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Rules For Stage Magic?
- Thread starter JustinT
- Start date
It's not really what NOT to perform on stage, it's more of WHO NOT to perform for.
As far as judging in what to use. We can start off by looking at who your audience will be. Kids? Teens? Adults? Etc?
From there, it's preference as per your character, script, routine, theme.
There's a LOT out there. Let's narrow it down first.
I'd like information on how to perform in a school stage setting for teenagers in high school and also younger kids.
All right. How many people can fit in the auditorium? Is there a stage so your back is covered? Or are you surrounded?
I have performed on the stage in many scenarios and have just recently created a full stage/parlor show. I'm still learning the ins and outs of stage and parlor magic but there are a few things I can recommend.
For stage magic a great place to start is with rope magic. I suggest starting with Professor's Nightmare as it is easily obtainable, cheap and the routine builds itself. For other resources check out Mark Wilson's Encyclopedia of magic or possibly the very popular Fiber Optics DVD put out by Richard Saunders.
If you choose to use a deck of cards I'd keep 2 things in mind:
1. Do magic where you can hold the cards up at shoulder height off of the table. Stay away from tabled magic, where the cards are flat against the table. If you must put the cards down at least consider some type of holder for single cards.
2. Bring a member of the audience on stage with you. They will act as the eyes of the audience. There is a school of thought that says that you only can use jumbo, or parlor sized cards for stage work. I don't agree. Piff, Mac King, Murray Sawchuck, Derek Hughes and Nate Staniforth are all examples of magicians who do it successfully. I would look at ways that you can make the magic a bit more visible still. Use a dribble force rather than a riffle force, fan the cards in the hands rather than spread on a table.
The Invisible Deck or the Vanishing Bandanna are good beginning stage effects. Keep the above tips in mind for the invisible deck.
For stage magic a great place to start is with rope magic. I suggest starting with Professor's Nightmare as it is easily obtainable, cheap and the routine builds itself. For other resources check out Mark Wilson's Encyclopedia of magic or possibly the very popular Fiber Optics DVD put out by Richard Saunders.
If you choose to use a deck of cards I'd keep 2 things in mind:
1. Do magic where you can hold the cards up at shoulder height off of the table. Stay away from tabled magic, where the cards are flat against the table. If you must put the cards down at least consider some type of holder for single cards.
2. Bring a member of the audience on stage with you. They will act as the eyes of the audience. There is a school of thought that says that you only can use jumbo, or parlor sized cards for stage work. I don't agree. Piff, Mac King, Murray Sawchuck, Derek Hughes and Nate Staniforth are all examples of magicians who do it successfully. I would look at ways that you can make the magic a bit more visible still. Use a dribble force rather than a riffle force, fan the cards in the hands rather than spread on a table.
The Invisible Deck or the Vanishing Bandanna are good beginning stage effects. Keep the above tips in mind for the invisible deck.
I'd stray away from overused tricks like the Linking Rings. Unless you have a new presentation of an overdone trick do not perform it. Even as a layman I wasn't impressed with it (as the plot was the same and predictable).
The only consideration is whether the audience will be able to understand (notice I didn't say "see") what is happening. A stage show for 35 is different from a stage show for 50 and is different from a stage show for 500.
I agree with @Josh Burch that you don't have to rule out cards and don't have to use jumbo cards. If you are a good performer, you can perform anything on stage. Look for videos of Wayne Dobson (and his book WD-40 is great) on YouTube - especially his sponge ball routine.
I disagree with @Bryant_Tsu, Linking Rings can be great on stage. Unfortunately, most performers structure and present that routine badly - primarily because they downplay the strength of the magic by linking the rings in a matter of fact manner or present the effect as a look what I can do that this spectator can't. Also, I really can't say that the linking rings IS overused... I actually have never seen a live performance of it (other than my own). Bowling ball productions and floating tables - seen way too many time - never performed well.
Find material that you like to perform that can be understood by everyone. You can go from low budget to grand illusions. Off the top of my head, a low budget stage show could include:
5 Card Opener
Tossed Out Deck
Sponge Balls
Slydini's Flight of the Paper Balls
Baffeling Bra (tasteful performance using a married couple)
Eric Ross's Election (using same couple to show a connection)
Wayne Dobson's Teach
David Regal's Clink
Invisible Deck (get the audience involved in selecting the card - don't use the regular presentation)
My stage/parlor show can (depending on the composition of the audience and amount of time) include the following effects (some of which are still works in progress)
Linking Rings or Waking's Billard Ball Routine (done to music)
Steinmeyer's Pasteboards Under Glass
My Own Bill in Lemon(ade) Effect
Steinmeyer's Fan Mail
Eric Ross's Election (Using a married couple focusing on whether it is better to be alike or different)
Steinmeyer's Apples and Oranges
Misers Dream (with ice and champagne bottle production)
Sands of the Dessert
Margarites Wishes (my own egg bag routine set to a story)
I agree with @Josh Burch that you don't have to rule out cards and don't have to use jumbo cards. If you are a good performer, you can perform anything on stage. Look for videos of Wayne Dobson (and his book WD-40 is great) on YouTube - especially his sponge ball routine.
I disagree with @Bryant_Tsu, Linking Rings can be great on stage. Unfortunately, most performers structure and present that routine badly - primarily because they downplay the strength of the magic by linking the rings in a matter of fact manner or present the effect as a look what I can do that this spectator can't. Also, I really can't say that the linking rings IS overused... I actually have never seen a live performance of it (other than my own). Bowling ball productions and floating tables - seen way too many time - never performed well.
Find material that you like to perform that can be understood by everyone. You can go from low budget to grand illusions. Off the top of my head, a low budget stage show could include:
5 Card Opener
Tossed Out Deck
Sponge Balls
Slydini's Flight of the Paper Balls
Baffeling Bra (tasteful performance using a married couple)
Eric Ross's Election (using same couple to show a connection)
Wayne Dobson's Teach
David Regal's Clink
Invisible Deck (get the audience involved in selecting the card - don't use the regular presentation)
My stage/parlor show can (depending on the composition of the audience and amount of time) include the following effects (some of which are still works in progress)
Linking Rings or Waking's Billard Ball Routine (done to music)
Steinmeyer's Pasteboards Under Glass
My Own Bill in Lemon(ade) Effect
Steinmeyer's Fan Mail
Eric Ross's Election (Using a married couple focusing on whether it is better to be alike or different)
Steinmeyer's Apples and Oranges
Misers Dream (with ice and champagne bottle production)
Sands of the Dessert
Margarites Wishes (my own egg bag routine set to a story)
True, those go on the list.
I don't know if it's just this place I live in, but every single show I've gone to has had a linking rings performance.