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Eric Starkey Regular user Pittsburgh, PA 180 Posts |
Mr. Sisti:
I have noticed that a great deal of the questions that you have received on this forum pertain to “tricks” (I use quotes here because I despise that word). I am certain that most of us are well aware of what a trivial thing it is to worry about what material others are performing or what the newest toy at the magic shop is. I believe that it should be a given that you select strong effects with undetectable methods. What I am most interested in are your thoughts on the important issues, such as: character, selecting attire appropriate to your venue (and the challenges that brings), and dealing with various performance conditions. Obviously these are extremely broad topics, but possibly you would be willing to comment briefly on each and maybe this will elicit further questions about the REAL ISSUES that we deal with everyday. Yours very truly, Eric Starkey |
Jim Sisti V.I.P. Connecticut 457 Posts |
Thanks for bringing up some very important issues, Eric.
I believe that character is the single most important component to who we are as performers. If we would only take the time to develop a three-dimensional performing persona, we would save so much time in all of the other areas, particularly in choosing material. Effects should be selected that are in keeping with the character you’ve decided to portray when you perform. Displaying effects that are out of step with your character will hopelessly confuse your audience and severely diminish the effect's impact. For example, if your performing character is essentially comedic and all of your effects have been bright, funny and quick, to roll out a serious, ponderous piece of mentalism at this point would be disastrous. Your audience will be wondering if you’re putting them on, etc. Think long and hard about the character you want your audience to see. Once that’s clear in your mind, picture the kind of magic this character is apt to perform. You’ll find that the task of choosing performable material is much less daunting. Determining your character also makes choosing proper costuming easier. Regarding performing conditions, I've trained myself in recent years in how to say "no" to a gig if I think that, in the long run, it'll be detrimental to my performance or reputation. In a lot of instances, a potential client knows what they want but not necessarily what they need. Thus, if a client wants a stand-up show, for example, for an impossible number of people or if it's in a setting where I believe strolling magic would be more suitable, I suggest the alternative and support my suggestion with various experiential reasons. If they still won't budge, I walk away from the show. |
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