Hey guys,
I've been volunteering at a retirement center for the past few months(calling bingo, playing checker/chess, etc), and was recently noticed for playing with cards during a break. I showed the activities director a few things and she said I could perform for some of the people before the next bingo game.
So i practice a little while everyone comes in for the bingo game, and realized that it would be pretty hard to perform cards to a audience of seniors when everyone is seated down at a large table.(like a rectangle) I decided that I would do Spin and quickly found a pen on a table.
Ok, so now I get everybody situated and tell them I'm going to show them something interesting before we start. I take out the pen and proceed to perform the trick. I put the pen on tob of a nail polish remover bottle(i also found it on the table) and give them some backstory, ask them if they've ever seen magic, and what not.
Now I begin to spin the pen, I move it slowly in a circle until it falls off, and then I look up at their faces... Nothing.
No smiling, frowning, or any facial expressions of the sort.
I quickly just ask them some stuff like, "You guys seem like this is normal, you see a pen spin by itself everyday". They just reply no, and I awkwardly transition into the bingo game.
So heres some questions I have for you guys:
Why didn't they respond?(Wrong trick, wrong presentation, because they're seniors?"
Should I perform for them or are they too old they can't process it(my assumption)?
If yes to above question, what tricks should I use and how should I present myself(magician, mentalist, a guy who just so happen to know some interesting stuff)?
Thanks guys
I've been volunteering at a retirement center for the past few months(calling bingo, playing checker/chess, etc), and was recently noticed for playing with cards during a break. I showed the activities director a few things and she said I could perform for some of the people before the next bingo game.
So i practice a little while everyone comes in for the bingo game, and realized that it would be pretty hard to perform cards to a audience of seniors when everyone is seated down at a large table.(like a rectangle) I decided that I would do Spin and quickly found a pen on a table.
Ok, so now I get everybody situated and tell them I'm going to show them something interesting before we start. I take out the pen and proceed to perform the trick. I put the pen on tob of a nail polish remover bottle(i also found it on the table) and give them some backstory, ask them if they've ever seen magic, and what not.
Now I begin to spin the pen, I move it slowly in a circle until it falls off, and then I look up at their faces... Nothing.
No smiling, frowning, or any facial expressions of the sort.
I quickly just ask them some stuff like, "You guys seem like this is normal, you see a pen spin by itself everyday". They just reply no, and I awkwardly transition into the bingo game.
So heres some questions I have for you guys:
Why didn't they respond?(Wrong trick, wrong presentation, because they're seniors?"
Should I perform for them or are they too old they can't process it(my assumption)?
If yes to above question, what tricks should I use and how should I present myself(magician, mentalist, a guy who just so happen to know some interesting stuff)?
Thanks guys