I've noticed a trend in the dove workers of today.... It's that box... you know the one... It sits infront of your vanishing dove cage or regular cage... This box is used for two main reasons... Stealing and ditching items from your dove/manip act. What is that box called? Is there a certain name? or is it a standard utility item? Any advice on building one? All advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks guys and gals...

Bryan

Hi,

I have heard it called a "savont". Not sure on the spelling, or what it means, I just saw Jeff McBride call it that in one of his manip videos. Please correct me if I'm wrong Café folk!

Keith

It doesn't have to be a box. It does need a frame. I think the name actually comes from the French word for napkin. For a table top magician, it can actually be a napkin or part of the table cloth in his lap to catch and hold things.

My wife Lucy literally uses a mesh trash can in her stage act. People don't really know what they are seeing. I have seen speaker monitor cabinets used. I have used a square circle and ice bucket to that end. There are plenty of opportunities. Just pick one that fits your act.

The best I've seen was used by Mercer Helms in the 60s. It looked like a decorative pagoda stand/rack. Like Lucy’s trash can, the audience thinks it can see through it. And the customer is always right.

In all these years, I’ve never seen a good one for sale by a magic dealer. It is one of those personal things that you identify and put into your act. Other magicians don’t need to know either. Magician friends still think that I use invisible dove harnesses and ditch doves in my coat. Neither has ever been true on stage.

It does take some practice to be a good shot. Remember that you never look at it. It’s not there. It’s not what it appears to be. AND the magician is never the one to take it off the stage.

Good Luck!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

It's a great tool, can be disguised to fit any act, entire act can be packed into it and you won't leave props behind. Also, your act is almost ready to go when you take a bow.
There was a how to discussion on them in 2005, maybe in the "Workshop" forum.

Another name for it is a recessed table. If you sequence the act correctly the loading & unloading will not be noticed. There has to be a reason to go into and out from the box or recessed table.

The recessed table works better than just a normal table.

And as seen in other posts above you can made one for whatever design that fits you.

James Adamson

Bryan:
I notice you are holding a guitar in your photo. A guitar would make a great servante, especially an acoustical one which is hollow. If you use the guitar in your act, it can be sitting anywhere on the stage where you can grab it. It would look innocent because they just saw you playing it, or they will see you play it later. It has a reason for being there and does not seem like something you would cut open from the back just to stuff a dove inside.

Yeah that could be a cool idea if you did a slow methodical sort of manip act to some classical guitar music...i could see lots of possibilities like gypsy thread with a string on the guitar that maybe "accidentally" broke or something...tons of things could work with the guitar...

That is a cool idea....