How would you work a room of people like this?

Dec 7, 2016
61
12
I've an opportunity to do my second magic show (ever) in the same place as the first. (A day care center for the elderly) The first time went well. But to be honest I felt they were a lot of cringe moments. Maybe most of them, if not all was in my head. But the audience was really good to me. They will be all seated against the wall filling up over half the room in a C (close to a closed C) shape. So some member's of the audience will be behind me. Which is an angle issue. But I think I can deal with that with the effects I will do. Based on my last show, I had to kinda run from once side of the room to the other a lot, as its a large room. And keep in mind that some of the people would have trouble hearing and seeing very far. As i`m still a beginner to performing, this situation will be hard for me. Do you guys have any tips I could keep in mind? Or how I could better my audience management? I should also tell you that in my first show that I only done card tricks. It`s what I only knew I could do. But this time around i`m working with spongeballs. So i would imagine that would come across better and easier for them. I don`t have a lot of tricks. As i`m trying to better myself on the ones I already know.
 
Jan 26, 2017
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1,338
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Virginia
See if you can get a friend to help you set up and man a projector, or link a couple cameras up to a screen if there is one. Maybe have 2 cameras, positioned in separate areas, that your friend can switch back and forth between, allowing the audience to see what you are doing from afar. You could even get some cheap speakers (or any, if you already ave them), and hook them up to a cheep lapel mic.


I also suggest doing some mentalism, while throwing a couple gags in as well.
 
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RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
Graham:

Stick with what you know and are comfortable with. There is a lot of card magic and other magic that can play to a parlor-type setting. Just go over what you are performing and think about how you can convey the effect to everyone in the room. Then practice / rehearse performing the effect in that manner.
 
Dec 7, 2016
61
12
See if you can get a friend to help you set up and man a projector, or link a couple cameras up to a screen if there is one. Maybe have 2 cameras, positioned in separate areas, that your friend can switch back and forth between, allowing the audience to see what you are doing from afar. You could even get some cheap speakers (or any, if you already ave them), and hook them up to a cheep lapel mic.


I also suggest doing some mentalism, while throwing a couple gags in as well.
Thank you Maaz.
 
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Reactions: Maaz Hasan
Dec 7, 2016
61
12
Graham:

Stick with what you know and are comfortable with. There is a lot of card magic and other magic that can play to a parlor-type setting. Just go over what you are performing and think about how you can convey the effect to everyone in the room. Then practice / rehearse performing the effect in that manner.
Thank you RealityOne. I will do that. It's nice to hear from you.
 
May 3, 2017
6
17
I have done many retirement home type shows. I was very VERY nervous the first time till I realized something. They had a blast with the most simplest of routines and props. The first time I went I was doing lots of McBride type card manipulations.
Before going I feared that those would not last long enough so, just to buy me some time, I took sponge balls, thumb tip, and a couple of scarves.

HOLY COW! They went berserk over the sponge ball routine.

The lesson I learned was that sometimes you have to stop looking at the routines that impress you as a magician and remember how you felt when you first saw some of those simple ones for the first time!

In the end, I think what they enjoyed most was not only the magic but the interaction!

Like the fella above already mentioned, stick with what you know and entertain them. I am certain you will do just fine!
 
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Jul 26, 2016
571
795
Grahm,
You have already gotten such excellent suggestions. You are a polite, humble and gracious person, and that is what is most important, and people - especially elderly people - will appreciate and treasure that. I am sure that they recognized that in you when you did your first show.

The suggestions I would add are as follows: Tell yourself that this is going to be fun, and work on keeping that mind set now and all the way to and through the show. When you project an easy-going, relaxed fun-loving attitude, people will pick up on it and have fun too. You will enjoy it too and get good at ridding yourself of at least most of your apprehension or nervousness, which will serve you well as a performer going forward.

If you know a good joke or two, you can insert it/them in between routines, but if there are hearing issues, it might be a good idea to see about amplifying your voice, as Maaz suggested. If that's not possible, be sure to project your voice and to speak clearly and slowly.

If you don't already do it, you may want to consider bringing volunteers up to help you. Ask the audience to give them a nice round of applause as they come up and when the trick/routine is finished. When they first come up ask them about themselves, where they are from. This usually enhances the interest-factor and the entertainment. They themselves will often say or do funny things.

Finally, I don't know if you have a Magician's Insurance Policy, but they are very cheap to pick up on Amazon. With a simple cross-cut force or other basic force, you will have an effect that plays quite big when that big colorful picture of the playing card is revealed at the end. Meanwhile you can play up the Magician in trouble theme, e.g act like you are trying to read their minds and fail by getting the wrong card, and then maybe fail again after looking through the deck with a concerned look, making comments such as, "this isn't going to look good on my resume," or whatever suits your personality. You can make comments such as "I hope my premiums are paid up on this policy," or prior to unfolding it all the way, you can pretend you are reading from the first page and say, "Let's see, it says here that all parties must be playing with a full deck - I guess that counts me out "or Hmmm it says that their friendly claims agents are always ready at all times to help me with a claim, anytime of the day or night...except on Monday through Friday and weekends." You can milk a lot of entertainment out of something that packs so small. Just some suggestions. Good luck and enjoy!
 
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