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funsway Inner circle old things in new ways - new things in old ways 9982 Posts |
On another thread our favorite "Bob" introduced the idea that mixing Mentalism with another performance activity might lessen the impact of either demonstration. Right on!
But [always a but ;-)] things in apparent opposition can blend as in a food condiment rather than "force the issue" as in a spice. A small scoop of vanilla ice cream on your hot apple pie can be wondrous. A gob of Neapolitan on blueberry is not a delight if you are over 10 years old. In a performance one question should always be, "How do I want to be remembered?" or "What is the story told after?" If you wish to be remembered as a Mentalist then any contrasting message should be minimal and meant to enhance and blend, whether it is juggling, conjury, comic skit or balloon tying. If you wish to be remembered as a magician then "magic" should be the hero, and activities with a different focus should be minimal. A mentalism type effect might be good seasoning but not confuse the diner. If, however, you desire to be remembered as an entertainer, then have a pot luck performance with something for everyone, but selected for that particular audience and not forcing steak on vegetarians. Of course, if your objective is just to have your name remembered ...
"the more one pretends at magic, the more awe and wonder will be found in real life." Arnold Furst
eBooks at https://www.lybrary.com/ken-muller-m-579928.html questions at ken@eversway.com |
Scott Soloff Special user Philadelphia, PA 960 Posts |
I could go for some apple pie with vanilla ice cream.
Best to all, Scott
'Curiouser and curiouser."
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CThomas Loyal user 272 Posts |
My wife got our family tickets for this weekend to a mentalism performance -- the first we've ever seen in person. I had to chuckle in light of these conversations, because it is billed as an evening of "mentalism and magic." Still, it appears to be well reviewed and highly regarded despite the arguable faux pas.
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Chris K Inner circle 2544 Posts |
I don't like the discussion about whether to mix mentalism and magic but I'd like to share my $0.02 relating to CThomas' post since he raises an interesting point.
A lot of is made out of whether to combine this and that, is metal bending mentalism, does one claim psychic powers or psychological manipulation, etc. What tends to be lost is that those details may be of secondary importance to whether one is a good performer. A good performer can smooth over some of the rough spots of any sort of act. Meanwhile a poor performer, even if he/she only does mentalism, and a small slice at that, will not come off well. I'm not directing this at anybody in particular but it seems to me that some can get hung up on these fine details while overlooking the importance of dramatic training and stage presence. Cthomas' example is a clear one. The performer had the hubris to combine magic and mentalism (and even said as much). The gods of the Magic Café should have smote him right there, to hear some people tell it. Yet it was apparently very well received. Again, just my $0.02, really maybe not even worth $0.01... Good luck, Lem |
Nestor D Special user France (Paris) 830 Posts |
A mix of hypnosis and magic (1:05), it comes out wonderfully
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Tp9MTxC......915658D3 |
mastermindreader 1949 - 2017 Seattle, WA 12586 Posts |
Lem- How something is received isn't the same thing as how it's perceived.
I can amusingly moon the audience during my show. It would be received well (by some) but I seriously doubt if it would be perceived as mentalism, or even congruent with the premise. |
IAIN Eternal Order england 18807 Posts |
Quote:
On Jan 16, 2015, Lemniscate wrote: surely though, a good performer gets to become good by slowly eradicating those rough spots by performing and tweaking their stuff... I get that everyone has bits they're not happy with, or want to improve - but I don't subscribe to the idea that a good performer can in anyway 'make do'...maybe I'm misreading it...
I've asked to be banned
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CThomas Loyal user 272 Posts |
I'll report back after the weekend on my opinion of the extent to which it mixes the two.
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Mortimer Graves Special user New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. 556 Posts |
I like pistachio spumone with chocolate syrup on it.
Nothing to do with the topic, really, just wanted to put it out there. It's pretty yummy.
'Tis an ill wind that blows no minds.
Hastur, Hastur, Hastur! See? Nothing hap- ...and if we rub each other the wrong way, let's try going in another direction. - Pokey the Porcupine |
MVoss Veteran user Boston, MA 372 Posts |
Quote:
On Jan 16, 2015, mastermindreader wrote: Unless you print the prediction on your moon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reS9DmUrSkM |
CThomas Loyal user 272 Posts |
Just to close the loop on this, it was 100% mentalism, and performed very well. He even selected me for his closer.
My daughter and I were pleased and surprised that after only a few months of learning about mentalism she could reproduce every single effect that was performed, and had "performed" most of them for friends and family. But it also reinforced the point, which I guess is obvious, that it isn't fancy new tricks that make an effective performance, but rather how you do it. I've seen you guys say that all the time and I've nodded along in agreement, but seeing a seasoned pro doing this stuff and selling it really well brought home in a much more concrete way just how performance skills really do play a critical role in this stuff. Despite knowing the mechanics, we could never have come close to achieving the level of deception he did. So fun seeing audience members after the show discussing the particular tricks and saying how they were completely impossible. |
funsway Inner circle old things in new ways - new things in old ways 9982 Posts |
This only affirms that Mentalism is magic -- because that is what "magic" means to a lay person, i.e. a demonstration of the impossible.
There may be good reason for a Mentalist to avoid the word "magician" because of poor reputation from poor performers, but any demonstration of "inexplicable phenomena " will always be magic. Because of the many poor performances and "exposure" of those calling themselves Mentalist the top notch performers may eventually find a new term for what they do -- but it will still be magic for an audience. Alternately, Hollywood and media advertising will eventually dilute the word "magic" to mean nothing more than "more powerful" or "surprising." Then a new term for Inexplicable phenomena" will be found. Whatever that new word is it will apply to demonstrations of seemingly impossible physical and mental events -- even escapology. It is a concept rather than a label. Everyone has that concept in implicit memory -- it has to be called something for communication. For performers demonstrating impossible things and claiming it to be real there is another term. But, the point is that the use of the word "magic" on the ticket was not a "faux pas" -- it was a deliberate attempt to communicate to a potential audience what would be happening. This attracted people with an expectation of observing magic of the "impossible mental" variety. Apparently their expectations were met. Those who might have thought it would be about "Mentalism and Psychic Predictions" or "Mentalism and Ghosts" did not buy tickets. Those who might have expected some "impossible physical" effect were pleasantly surprised -- or saw what they expected in the billet switch. Yes, the apparent presentations of this performer were important, but so was meeting the expectations of the audience. Your daughter was entertained in a different way from you and those with less "magic" experience. Isn't that amazing? But, if the audience members were using the word "tricks" something went wrong IMHO
"the more one pretends at magic, the more awe and wonder will be found in real life." Arnold Furst
eBooks at https://www.lybrary.com/ken-muller-m-579928.html questions at ken@eversway.com |
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