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spatlind Special user still moving 863 Posts |
Hey folks
I hope I am posting this in the right place! I am currently trying to put together a "parlour" act for performance in Paraguay (Spanish is not my first language, although I am good enough to provide commentary!). I say parlour as I believe that should I get things off the ground, I would be performing for typically 15 - 30 people in a reasonably intimate setting. I have performed for this number of people and many more, but mostly in more close-up settings and quite informally (and non-professionally). I've read Drawing Room Deceptions and how Hollingworth worked on many of his effects in order to perform them at chest height so they would play to a more formal parlour setting. My question is this. Are there any close up effects that you would recommend that make the transition to this setting well? For example I am aware that a cards across routine ala Las Vegas Leaper plays well for any size crowd. Due to my lack of proficiency in Spanish ( I can hold a conversation, I just don't think I can "entertain" with it), those of a visual nature would be better. Any thoughts appreciated Cheers Scott
Actions lie louder than words - Carolyn Wells
I believe in God, only I spell it Nature - Frank Lloyd Wright. |
drwilson Inner circle Bar Harbor, ME 2191 Posts |
At a recent I.B.M. Ring meeting, one of our members showed an effect of exactly this kind, a variant handling of MacDonald's Aces. He had four large wine glasses to hold the card packets. This translated the usual look-down-at-the-table presentation to one in which the packets are held up for display. It was as if the cards were in houlettes, which are odd and unnatural pieces of apparatus, unlike wine glasses, which are perfectly suited to the parlor. I do not remember the source of this idea, which the performer cited. It was Dai Vernon Night, so Vernon may have been one of the people associated with this version.
Yours, Paul |
spatlind Special user still moving 863 Posts |
Thanks Paul, that's a nice idea and something I'll have a think about.
Scott
Actions lie louder than words - Carolyn Wells
I believe in God, only I spell it Nature - Frank Lloyd Wright. |
Eddie Torres Special user New York City 692 Posts |
Anything where a volunteer is handling props and gets the magic happening in their hand can be converted to this type of environment because a lot of the magic will be conveyeed through that person's reactions. If I place a card in someones hand and it changes to a different card, well, it's not going to be very evident to the people sitting in the back. However, as soon as the spectator standing next to you looks at his card and his mouth opens wide, the audience is going to know what happened, and the moment that volunteer displays the card you'll get that applause. I don't know what else you do, but spongeball magic works well on groups that size, anything done with balls, actually will. Any kind of object (cards, coins, bills) to impossible location, and mentalism can work well too .
Most importantly, 15-30 people isn't that big a group, but since you don't know the language extraordinarilly well it's not in what you do so much as how you do it. Make sure you get music if there's going to be a lot of moments of silence, script out and choreograph your movements, learn to communicate non-verbally going over every hand sign you're going to use ahead of time, as long as the people in the back are aware of what you did, even if they didn't see 100% of it, you'll get a winning reaction. Best of Luck, Eddie p.s. Don't be afraid to tell people to come closer, tell them you won't be using boxes and trap doors and you want them to come as close as possible to witness every moment of every miracle.
Eddie Ivan Torres
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spatlind Special user still moving 863 Posts |
Thanks Eddie. Since I wrote my post I suppose I've been thinking about working with some silks (20th Century Silks, Sympathetic Silks, Slydini Silks), cups and balls (I perform Dai Vernon's from Stars of Magic, but looking into Ammar's) and maybe an egg bag (only Tarbell as a reference at the moment) too. I've got time on my hands to work on these routines, I just want to focus my energy in the right places. I'd like to be able to do some card work given my basis in the pasteboards, hence the above mentioned Cards Across, maybe Homing Card, Cards up the Sleeve, Open Travellers kinds of plots. Just interested in what will play well and simple plots that I am comfortable with language wise. I have since read more in the Boxes Tubes and Bags section and am picking up some ideas there.
Thanks for the help Scott
Actions lie louder than words - Carolyn Wells
I believe in God, only I spell it Nature - Frank Lloyd Wright. |
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