Congrats mate!! Go and slay, you got this!!
Got my first Gig super excited everybody !!!!!!!
- Thread starter CardMagicNJ
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- first gig !!
Thx bud, I will try my best, and I'm sure it will go well....ty very much
I had done a show for some nursing home residents after doing a show for the home's annual volunteer awards luncheon. Here is some advice:
1. Remember that the residents are interesting and wonderful people. When I was setting up, one woman came up to talk to me and mentioned that I had a lot of stuff to set up. I joked that I usually forget something and explained that I was making sure I had everything. She asked me if I had forgotten anything this time and I joked that I forgot my belt (which I had) and said "if my pant's fall down in the middle of the show you will know why." She responded, "that would make the show worth watching!" Another woman asked me if I had ever heard of Harry Blackstone (I had) and told me of how she saw him perform when she was "a little younger." Ask people their names and then use them during your performance.
2. Watch and listen. The residents have different levels of physical and mental disabilities but you can tell their ability to participate by being aware of the situation. Notice before the show who walks in by themselves, who uses a walker and who is in a wheel chair. Notice who is talking to who. There were three woman in my show who sat next to each other and were talking to each other before the show. One of them was obviously very outgoing. As you perform, make eye contact with individual residents.
3. Pick people to assist you carefully. I performed two effects where I have some "fun" with the spectators. For one, I used a family member who was visiting and for the other I used a staff member who was in charge of coordinating entertainment. As a note, I don't embarrass my spectators but these routines have some comic by-play that the spectators know is me joking with them but I felt that the joking could be misinterpreted if I used a resident. I asked one resident to pick a card and they were able to do that, but I had to take the card and hold it up to show everyone else.
4. Talk slowly and loudly and intentionally repeat yourself. I gave an instruction to an audience member like "pick a card" and then said to the group, "Annie is going to pick a card." To the audience member that is helping me, I'll say, "Can you show everyone the card" and then say, "Annie picked the 7 of Diamonds" to the audience. The seating my be such that people won't be able to see what you are doing with a volunteer who may be sitting down and this keeps everyone "in the loop" of what is happening.
5. Play BIG and provide clarity. Be careful of using close-up effects if you are performing in a parlor setting. Some card tricks can play bigger and others can't . An invisible deck routine or a sponge ball routine are good examples. Do a search of the internet for performance videos by Wayne Dobson - he has two great performances out there. Some effects can play bigger just by narrating them for the audience. Also, make sure the effects provide clarity as to the magical effect. Your audience should be able to explain what happened in a sentence and it should be clear right before the magical moment what the audience should expect to happen. You don't want a resident saying, "I don't understand what he just did."
1. Remember that the residents are interesting and wonderful people. When I was setting up, one woman came up to talk to me and mentioned that I had a lot of stuff to set up. I joked that I usually forget something and explained that I was making sure I had everything. She asked me if I had forgotten anything this time and I joked that I forgot my belt (which I had) and said "if my pant's fall down in the middle of the show you will know why." She responded, "that would make the show worth watching!" Another woman asked me if I had ever heard of Harry Blackstone (I had) and told me of how she saw him perform when she was "a little younger." Ask people their names and then use them during your performance.
2. Watch and listen. The residents have different levels of physical and mental disabilities but you can tell their ability to participate by being aware of the situation. Notice before the show who walks in by themselves, who uses a walker and who is in a wheel chair. Notice who is talking to who. There were three woman in my show who sat next to each other and were talking to each other before the show. One of them was obviously very outgoing. As you perform, make eye contact with individual residents.
3. Pick people to assist you carefully. I performed two effects where I have some "fun" with the spectators. For one, I used a family member who was visiting and for the other I used a staff member who was in charge of coordinating entertainment. As a note, I don't embarrass my spectators but these routines have some comic by-play that the spectators know is me joking with them but I felt that the joking could be misinterpreted if I used a resident. I asked one resident to pick a card and they were able to do that, but I had to take the card and hold it up to show everyone else.
4. Talk slowly and loudly and intentionally repeat yourself. I gave an instruction to an audience member like "pick a card" and then said to the group, "Annie is going to pick a card." To the audience member that is helping me, I'll say, "Can you show everyone the card" and then say, "Annie picked the 7 of Diamonds" to the audience. The seating my be such that people won't be able to see what you are doing with a volunteer who may be sitting down and this keeps everyone "in the loop" of what is happening.
5. Play BIG and provide clarity. Be careful of using close-up effects if you are performing in a parlor setting. Some card tricks can play bigger and others can't . An invisible deck routine or a sponge ball routine are good examples. Do a search of the internet for performance videos by Wayne Dobson - he has two great performances out there. Some effects can play bigger just by narrating them for the audience. Also, make sure the effects provide clarity as to the magical effect. Your audience should be able to explain what happened in a sentence and it should be clear right before the magical moment what the audience should expect to happen. You don't want a resident saying, "I don't understand what he just did."
David's advice is GOLD and spot on. I've done two nursing home shows and he is exactly right.
Awesome Ryan! Keep us posted on how it goes!
