Hi Wesley,
Thanks so much for the stimulating week. I think
you generated truly thoughtful discourse far above the usual level. A few snide remarks from good magicians when they strayed from their area of expertise, but that's to be expected. Please PM me with your e-mail address so I can follow up on SAM 148 and other matters we discussed. By the way, speaking as one who makes his living by acting and directing (and teaching acting and directing) I thought you gave great advice to the poster who asked about reading Stanislavski. Any course will do him much more good even if the teacher is less than divinely inspired. (Amazing how many acting teachers have never worked under an EQUITY, AFTRA, or SAG contract in their lives). But just learning, rehearsing, and performing a scene in front of the class will teach him more than dozens of books. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Best to the guys in my home town.

Tony

Tony,
I have believed since my teen years that learning the techniques of acting and the craft of theater are invaluable to the magician. All the books ever written of the subject, like all the books ever written on magic, can't teach one as much as doing it. When one has the opportunity to perform for people who can articulate what one is sending across the footlights it provide guidance that even normal performance can't.

I'm sure you've known, as I have, people who take acting classes for years but never actually perform. They too are misguided. Books can be useful, to a degree, training with knowledgable teachers can be more helpful. Ultimately, however, the only way to learn is to get into the fray and get your nose bloody. Nothing has taught me more about performing than carefully watching and listening to my audiences.

Finally, what I said in my private note I will repeat publically. Thank you for your assistance during this week. I believe your posts contributed to and helped sustain the tone I hoped for in the level of discourse. Many thanks,

Wesley James