I got busted a few years ago with my then Girlfriend of a few years.

My act that involved 3 Illusions all using her was redundant after we split up-remained friends.

I now work solo for majority shows with my eldest daughter coming into the first Levitation Illusion!

If your relationship is going places go for it & have fun - Make sure you pay your assistant!

Hey Everyone,
I am the one who first started this post over a year ago and I thought I would let you know what happened! In March 2004 I got in a pinch and NEEDED someone to do a show w/ me b/c my regular couldn't do it. So she agreed to do it and was horrified, I have never seen anyone more scared in my life but we went out there and did it and she LOVED it. So she became my regular and we did TONS of shows together all over the place, we even flew from Seattle to St. Louis to do the Stars of Tomorrow Show for SAM. Everything was working out pretty well for us although sometimes things were hard. It's not easy to be "directed" by your b/f. But it went ok, mostly pretty good and we had a blast traveling all over the place doing these shows. Then a month ago we had a very sad, ugly, unfortunate break up. So now I'm back to strangers!

Familiarity breeds contept! On the other hand, there is nothing more comforting performing with someone you have full trust. Being on the road with a girlfriend involved in the same business takes its toll. Fights happen and that's normal, but believe me , in a situation like this, it gets worse.

If the relationship is solid and the maturity is there, GO FOR IT !

Peace,

Rannie

I have had problems with this in the past. I have started two ways: the first is that I started using my girlfriend and then I have also found an assistant and after spending so much time with her (on the road, theaters, hotels, etc.) we started dating. In both cases it has failed. Not saying that it will always. The reason that it didn't work for me is that even though she was my girlfriend when we were working I was her boss. I am passionate and serious about my magic (its my living) and if she isn't willing to do what I say in the show than she should'nt be in the show with me.

I will say that since I have realized this I treat my assistants with a lot more respect. I also realized that no matter how good of a magician I am that she can make my show. I have two assistants right now Emily and Emily, one of them is my girlfriend. It is nice to travel with my gf, but honestly the one that isn't my gf is a better worker. I think that I tend to push her a little harder, but it really pays off.

MDS

I have been working with my girlfriend for a year now sometimes it's bad but mostly it's better than working with just anyone we are just about to start our second season together so fingers crossed!

It really goes both ways...in some respects it great working with someone you are comfortable with but you always run the risk of losing an assistant if you split. It's great if you can make it work though.

This is not a "Do as I do" post. If I had the answer carved in stone I would not have read the posts here. (Do you realize how long the same crew has been posting here?) It's something in over forty years of magic has deserved a look over and over.

For the most part, I can safely say of my wives (three of them), they never helped me on stage before we were married. Likewise, I have had plenty of other assistants. My wives have always had professional careers of their own (a college dean, a computer wizard MBA, and a physician who also performs separately in her own stage shows). Therefore, they were not available much of the time either. There is also the period between the time of the loss of my second wife (she died) and when I remarried (about a decade without a wife).

When it works, wives are certainly the best assistants. I can't remember ever being sorry that my assistant was my wife. I hope the feeling was mutual!

Assistants are part of the cast with important jobs that have to be performed with due care. That is more important than the source. The cast is a team. Fit is everything. I have also had assistants that did not fit well. Perhaps it is because I have also always been an entrepreneur, but I have never had a romantic relationship that began with an employee or even a member of the audience. It is a case of focus.

I know I have blind spots in this area. But perhaps that has served me well too. On stage I need support for the show and not some other agenda. In my younger days, I owned my own airplanes that I used in my work. One day when I recognized that I was trying to land at about twice landing speed, I decided that hiring pilot was just smart. There are limits on what I can juggle well at one time.

These are two entirely separate and unrelated roles. I don’t think I would force a merger. That also leaves the other options wide open. (I hope that is different from a definite "Maybe".)

Keep posting. We might learn something!