Thank you to everyone !!! I will definitely keep you all posted how it goes for sure. It's on the evening of the 20th and I'm thinking I might stop by a week earlier just to introduce myself and spend time with them, get to know them, so when I show a week later, hopefully most of them are able to recall me. Two things I wanted to ask you guys as well, 1. The director of the nursing home said she could set everybody up and kind of have the spotlight just on me / or 2. She we'll have everybody normally doing what they do at that hour, and I can just walk from two people here to two people there, a more laid-back environment and not everybody staring at me which I think is a good idea honestly . It'll be more personal that way also. And hopefully if I'm like to that well they can request me back...... Regardless thank you everybody for the golden advice.- Ry
Do what makes you the most comfortable and which best suits the material you are performing.
i have given some thought to this, and have read various comments of those who have experience doing magic in the nursing home setting. Although, I have never performed in a nursing home per se, I do have quite a bit of experience performing for elderly people.
My recommendation is to do it walk-around, close-up magic style. I think this is the way you are leaning anyway, but that it is especially a good idea considering that the great majority of your current repertoire consists of card magic. While there are some card routines that can play big in a stand-up show, such as Cards Across, most do not, and particularly since many of the audience members will have both vision and hearing issues.
Even close-up, I would be conscious of really speaking up, going nice and slow in both words and actions, and using the Bicycle JUMBO index cards. That way, they will understand and appreciate the effects. I know they are going to love you because you are so personable, gracious and genuinely care about people.
Keep it Magical,
A e C D
My recommendation is to do it walk-around, close-up magic style. I think this is the way you are leaning anyway, but that it is especially a good idea considering that the great majority of your current repertoire consists of card magic. While there are some card routines that can play big in a stand-up show, such as Cards Across, most do not, and particularly since many of the audience members will have both vision and hearing issues.
Even close-up, I would be conscious of really speaking up, going nice and slow in both words and actions, and using the Bicycle JUMBO index cards. That way, they will understand and appreciate the effects. I know they are going to love you because you are so personable, gracious and genuinely care about people.
Keep it Magical,
A e C D
Al,
Thanks for the kind words my friend and of course I will be very very personable and gracious to them. A matter of fact I'm not even going to take out the cards when I walk up to them. I'm going to just start talking to them and ask them about their life. Then maybe three to five minutes into it I'll be like oh yeah by the way I have some cards here, if I could end your night well with a few tricks. The elderly women no problem I can pull my Irish charm lol..... A nursing home ?? Must be where they nurse all these beautiful Angels.....haha.... The older ladies love that stuff. Now the guy's, theyre going to be a hard one to break through but I think I'll manage..... Anyway I already got the jumbo cards thank you very much for that Al..... Have a great weekend everybody unfortunately I have a funeral to attend on Sunday.
This is fantastic! Hope it goes great. All I want is a detailed post about what happened and how it went, its always fantastic to read these things and I think it encourages others to give it a try as well.
While I haven't done a nursing/assisted living home yet. I am completely on-board with your plan of a close-up approach.
That said, and if I'm wrong about any of this, correct me. These are a couple of things I have had ruminating from what I have been able to read about assisted/nursing homes:
- Try to avoid using tricks that require memorization or have a long-drawn setup. Impaired memory isn't something you can spot. At least, on your first go-through (if you perform more and be a regular, you can figure out if someone could handle these sorts of things or not). @Al e Cat Dabra suggested using the Bicycle Jumbo index cards for card magic, if card magic is in your repetoire. Completely agree with that. Keep it visual and not use tricks that meander for too long. So 'Out Of This World' is right out.
- if they want to talk, let them talk. Some of these people don't have visitors too often and you could be the first person they have seen in a long time that isn't a part of the staff. I don't know if the venue will only let you stay there for a certain period of time or not, but if they are allowing you a bit of free reign (which sounds like the case from what I have read). Let them talk if they are on a roll. I know that magicians can get a bit antsy and be chomping at the bit to get some sleights done. But this is honestly one of those times to where if they want to talk for 15-20-30 minutes, you being there IS the magic for them and will mean a lot more than any sleight could.
While I haven't done a nursing/assisted living home yet. I am completely on-board with your plan of a close-up approach.
That said, and if I'm wrong about any of this, correct me. These are a couple of things I have had ruminating from what I have been able to read about assisted/nursing homes:
- Try to avoid using tricks that require memorization or have a long-drawn setup. Impaired memory isn't something you can spot. At least, on your first go-through (if you perform more and be a regular, you can figure out if someone could handle these sorts of things or not). @Al e Cat Dabra suggested using the Bicycle Jumbo index cards for card magic, if card magic is in your repetoire. Completely agree with that. Keep it visual and not use tricks that meander for too long. So 'Out Of This World' is right out.
- if they want to talk, let them talk. Some of these people don't have visitors too often and you could be the first person they have seen in a long time that isn't a part of the staff. I don't know if the venue will only let you stay there for a certain period of time or not, but if they are allowing you a bit of free reign (which sounds like the case from what I have read). Let them talk if they are on a roll. I know that magicians can get a bit antsy and be chomping at the bit to get some sleights done. But this is honestly one of those times to where if they want to talk for 15-20-30 minutes, you being there IS the magic for them and will mean a lot more than any sleight could.