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Lars Andersen New user 16 Posts |
Hi,
I have seen a lot of lectures where envelopes were used. But the setting for all of them was more parlour mentalism, i.e. the performer was on the floor with the audience. What are your experience with using envelopes (and billets) when on a raised stage, and you therefore would have to go down some stairs in order to interact envelope-wise with the audience? Or do you have the audience members come on stage, to write on the paper going into the envelopes? Thanks Lars |
Lars Andersen New user 16 Posts |
Would appreciate your comments
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David Thiel Inner circle Western Canada...where all that oil is 4005 Posts |
Hi, Lars...
It must be frustrating to ask a question and get met with silence. Personally, I am not sure what you are asking. In a Q and A (by Osterlind, for example) the performer does walk into the audience. He has to. Same with other effects like Target Number. I use a large envelope with a thick question mark on it for one routine...purely to draw interest. Can you be specific with your question? David
Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Except bears. Bears will kill you.
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Last Laugh Inner circle Grass Valley, California 3498 Posts |
I'm not quite sure if you question is about envelopes or more about handling audience participation when on stage.
Are you asking about how to handle a 4DT style effect where often the routine has the audience staying in place? Well, I can say for me at least that if the stage is lower and easy to get on and off of, I treat it the same as parlor, i.e. I go into the audience. If the stage is more bandstand style and is difficult and time consuming to get on and off of, then, thanks to David Thiel's great advice a few years ago, I select everyone I need for the show and bring them up on stage at the beginning and have a set of chairs on the side of the stage.
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Lars Andersen New user 16 Posts |
@ David Thiel - yes a bit frustrating, but understandable if my question was unclear
@Last Laugh - My question was exactly related to effects like 4DT, where you give out notes and pens, and afterwards envelopes. It is a lot of "disappearing" from the stage in order to make this work. I like the approach to invite a "committee" on stage and work with them during the show. Some years ago I saw Luke Jermay did the same thing. |
Last Laugh Inner circle Grass Valley, California 3498 Posts |
Yeah then it really depends on the size, height, and ease of access.
I prefer going into the audience because it creates a little buzz - "Oh, is he coming over here?" People see you up close, etc. But for larger stages it really is a problem. Only one time did I pull the entire committee up before the show, and that's because the outdoor stage was very high and the steps were around the back. However, with a larger theater where the steps are more or less accessible, I'll pull people up for each effect - BUT - for 4DT I'll pull 3 people up and do everything on stage.
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CurtWaltermire Special user Curtis The Mentalist 505 Posts |
I've performed regularly with billets and envelopes for many years. Even for corporate banquet audiences as large as 500 people. I use them in virtually all of my shows. I've handled it various ways, to include the "committee" onstage, but find that going into the audience can spice the show up quite a bit if you do it right. "Disappearing" from the stage for several minutes while you work the crowd isn't always a show or momentum killer, but to keep it from becoming so it is VERY important to fill that time and space by engaging the audience in some way while you are doing so. I'm pretty high-energy and more of a comedy performer, so I keep my explanations VERY minimal (i.e. "Think of the first name of someone you know, print the name very neatly HERE and fold it back up with the name INSIDE. Do it now, please...") and spice it up with jokes and comments while out in the audience handing out and collecting the billets and envelopes. But this is just my performing style and is what works for me.
I'm not sure why you're mentioning the "lectures," however; unless you're just referring to effects performed and taught by the lecturers. If you're going to use envelopes and billets in a routine like 4DT before a large crowd, regardless of how the crowd is laid out (round tables, theater seating, etc), just be sure to engage them and make it entertaining or at the very least, INTERESTING. Have a music track playing in the background, come up with inventive ways to choose and/or use the volunteers. One example of this (though not the best example, perhaps) is during a routine where I must get three envelopes into the hands of three random volunteers (this is a non-4DT effect). I choose a lady in the front to do this for me, and after I hand her the envelopes I tell her that she must "only do so while lip-syncing and dancing to THIS classic song..." I then play a chorus track of Dancing Queen by ABBA. The person almost always gets into it, and the audience laughs and applauds for them while they dance around handing out envelopes. The entire thing only lasts about 20-30 seconds, but gives me time to do something else in my routine while they steal the show for a moment. Not sure if this helps. Just trying to spark some ideas.
Curtis Waltermire
Mentalist/Magician/Speaker/Actor/Grandpa/Cool Dad & Above-Average Husband CurtisTheMentalist.com YouTube Channel My Touring Public Show "The Mastermind Show" Check Out My Podcast "The Mastermind Show with Curtis The Mentalist" |
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