You are all going to really laugh at this one. I am the type of person who cannot leave a magic trick in a package until I get home. I have to open it the moment I leave the magic shop. There is simply nothing I can do to help myself.

That said, I will tell you the story of when I first bought my thin model saw in half. I was so thrilled! I had it in my dad's garage and wondered what height person would comfortably fit in the illusion. So naturally I HAD to try it on for size.

It had been in another magician's storage when I bought it, so it had cobwebs and spiders living in it. I dusted what I could out, then stepped up and laid inside. Now this illusion was uncomfortable. The box was hard and really rough to lay on. It had a little ridge that really bit into my backbone. I was also a bit tall at 5'8", but I went ahead and put the feet stocks on and shut the bottom door, then laid back and put the head stock on.

I felt about three or four inches too tall and I had to squish down to fit, but what the heck! So with my hands free, I closed the top half. I grinned and thought: "Cool!" Then a cold rush of reality sunk in. When these doors shut, they locked with a bullet-style catch. I could not get my hands outside the prop and I was down for the count!

I was so uncomfortable. I could feel the little spiders come out and walk across me, but there was not much I could do except pray that there were no black widows or brown recluses in the herd. A few long hours later, my dad drove up in the driveway. I heard him get out of his car and call my name.

I calmly said: "I'm in here, dad!"
He came into the garage and said: "Well, I see you are practicing."
I said: "Yep."
He knew I was soooo trapped so he said: "You want me to leave you alone?"
I said: "Oh not really. I am just about done here."
He started laughing and said: "You want me to open the locks so you can get out?"
I said: "THAT would be nice."

We had many a good laugh about my over-exuberance to try out my saw in half single-handedly.

OK - that story just made my day!

I can't contribute much, as I'm a director and novice designer, not a performer...but I was working on a project recently and it was suggested that we try a pu** for an actor who wasn't really strong at sleights...

So, I got ahold of one and I'm trying to work out how he'll do his thing.

And let's just say my chest is - well- ample.

There wasn't a blessed place I could attach that sucker where I didn't get zinged. I had to keep saying to myself, "Really, this won't be me doing this...this is a guy doing this..." - many bruises later, I understood the moves and was really grateful that I would never ever ever have to do that again!

The funniest thing was - sometimes it would hit and "bounce" off into the other direction. And of course I had to do all this in a mirror...

Oh, the humiliation!

I am so glad you got a laugh out of that one, Moth! Your gift of "ample endowment" is the same as my sister's. When she was pregnant she would sleep on her stomach just so she could be all one level!

Being zapped by the pu** really hurts! I know a guy invented the darn thing because we would have come up with another method for sure! The first time I used one in a magic shop it took my breath away! Literally! I told the guys it hurt, but they thought I was just being a wimp. Then, after they saw me get snapped (and after they got a good laugh) they got it.

But Moth, my pu** never did the ricochet thing! Oh, I am sorry to laugh, but the picture in my mind as I read your story was just too funny! And I know (first hand) it must have really hurt.

For future productions: A top*** works a great deal better (is painfree) and they can be sewn into a dress so beautifully. It works like Lance Burton's double dove vanish into a tux with tails. Similar location, same action. If you are doing close-up vanishes, you could use a top*** in a vest in lieu of a pu**. Here is an interesting link: http://insidemagic.com/magicnews/Fiction......2042638/

Does anyone have any strange and/or funny tales to tell of their faux pas and fumbles? Oh, C'mon...You know you want to tell your story!

I've got to say I'm surprised that so many didn't think about the flamability of wigs and products in them! That was my first concern when I started training in fire performance, my hair! I never wear wigs, just makes me think back to when I was little I had a barbie and ken doll and they were sitting in front of a warm fire for their 'date' (the fire was a space heater) well, I got distracted as children do and when I returned barbie and ken were a bit melted, especially barbie's hair!
Cheaper Fake hair = plastic, real hair wigs are so expensive but look fantastic, but again will still burn.
I will wear fake eyelashes when doing fire, but I practiced eating with them on before trying it in a show.
Though still performing with fire and with no product in my hair I will still smell the scent of roasting hair from time to time(yuck!). My hair stylist laughs, knowing what I do and seeing the ends curled a bit from getting to close to the flame but it helps keep her in business since I constantly need my ends trimmed due to this.

I also found that doing the voodoo box I can't have my hair in a clip, it will pop the top up a bit. Much easier to do when the hair is down.

I love the spider / saw in half story Autumn!

Autumn, your story reminds me...

I was once adjusting the tr** on my subtrunk and rather than remove the top, I climbed in through the tr** and sat down. I sanded a bit and wanted to check on the alignment so I pushed it closed. Apparently, I needed to sand it a bit more because I couldn't get it back down and the top of it was locked in place! Fortunately, I had my cell in my pocket or I would have been in big trouble. I had to call a roommate to come release me...

This is a fun discussion - I apologize for lurking in the female section... forum... threads... whatever... It's just fun to read.

There are a lot less "My wand is bigger than your wand" arguments here.



I did that to myself once, too. Only it was in a really bad, cheap knockoff zig-zag, which was sitting in the back room of my local magic shop at the time. I think it was built for some college play, or college football game, or something that makes me feel ill. It was a hunk of junk.

So I'm in the backroom, the owner of the shop is out front with a customer, and I decided that because I've never been in a zig-zag before, this was the perfect time to see if I could fit.

I get in. I close the doors. They don't lock... but they DO decide to shift a bit and wedge shut when a 6'2" guy crawls inside and tries to see if he can slide the middle section sideways from the inside.

Very much too tall. I had the decision-making skills of a squirrel that day.

Luckily, I only had to hang out for 10 minutes until the owner finished making his sale and came back to finish working.



Even without implants, I could never be a box-jumper.

Shhh...don't tell that to my guys who are box jumpers! They think they can do it all, which is great by me!