Greetings...and thank you for your time here on the Café'.

I am most interested in knowing what gets a person from point
a to point b. I am also interested in knowing how they got
there, and of course why.

So perhaps you can shed a little light on how you went from your
previous careers (listed in the beginning thread) to where you
are now. And shed a little advise on what it takes for one
of us to get there.

For example, you talk of experience (in another thread) about
doing family shows. My guess this is from a theater perspective
rather than living room perspective. But in either case, how
would, say a children's focused magician, transition to the family
show mentalist. Would it really have to be in a theater
setting rather than the living room setting? Or even getting a
spot in Vegas and/or Television?

Just some thoughts as I know this topic can warrant a whole book
and/or autobiography.

Thank you.

As you said, this is a huge topic and I am not the most qualified to address it. I certainly don't have much in the way of rules of thumb to offer, except to read Ken Webber's MAXIMUM ENTERTAINMENT, to start. That said, the following ramblings may go a small way towards answering your question.

I started first and foremost as an educator. My first "family shows" were during the period before I became a classroom teacher at "Eco Festivals" where I was hired to talk about our connections to the natural world. When I became a classroom teacher, magic was just another item in my toolbox, along with storytelling and martial arts, to hook my students and get ideas across in ways that I hoped would leave lasting impressions. My interest in mentalism came about when I discovered what I call "a spectrum of believability" in magic: A spectator will not believe you actually found a coin in the little girl's ear but they might challenge their own idea about what is possible when you name the girl they first kissed.

Focussing more on mentalism lead me away from the classroom and more into creating. One day I was discussing the unthinkable idea of leaving teaching to pursue creating and performing full time. My wife said she would support me if I did and suddenly it seemed possible. That evening the phone rang. It was David Copperfield. He asked me to custom build him something. My wife said, "The universe has spoken!" I plugged my nose and jumped.

So, I guess I am saying: Make sure you have the support of those around you; get not just a clear idea of who you are on stage but of what it is you are offering the audience and then jump. As far as theatre and family is concerned, I think an effective aid to making the type of transition you are referring to is to stage family Spook Shows. It is the perfect venue to trot out all of the mentalism effects you want without completely overhauling your character. It does not have to be restricted to the Halloween season either; my friend Neil Tobin has been running a weekly show for years in Chicago.

Hope you found a little something in all that.

CT

Thank you very much...your insight is very valuable...