Being Yourself

[joshrobarts]

Something i've been pondering for awhile. We see all the time comments and suggestions about creating your character. Suggestions about having to be an actor playing the part of a magician and maintaining a feeling or atmosphere within your act. For awhile i considered this and played around with what is was to be a magician and to have a successful act. I've also seen so many magicians fall into the pitfalls of trying to hard to fit a character. While i agree that the magic you choose should meld well with your act and fit you, i dont agree with the idea of a character. Seeing people like David Blaine, in his early specials putting on this facade of a creepy monotone almost zombie like magician, compared to some behind the scenes footage of him as a regular guy is off-putting. Criss Angel is another example but im just gonna leave that alone. I think much more success can be garnered by just existing as yourself. Two of the most popular and inspiring magicians i have ever met are Daniel Garcia and Wayne Houchin. When interacting with them i dont get a sense of a character, I feel as if im meeting a person, and that person just happens to do a little magic. Seeing them perform is no different then seeing them hang out at the bar with their friends. Because there is no "act" or "character" to conform to it comes naturally, everything is natural and everything just seems more relaxed and to flow better. My point is this, that dont try and create a character, dont try and fill a mold, especially when its someone else's your copying. Instead try and reveal the character you have had all along. Be YOURSELF. It will make the connection you have with your audience that much more powerful and make performing more natural and easier. These are my thoughts, lets hear yours.

 

[ArcaneTiger99]

I couldn't agree more..... check out my contest: http://forums.theory11.com/showthread.php?33626-Homemade-vanish-device-battle

 

[Justin.Morris]

A character can be terrific, if it is your own creation -unique to you.

For example, Sylvester the Jester is a brilliant character unique to Dan.

 

[toolnard]

When you say "be yourself," which self are you talking about? This is something Steerpike always mentions. I'm not the same person with my family that I am with my friends. And my "self" changes depending on which friends I am with. "Be yourself" is not entirely accurate.

 

[eostresh]

I disagree but only because I think you misinterpret what a character is. Sure some people play "characters" and it is painfully obvious that they are doing so. Generally these people are either bad actors or the character they are playing is too far from who they really are. Check out Derren Brown. There is a guy who has two very distinct characters. One a bit more mysterious and intense for his TV specials and one that is a bit more light hearted and affable for his stage shows. The big difference, I'm sure, is that the TV shows are pieced together from smaller segments of effects. Usually a three phase effect and each effect rarely lasts longer than 10 minutes. It is easier to hold intensity for a shorter set of magic/mentalism. His stage shows are an hour to an hour and a half. In that period of time you need a character that can "lighten" up a bit so the audience is not overwhelmed. In both cases, unless you watch real carefully, the average person won't really noticed the difference because he puts a lot of himself into his characters. He talks a lot about character in his book "Absolute Magic" and that, in conjunction with Bob Cassidy's "Fundamentals" are two of the best resources I have discovered for character development. What both mention is the importance of making your "character" true to "yourself." So a good character should be a more dynamic, exaggerated, version of yourself. Perhaps if you don't believe in playing a character it is because you, or the people whose characters you didn't like, were trying to make a character completely different from who they are. Ie. a light hearted affable guy who throws on some black clothes and eyeliner and tries to be the goth magician. Conversely, a moody guy with a dark sense of humor trying to be a "zany" kids magician.

In other short, definitely work on and use a character when you perform, just make sure the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree.

 

[Haunter]

I feel like there is nothing wrong with being yourself per se BUT you should learn and incorporate presentation, performance and speaking skills. If you aren't a cocky person, you don't have to act cocky. If you aren't funny you don't have to try to be funny. By all means be you but be the best you. Let it shine. Whatever your personality is, you can probably make it work, just develop the skills to allow you to make the most of who you are and the magic you do.

That said I'm in no way knocking the use of developing and performing as a 'character'. Especially in the professional field that can be HUGE. But there are amazing professional magicians on both sides of the fence and many in between. The bottom line is whether you choose to perform as 'yourself' or someone you've invented, you have to make the best of it.

 

[RealityOne]

Two of the most popular and inspiring magicians i have ever met are Daniel Garcia and Wayne Houchin. When interacting with them i dont get a sense of a character, I feel as if im meeting a person, and that person just happens to do a little magic.

I have to disagree here, at least when it comes to Wayne. I noticed a distinct difference between talking to Wayne before a lecture and seeing him perform his effects during the lecture. You could see him step into his character. There were aspects of his "normal" self and his "performing self" that were the same but many aspects were different. This is what Toolnard is talking about. We are different people in different circumstances. What I found very interesting is that Wayne's character was very different than what was on his DVDs. He seemed, less like a street magician and more like a professional entertainer.

I agree with Eostresh in that character does have to have an anchor in your personality or your experiences. Most people who fail in developing a character, fail because they stray too far from what they know. However, you can learn a character -- but it takes time. If your character is a psychic with powers developed from a deep understanding of eastern mysticism, you need to develop a deep understanding of eastern mysticism as well as an understanding about modern psychics and the people who follow them. If your character is based on a cardshark from the 1930's you need to understand the time and culture of the 1930s.

Now, keep in mind that there is a difference between doing tricks for friends and performing magic. In doing tricks for friends we most often don't need a character. When performing, you need a character for (at least two reasons). First, you need to be larger than life and exaggerated. It is like acting on a stage where you you need to project and where your actions, reactions and expressions need to be able to be conveyed to people who are far away from you. Second, having a consistent character who acts within a construct (i.e. why and how he can perform what type of magic) makes your magic more believable. How would you react to a performer that did Hippity Hoppity Rabbits, a gambling demonstration and then a straight jacket escape?