Bob
Magic By Sander

I have to agree... It's never a good idea to mix Marriage (business) and Magic (pleasure)...LOL

I tried this when I was and still am doing very few shows due to school. Although we still rehearsed, I made my act to consist of a majority of solo stuff and 3 easy assistant illusions. I choreographed it for her, and because we're not always in each others faces we were fine. She was also in control of clothing!!! She had an input and I tried to make it more like a 50:50 venture.
Nick

Hey I thought I'd comment on this.. I am the now ex-girlfriend of briansmagic and I just wanted to say I thought it worked pretty well. There were pros and cons. The pros were that we knew each other so well that I knew when to help and when to stay out of the way. I wasn't afraid to tell him when something went wrong or praise him when something went well. I thought that overall things went pretty smoothly. The cons were that sometimes it's hard to take crtique from someone you're so close too, and also to keep personal problems off the stage... I think we did a pretty good job though. I would tell someone that if they think their relationship is strong enough than to go for it! And just for the record we have worked together since the sad, ugly breakup! I guess it shows we could handle it since things went fine on stage! -kat

I won't lie to you, a person I know very well uses his girlfriend as his assistant. It is definately not a charming atmosphere back stage nor on stage. BUT then again his act is kinda like their relationship so it workes out well for them:P

The answer is very simple. If we are talking about my first wife the answer is "you must be crazy". If we are talking about my second wife the answer is "don't leave home without her", so there be the difference.
Al

There's an old saying about bodily functions, location and eating as relates to work and romance.

The same thing applies with regards to assistants, unless you happen to be Falkenstein & Willard, the Pendragons or the Beckers. There are a few other notable exceptions, of course...

In fact, the exceptions seem to be more the rule in magic, now that I think about it...!

Lee Darrow, C.H.

Bodily functions and eating. HA HA HA
Al

I say NO don't get ur GF as an assistant what happens if you break up???? you would be left with out an assistnat and the secret could get out if ur GF is mad at you

Never? Seems a few started that way...

Mark Kalin & Ginger
Harry and Gay Blackstone
The Pendragons
The Falkensteins
Petric and Mia

I think it's a matter of how the two approach the situation. Work is work and play is play. I've worked alongside my girlfriend for a long time. I now work alongside my wife. We work well together...but not magic.

Briansmagic,

I have used 4 different girlfriends as assistants... since I no longer perform professionally anymore, nor date any of those girls, I'm probably not a good authority on this...

that being said, let me tell you why it didn't really work for me.

When I'm with my girlfriend (current and past) I tend to "baby" them. When I do shows, I'm all business. So, when what is normally, "Honey, let me go to the car and get this because I might need it." becomes, "Hey, get those silks out of the car I forgot, I have to set this table up... and try not to knock that stuff over again," they tend to not take it the right way.

So I would say don't mix business with pleasure... my fiance, for the most part, can't stand magic... but the other day I performed Michael P. Lair's Beach Memories for her (www.lairmagic.com to watch a video...) and now she likes to play with the invisible thread.

So... I'd say don't do it.

Mike

Ah yes, I remember her well.

I would say the real issue is whether she's interested in show biz or not. I had several girlfriends over a period of years, and only one of them had any interest in being on stage; in fact, she was a very good dancer and costume designer. We talked several times about doing an act together, but I finally decided she wouldn't be amenable to all the rehearsals, so we dropped the idea.

A couple of years ago I trained Donna to do a short magic act for a couple of magician friends who were coming to dinner. We both thought it would be a blast, but it actually took about three sessions before she understood that rehearsals are a place to make mistakes and correct them. I'm so used to that idea that I found it amazing how long it took her to get it, especially considering she had been a cheerleader for four years in high school. But that's how it goes.

The act came out great, but she just doesn't have any interest in doing it again.

I think if your wife or girlfriend has had a burning, lifelong dream to be a magician's assistant, then go for it. Your passions are matched.

If not, you might want to leave it alone and use someone who is just in it for the money. They have a motivation to do it right and to keep doing it.