This post is meant to stir some ideas and hopefully create (or destroy!) some new ones.

In my stand-up show, I've started to work in the concept of getting one or two ahead. I don't mean this in terms of method, but in presentation. Here's an attempt at an explanation... Let's break a demonstration down into three elements - procedure, process, and revelation. The procedure is the steps required to create the final moment. The middle element is the process in which you present your mental skill.

Procedure: Secretly bend the spoon
Process: Intense focus
Revelation: The spoon "visually" bends

Procedure: Peek via a center tear
Process: Look into their eyes, touch their shoulder, etc.
Revelation: Tell the the name of their pets.

My attempt is now to blur the line of procedure. Cut down the time of the "work" within a show to allow more focus on the process and revelations. Thoughts?

To further explain my idea, an example would be to have the information already obtained from a peek while readying a spoon bend. Think pre-show done during the show.

Spoons handed out within the course of a billet sequence so all you have to do is take them back from the audience. The goal is to maintain clarity in performance - so don't go bending a spoon while revealing the name of a woman's pets. The goal is to achieve "the work" earlier and cleaner.

If I've got this right, you're getting the information for the next (or next but one) revelation while performing the current effect, and so on. I can see how that could divorce possible cause from effect. Does it get complicated?

Spectator should be only aware of two things: Process & revelation. They should not be aware of procedure.