Okay... I know there are some creative minds here. I've posted this question before, but got nowhere. Does anyone have any patter ideas for Dan Harlan's trick "Starcle?" Brief description: A napkin is folded... then, with one straight tear you end up with a circle in the middle... the spectator is handed some of the discarded center... when they open their hand, the piece they're holding is a near perfect 5-point star.

Dan's patter for this is along the lines of... "When I was a small child, my mother showed me the full moon one night... told me about the first star I saw, and to make a wish and my dreams will come true, etc"

There's nothing wrong with his patter... I'd just like to come up with a different approach... i.e., maybe talk about E.S.P. symbols, or... you can be a star (if you have the right CIRCLE of friends) or... anything else that would take it out of the "When I was a kid" mode.

I'm not looking for verbatum patter here... just some ideas to help me brainstorm.

Thanx,
Dave

Hello Dave,

Did you ever think about origami?
Maybe you can tell a story about the nearly magical powers
of old Japanese origami masters?
I do it this way.

Meng,
Thanx for your input. My origami talent is limited to just a few folds with U.S. money (dollar bills.) I would be interested in reading your patter about the Japanese masters and how you interlace it with the Starcle effect. If you'd like to share it, that would be greatly appreciated. You could either post it here or if you'd rather... you could PM me.
Thanx again,
Dave

There's a great line about origami that you can drop into a routine that features paper folding.

"Origami is not to be confused with Hara gami, which is an ancient form of ritual suicide that is done by folding yourself to death."

Dave,
My story is based on an old Japanese legend.
I will send you a PM with more information.

Thanks Bill,

I love it! I'll definitely store that line in my brain... and pull it out when I need some mumbo jumbo to break the silence while folding.

Dave

Perhaps you could talk about as a child dreaming of being a star but ending up with only empty dreams (the big circle/hole) but never letting your dream die you eventually became a star.

Braddevant,

I really like your idea. I believe it would also work if I took it out of the 'first-person' mode and make it about the spectator's dreams of becoming someone important... and how they'll encounter some disappointments along the way... but if they never give up, eventually they'll shine like a star.

This is great! It could leave them with a positive memory of my magic... and a souvenier as a reminder of the message I gave them... what a great closer effect!!!

Thanx for your input.
Dave

I'd use the poem from the Werewolf.

And the Curse of the Werewolf...

Lee Darrow, C.H.

Stars become Black Holes.

This would be a bit audience specific, but if you ever do performances for bar/bat mitzvahs or other functions where you can safely assume that most of the audience is Jewish, then you might want to do something about how different foods may be certified kosher by different rabbis or certification boards, which have different symbols. For instance, many are certified by the OU (hence the circle) and others by the star-k (there's your star. Bonus points if you can arrange to have a "K" on the star).

Perhaps this is a bit of my bizarre side shining through:

How about the protective properties of a ritual circle and the power of the pentagram or pentacle. (Two different terms for 5-pointed stars used in rituals)

I might look into Staracle for this, too. hmmmm....

how many sides does the starcle star end up with?...isn't it 5 and not 6?

The Star-K symbol is a five pointed star, not a star of david. http://www.star-k.org/

Oh! other idea: "When I was in grade school, for some assignments we had to circle the right answers. When I did well, the teacher gave me a star."

Thanks everyone.

To all who have posted ideas since March 9th, I apologize for not answering. Ever since the switch to the new server, I've been unable to post in the forums. I'm using an antique MAC with a very old operating system.... and I'm using AOL :-( I believe that AOL is the source of the problem. I've only been able to post now because I signed on to Netscape.

To Lee... Could you explain your suggestion, "poem from the warewolf" and "Curse of the Warewolf?" I don't understand.

Anyway, these are all very creative ideas that have given me much to ponder. I knew you all would come through... Thanks again.

Dave

I use a theme based on Dan's - where my parents explained that you have to have wishes etc. reinforced by school. However, at school they suggested we go further than the moon for our wishes, as our school motto was
Ad astra per aspera - 'to the stars through difficulties'.
Sort of a "personal motivation" theme I guess...
Rgds - Bruce

How about a DaVinci Code theme based on how we see symbols.



People love the power of symbols. What one person sees is different than the next.

For some people the symbols of life are ones turned inward in ascetic pursuit... attempting to gain truth by eliminating anything that is false.(Set aside the napkin with the circle) It punishes and casts aside the flesh to find the soul. All truth lies within,... maybe.

Others find in the stars the symbolic power of the illuminati, shining the light of knowledge for some to see. (unfold star). This light revealed provides for some a vision of an external path leading home the soul to its distant truth, ...or maybe not.

For there is yet a third way. One that embraces both the external and the internal search. One that is most surprising in embracing the flesh and soul's incarnation as union, seeing the two as one. We are not the light but it warms us and is relfected in our creation. So in expression of this truth a new and "unexpected" symbol emerges like the moon before the sun. (unfold the circle as you say "unexpected" and then pause raising it to frame your face for the closing line)

Symbols having many meanings, or are they mysteries, within the human mind.