Feel free to continue this via PMs -- trying to give as much info without exposure as possible. I've been hired to perform an illusion for a large gala in November, and need to make a woman vanish and reappear in the crowd. Problem is, she's not very agile due to age, nor is she a trained assistant -- think "CEO Vanish." My thought is to execute a s****h under cover of a robe and large screen that will be to my left, and then to vanish that person in a Modern Cabinet. When they reappear inside the cabinet, they come back as somebody else, which gives easily enough time misdirection to make the original person reappear in the crowd. Thoughts? Ideas?

You're, right on.... just make sure they don't fall off the stage while you're wrapping them up.

Do a Dakolta chair next to the wing and as you fluff out the cloth have her just get up and sneak off as the cloth is held up. Then let the cloth fall over the feke and your home free. Maybe something like that.

I'll second Scott's idea...I've done this before, though in the particular theater I was in I had to use the back curtain instead of the wing...either works of course! It might be an obvious tip, but if you have two people hold up the cloth your world will be much easier...especially if each person step on the bottom corner to keep cover. You can use weights as well, but they can get in the way of the reveal. Good luck!

There is a routine that's been around for a long time, called Farmer and the Witch. It was originally designed to be performed with kids, but set that aside for now. This is simply the genesis of an idea. The routine uses costuming, masks and time misdirection. Essentially, the audience has no idea she's left the stage until the very end of the routine. This would allow you to have a trained assistant take her place on stage in an identical costume/mask. Although the audience still thinks it is the CEO, it is really the assistant who effects the vanish. Meanwhile, the CEO has all the time in the world to effect a run-around.

Kent

Thanks for the great ideas -- Scott, De Kolta chair by the wing is very smart. Hadn't thought about that. Just wondering if a modern cabinet might be stronger since the actual magic happens in the middle of the stage. By the way, did you ever look into that Linking Finger Ring routine that we discussed briefly at the Castle?

Kent, thanks for the Farmer and the Witch suggestion. In this particular event, I'm not sure how well the full costuming would work.