016, Grasshop34 wrote: I usually give a back-story introduction to the item in question (for example my Spiritas Magnus.) It's something unusual that people usually are going to ask about if you don't approach it head-on. That being said, I've never said "This is a real communication device that speaks to spirits." That's akin to saying "As you can see, here I have a perfectly normal, non-marked, non-gimmicked deck of cards..." Rather, I approach it along the lines of "As a lover of interesting, odd things from the past, I often find myself at estate sales, antique stores, and the like. One of the more interesting things I've come across in my search is this. Now, the gentleman who sold it to me said that it [backstory]. The more I spent time with it, the more I noticed that... odd things would happen when it's around. It was then I began to realize this is far more than wood and glue." Or whatever. Point is I try to 1) never directly associate with the original owner or spout off a history as fact--more as legend. And 2) never call attention to exactly what the supernatural purpose is supposed to be. Spectators are going on this journey of discovery with you. Quote:
On Oct 19, 2016, Grasshop34 wrote:Can't wait for my OE products to arrive! I wouldn't start holding your breath. Maybe by next Halloween? |
topherhester Loyal user 295 Posts |
Welcome. I recently began using a hobdora from outlaw in my show. The only reference I make to "the box" is that it supposedly belonged to one of the deceased characters from my story and that we are going to explore what's inside together. I never make any reference to the box as a prop. Or draw attention to what's in the box. So later when things do happen, the focus is on the other items and not the box itself.
Sites I frequent: Lebanon Circle Outlaw Gemini Artifacts Alchemist Moon Thedarkbizarre Hocus Pocus Taylor Imagineering I'm sure there are more that I can't think of at the moment, apologies to any I left out. |
topherhester Loyal user 295 Posts |
Oh!! Paul Praters website! Tons of great stuff there. Hoping to catch his Requim show next week.
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Grasshop34 Veteran user Cincinnati, OH 308 Posts |
Great tips guys thanks! I like how you described the specs are on the journey with you and it's more of a legend and to not directly associate with the props. Also what top said about not making reference to the box as a prop more of discovering what's inside it together. You guys are awesome! Thanks for taking the time to help me explore this creepy fun world.
Jason |
Grasshop34 Veteran user Cincinnati, OH 308 Posts |
What's Paul's password? 3 letter first name for Mr A?
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topherhester Loyal user 295 Posts |
I made a typo. I meant draw attention to what's in the box and not the box itself. The box is merely the delivery for the props needed for the routines. So when something happens from the box the spectators are not thinking it came from the box. Hope that makes sense. I'll give you an example. During my show I take out the bell that comes with the Hobbs box and have a spectator assemble it. I don't set the bell on the box initially. I put it on the table in front of me and we try to get an unseen spirit to ring the bell. When that does not work I pick up the bell and I set it on the box to move it out-of-the-way. I then get out my spirit glass from Adrian and try to make contact that way since it requires less energy of the Spirit. The glass will ring very faintly And then I will ask the spirit if they can ring it again. Now with all the focus on the glass, the bell which is sitting on top of the box rings and it's very startling. Depending on the audience and their demeanor I may or may not ring the bell again once the focus is on it. I like to use the effects very sparingly. The bell never rings more than twice in my show. I've seen performers to carry-on entire conversations letting the bell answer questions but I think this takes away from the effect. And then again it all depends on the style of show you're going for. If it's kind of tongue-in-cheek and theatrical you may want to use your prop a little more than a performance that more serious.
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Necromancer Inner circle Chicago 3076 Posts |
Hi Jason,
Bizarre magick -- like mentalism -- derives much of its power from the ambiguity of whether or not it is "real." But that doesn't mean you need to make overt supernatural claims. For more than a decade, I performed The Houdini Seance at a haunted location in Chicago every Halloween. When asked point-blank if it was real (by sitters and the media), my answer was direct: "This is an authentic theatrical recreation of a traditional Victorian seance, just like the ones Houdini himself attended." The words "theatrical recreation" are neatly tucked in there to assure the skeptical that this is theatre. But the overall impression is that of an "authentic...traditional Victorian seance, just like the ones Houdini himself attended," which maintains the feeling of reality, so the believers don't feel they're being disrespected. Everybody wins. As for sources, instead of props I'd steer you to the classic books: Spirit Theatre (Burger), Manifestations (Earle), and the three volumes of The Jinx (ed Annemann). Other excellent books include Seance (ed. Davis), Once Upon A Time (Punx), Capricornian Tales (Chelman), Pentalogy (Shane), MagicTales (Melville), The Altar Flame (ed. Tomich), and The Compleat Invocations Vol 1, 2 and 3 (ed. Andruzzi). For fascinating background into this corner of magic performance, you might also want to pick up Unspeakable Acts, the biography of Andruzzi (Magus et al). Best, Neil
Creator of The Xpert (20 PAGES of reviews!), Cut & Color, Hands-Off Multiple ESP (HOME) System, Rider-Waite Readers book, Zoom Pendulum ebook ...
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Eddie Garland Inner circle Hells Kitchen, New York City 4207 Posts |
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On Oct 19, 2016, Grasshop34 wrote I ordered a lot of items from Rick Roth in hopes of getting them before my Halloween shows. Please follow up and let us know if you receive your items In a timely fashion. |
Harley Newman Inner circle 5117 Posts |
"This is how I heard it..."
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” -Mark Twain
www.bladewalker.com |
afinemesh Inner circle Senseless gibberish that amounts to 2621 Posts |
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On Oct 22, 2016, Harley Newman wrote: Well put. . .
"I've always been mental, I'm sure of it" Boris Pocus
"Someday we'll look back on this and it will all seem funny". . .Bruce Springsteen |
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