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Seth speaks Inner circle New Mexico 1249 Posts |
I was just about to list the awesome PHASMOLOGY by Prof BC, but then I decided that it may be less of Royal Road and more like 13 Steps, since each chapter discusses one important aspect of theatrical Bizarre and contains an effect to illustrate by example...
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handa Inner circle Pittsburgh, PA 1357 Posts |
For me, the path started with material readily available to the mundanes and muggles.
My first steps upon the RRTBM started with mainstream magic, specifically David Copperfield, and to a lesser extent, Doug Henning. Lesser, I think, only because I was very young when I first saw Henning, and grew to learn other meaning to his magic much later. The performances that were the most intriguing, and magical, to me were the ones that told a story and contained a lesson to be learned. They weren't simply levitations, lightning manipulations, productions, or vanishes. They were complete stories, containing character, conflict, plot, and theme. They took me out of the realm of "magic trick" and into the realm of theatre. Specifically, Copperfield's version of the DeKolta Chair, and later the vanish of the Statue of Liberty, moved me in ways that magic tricks never moved me before. The next steps were reading about performers like Rudy Coby and Jay Scott Berry, who had their own specific performance personas that took them out of the realm of stereotypical magician. Every performance that I have ever seen featuring Tina Lenert also moved me. After that: Tarbell. Those two chapters at the beginning of Tarbell I set me firmly upon a path that lead me to a more coherent understanding of what my performance philosophy would eventually become. All along the way, short stories by Ray Bradbury, episodes of The Twilight Zone, and what was sometimes an unhealthy desire to absorb everything about the occult and paranormal I could find. Unhealthy because of the number of hours that my brain would not let me fall asleep due to fear generated from what I decided to read right before bed. Somewhere after this, performers like Rick Maue, Todd Robbins, and Penn and Teller helped me find a grounding rod of rationality to be able to better create both character and unique magic effects while not taking myself too seriously. For better or worse, this is what led me to the many rooms on the bizarre side of the house of magic. I never left. Chris |
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dalo New user 77 Posts |
Bizarre or Gothic or Storytelling magic could be very different and also really bad or simply fantastic.
It depends a lot of the performer and the preparation and knowledge he or she acquired. The first thing would be to read The Arcana of Bizarre Magick by Jim Magus. It is a fantastic book. It contains shorter essays on specific topics like presentation, persona, etc one for each of the higher arcana. Then there are four larger parts named after the four suits coins, swords, etc with many different effects from the best creators in the field. After that try to se video performances of Andruzzi, Chelman, Charles Cameron, Black Hart, Anthony Raven, Simon Drake, Doc Hilford. You will find all of these and then some in the Arcana. It is all about deep mystery as it once was, and that was really what the people that started the movement in the sixties with the Invocation (A magick circular started by Tony Raven to get back to the roots of real magic) was searching for. All the best of luck. A few web pages of interest: https://www.dragonskull.co.uk/main_map.htm http://www.blackhart.co.uk/bizarremagic.html https://www.secretcabaret.co.uk/ You can also look into something called the Grand Guignol, a form of horror theater that started in Paris at the end of the nineteen century. https://www.grunge.com/278525/the-grand-......-horror/ |
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gaddy Inner circle Agent of Chaos 3526 Posts |
"Spooky Tricks" by Aimes Wilder comes to mind...
*due to the editorial policies here, words on this site attributed to me cannot necessarily be held to be my own.*
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chmara Inner circle Tucson, AZ 1911 Posts |
If you can find some of the works of DeNomolos around -- his approach was to set things in ancient Egypt. Along the way learning the history - not of magic, but of an era can add to the story anmd methods of presentation. Too many magicians get stuck in the Victorian Era - Jack the Ripper stuff. Here in Tucson a Bizarre presentation of Seance styled material is based upon the capture of John Dillinger here a century ago.
Bizarre is story much more than the patter magic we all seem to start with. Vampires, demons, spirits, seances, and even using location for story and building (and antiquing) your own effects, or like some haunting antique shops and swap meets for oddities is part of the fun of this work. One warning from an old timer though. My opinion is that Bizaarre is ideal for audiences up to maybe 25 people or for a smaller intimate parlor. Impact is greater. Some effects are not suitable for restaurant work. Economically if you are very good- you make a living in Bizarre with small audiences, growing reputation for being out of the children's market, and higher prices. Also - study closely the routines and work of (a lot on You-Tube) of the late Eugene Burger.
Gregg (C. H. Mara) Chmara
Commercial Operations, LLC Tucson, AZ C. H. Mara Illusion & Psychic Entertainments |
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weepinwil Inner circle USA 3828 Posts |
For me, some of my journeys began at the old Cedar Grove Cemetery. You would be surprised the stories that come out of there. The weeping arch, if it drips on you, indicates you will soon be buried there. Also the two guys who kept meeting at funerals. One said to the other that if they didn't stop meeting like this one of them would be visiting the other. A week later, one of them died, fulfilling the prophesy.
"Til Death us do part!" - Weepin Willie
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critter Inner circle Spokane, WA 2653 Posts |
Tarbell.
You want to do it faster you gotta bring a deck of cards to a crossroads at midnight.
"The fool is one who doesn't know what you have just found out."
~Will Rogers |
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Philemon Vanderbeck Inner circle Seattle, WA 4694 Posts |
Not just *a* deck of cards, but *all* the decks of cards that you own. You must burn them all in a sacrificial fire and promise to never buy another deck again.
Professor Philemon Vanderbeck
That Creepy Magician "I use my sixth sense to create the illusion of possessing the other five." |
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shadowsowner New user 51 Posts |
Quote:
On Apr 21, 2022, PROF BC wrote: If I can be so presumptuous, I'd like to amplify a point Prof BC makes above, namely that a better word for what "magic" could be is "immersive". Perhaps some of you have been fortunate enough to participate in immersive theater experience - there are some terrific ones in NYC and London and I'm sure in other cities as well. Here the 4th wall between the performers and the audience is gone and the audience members move through and about the venue interacting with the performers. I've noticed in many immersive experiences that magic effects are utilized like Pepper's Ghost,color changes or sleight of hand effects but in these instances it is less for "wow, how did they do that" and more because it is integral to and moves the story and action forward. I guess in immersive theater the story is still the main element that moves things along and any magical effect improves and aids the story. Perhaps w/ "general magic" too often the patter is an afterthought. Bizzarists tend to elevate the story/backstory to such a degree that they can come close to or actually create an immersive experience. |
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critter Inner circle Spokane, WA 2653 Posts |
A word of caution about this crossroads business:
I've seen a book called "Chicken Soup for the Soul." I've not read it but this seems like a bad trade.
"The fool is one who doesn't know what you have just found out."
~Will Rogers |
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shadowsowner New user 51 Posts |
Quote:
On Jan 8, 2023, critter wrote: Perhaps you're right Critter, but then again you haven't seen or tasted the soup! |
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