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mplegare Veteran user Forest Grove, Oregon 310 Posts |
Hey gang -
I've been away for a bit, but wanted to let y'all know that the 'Ultra Small Packing Big Playing Street Silks' routine I've yammered about has actually been out in public - in some of the worst possible circumstances! To wit: I was performing at a little one-day "Medieval Faire" at the local university. With two shows scheduled, I did my first show and was rather pleased (these people were responsive, enthusiastic *and* generous - considering they'd never even heard of me before)... and then... Well, the faire is in Oregon. It rained. Started off innocently enough - a light sprinkle that "would probably let up". It turned into a cold, windy rain that sent people scattering. People... except for the 10 or so who heard me hawking my show earlier and came out and sat *in the rain* to see me perform! Well, dang. I could call it off, I could try and use all the stuff in my regular show (on the stage filled with musicians trying to pack out their sound equipment in the rain)... or... darn the torpedos - let's bust out the Silks Act! And darned if it didn't work. I was actually *pulling* people in! Wet silk, I have to say, is a little more challenging to work with but, in the worst possible conditions... the crowd was entertained and I even made a few more soggy bills to close out my day. On top of which, I gave some folks in my own home town one heck of a story to tell about the crazy guy in the ugly doublet in the rain. Victory. ---- The act itself is 2 3' silks and a bunch of schtick.... probably nothing y'all haven't heard of before - * several unsuccessful attempts at tying a knot (see: Tarbell, Abbot's) * culminating in a one-handed 'thrown' knot (Ashley's book of knots), * the "tourniquet" wrist penetration (Tarbell again), * an adaptation of a Slydini-like Untying Silks with two audience 'helpers' (two differnet knots, one cadged from 'The Seven Cornered Hank" and one from Ye Olde Slydini) * the "linking silks" (I owe this Tarbell guy a drink!) * and finally risking life, limb, and well-being for my small yet bloodthirsty and increasingly wet crowd... Tenkai's Decapitation, performed by tying the two 3' silks into a 6' loop (Abbot's once more) --- ... all of this done in character as "Tobias" (and if you've seen the demo reel, you can get a pretty good idea of what *that* is about)... so, much schtick, lots of silk, and a lot of laughs from a bunch of people who really could have been indoors, warm and dry in a matter of seconds. Oh, and it *did* stop raining. About an hour after I got home.
Matthew Legare aka Tobias the Adequate! - http://www.adequateblog.today.com - you know you want to.
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
Sounds great. Wish I could see it.
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
Danny Hustle Inner circle Boston, MA USA 2393 Posts |
Tobias,
This sounds like a great routine! I've been doing one based on Charlie Edward's routine from Routined Manipulation using regular bandannas. I found that these will also release when wet unlike the rip stop nylon that the magic shops sell. I've done it a few times on the street but I am still not getting the punch out of it I would like. Tweak, tweak, tweak. Best, Dan- "MT is one of the reasons we started this board! I’m so sick of posts being deleted without any reason given, and by unknown people at that." - Steve Brooks Sep 7, 2001 8:38pm ©1999-2014 Daniel Denney all rights reserved. |
mplegare Veteran user Forest Grove, Oregon 310 Posts |
Thanks, y'all. I'm still doing a fair amount of tweaking myself on it, and eventually I'm going to write it up for the Intellectual Exercise of it all.
Heck, the whole thing *started* as an intellectual exercise after I schlepped my rings-and-chains-and-box-and-table up and down hills for the better part of a weekend. "This stuff is HEAVY. What can I do that doesn't take so darn much hauling?"
Matthew Legare aka Tobias the Adequate! - http://www.adequateblog.today.com - you know you want to.
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mplegare Veteran user Forest Grove, Oregon 310 Posts |
A followup, because it's just so darn amusing.
This past weekend I worked the Pembrook Renaissance Faire out in Carson City and yes, brought the Silks Act out again. The patter is coming to me, gradually (this is always the way - the words show up after the effects do) and I drew a darn good crowd working a little 'semi-stage' area with the silks... ... and it started raining. I think I may have something I can market to drought-ridden areas.
Matthew Legare aka Tobias the Adequate! - http://www.adequateblog.today.com - you know you want to.
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The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The side walk shuffle » » A fragmentary note - Street Silks gets the Acid (Rain) Test! (0 Likes) |
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