I did my first public performance this last weekend at an SCA Feast. It was a fairly large group of a little more than 100 people. I performed the Comedy Passe Pasee Bottles. My wife was my assistant. It was just the one effect, but it went over well. I also made many napkin roses for the Queen, Baroness, and other ladies at the head table. I have my next performance with some walk around magic in two weeks.

-Max

Fabulous news. Keep it up. And keep us posted on the progress. I learned last year, that first one is the hardest. Everyone after that gets easier.

Good for you! That is the best show...the first. I'll never forget my first public appearance! It also went well, and I relive it every time I see a post like yours! Congrats, Max!

Doug

My first was a nightmare. So you did a better job then I did

Keep on going/performing !!

Congratulations Max, good on you for getting out there and performing publicly!

I am yet to progress passed performing for family and friends, I envy your confidence. Keep us posted on your future outings.

AA

Way to go max
I too still remember my first show.
I was scared to death.but after it was over.
I was on cloud nine.
todd

You GO Max!

Jim

Thank you all for the ecouragement. It was only one effect , so I wouldn't call it a show. Here is a picture of my wife and I performing the effect. We are dressed in 14th century clothing as this was at an SCA event.

-Max

Congratulations, It looks like you had a lot of fun doing your presentation. I've not had the nerve to try out a proper performance yet, just a few workmates is most I've done.

Though I got to say the Martini is a bit of an Anachronism for the 14th century isn't it?

Very cool Max...congrats!
Some questions from another aspiring newbie:
What did you find the most dificult part of performing? Preparation? Controlling Butterflies? Pacing?
What do you remember as the best? Would you change anything?
Thanks!
Regards,
--Drosselmeyer

Max, you might be the second Max Maven in the future.

Drosselmeyer, it varies with people.

Athelus, yes the martini is anacronistic, but I didn't really want to take the stickers off the bottles and our SCA group are not super strict about that kind of thing.

Drosselmeyer, the most difficult part for me was feeling like I had rehearsed enough to be smooth. I perform a lot as a musician, so I didn't have any issues with butterflies or nerves. The only issue I had was my wife took extra time when she took the bottle, because she was getting help from a child. In the effect I step in front of the table and explain the power of the wand while she steals a bottle. I would change one thing, and that is have a more strict patter. I used a sort of outline patter and sort of ad libbed.

Dynamike, I am fan of Max Maven. However my real name is Max unlike the famous Max Maven who's name is really Phil.

-Max

Max,
Interesting...I don't get butterflies when I play musci, but I ALWAYS get the butterflies when performing magic. And I also have issues dealing with pacing when things take extra time or less time. (my act is strictly set to music and I have to hit the cues).

Dyanmike,
Right on..it varies for sure!

Regards,
--Drosselmeyer

On Saturday this week, I will be doing me second ever public performance. It is a walk around kind of thing. I plan on bringing Sponge Bunnies, Professors Nightmare, Color Changing Brass Chips, Crazy Mans Handcuffs, and also the Napkin Rose (the ladies really like to get these). This is also a medieval SCA event.

Wish me luck!

-Max

Good luck. Post a video if possible!

No video of the performance sorry. This was a large event wth many performers. I made many napkin roses for the ladies, but my magic performance time was very limited. I ended up doing a real fast professors nightmare at one table. At another pair of tables I did a quick thing that I made up that morning. I had one of the kids tear up a white napkin for me and place it in a change bag,then I had one kid say a magic word. The napkin was still all torn up. Then I had them all shout the word and I pulled a 25 foot white mouth coil from the bag and told them they must have put too much magic power into it.

Now I have almost two months to come up with a short kids show and some other stuff to perform at a very large SCA event.

-Max

For a kids show, it's even more about comedy and all the "bits of business" that you put into a routine (you definitely need magic, but there is much more to it to keep kids entertained). Check out the "Little Darlings" section of the Café. A great starting reference for putting together routines for kids is David Kaye's (aka Silly Billy) "Seriously Silly" book and dvd. Good luck, and have fun!

David Kaye is a great source on magic for kids. Maybe you want to check his talk at EMC2011 out. Great advises, BTW.

greetings,

And of course, my congrats for your first performance .