Just a quick question: I am a stage magician, working primarily with family audiences (mixed kids and adults). I blend the mysterious (Zombie) with the comedic (Vanishing Bandana). I would like to add in some type of mentalism to the act, if possible.

What mentalism effects would you recommend that might appeal to this type of audience? I have entertained buying and using "Til Death Do Us Part", but I know I would have to make some major revisions to the storyline in order to keep from scaring the crap out of the kids.

I am open to suggestions...including the suggestion to stay away from mentalism altogether!

I have had the pleasure of performing for family audiences many times earlier in my carrier. In fact, I have been recently asked to expand my involvement in a theatre production to include a family matinee and I'm really stoked about it. I will be dusting off effects and ideas that I developed as a classroom teacher to reach and teach my students. My recommendation to you is to simply keep focussed on what your audience will find mysterious, entertaining and understandable. There are all sorts of mentalism effects you can use by simply shifting the focus to the imagination and the power it holds in shaping our lives. AS far as specific effects go, consider Trilogy by Brian Caswells; Mind Control by Peter Nardi; I find that the family audiences go crazy for PK effects too. Consider TK Timber; Real Ghost (or my new Wraith); Big Band and Balloon by Magic Smith. Finally, ther is an entire book full of mentalism effects (including a couple of mine) available in PERFORMING MENTALISM FOR YOUNG MINDS By Paul Romhany.

Christopher

Thanks Christopher, I appreciate your input.

What is your opinion of "Til Death Do Us Part" in general? The plotline and story intrigue me...just not sure it is worth my investment. I have a request for it now on the Café...just trying to decide if I really want to buy it or not.

Mike: If the plot line intrigues you, I suspect that you will enjoy performing it and that can not help but increase its impact on your audience. Personally, I love the effect but would not perform it "as is" for a family audience, there is just too much other material that is more appropriate. That said, the method is adaptable to other images and you just might come up with a modified plot (using different images) to create a real performance piece for use in a family show.

Christopher

Thanks fr the advice...those were my thoughts as well!

However, as a pot-stirrer, I must echo the thoughts of another great mentalist, Doug Segal: look at it from the audience's point-of-view. As a magician I always wanted to perform material that *I* liked, never thinking about my audience. After giving up magic and focussing solely on mentlaism I learned that ego was not the key, so just because you like the effect doesn't mean your audiene will appreciate it!

Lee

Lee...while I agree with you to a point, there is also the flip side...if a magician is performing only what the audience wants to see, but absolutley HATES the effects, it will show through in the performance...unless he is one helluva actor.

That being said...there must be a blend of the above...the performer must enjoy the performance as much as the audience. THAT is what Doug Henning was so good at. He looked and acted more mystified than the audience!

I happen to "always" perform effect that I like and I never perform effects that I "hate". That doesn't mean my audience does not enjoy them. That's because I only REALLY like a stage effect if it fits the three criteria I mentioned above: it mystifies, entertains and gets the point across. I think that was certainly true for Henning (a fellow Canuck). The latter criteria is a big one for me though, "it gets a point across". I suppose that developed through my years of using magic as a classroom teacher. Everything I do on stage is directed by my desire to express a concept or idea about how I see magic. I work to build the effect from the inside out, beginning with the idea I want to get across and then searching for method to make it happen. So, I am happy with a routine when the audience "gets it" and enjoys the way it comes across. Hope that makes sense.

Christopher

Christopher...just a final word of thanks from me for the advice and for being with us here this week. I ended up buying "Read Between The Lines" and "practical Thinking".

They both sounded interesting...we shall see!