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SIX Inner circle New York City 1772 Posts |
I recently performed a mentalism show at my local magic shop,now this was my first ever mentalism show so after the show I asked a few magi and one proffesional mentalist how was it he told me that I was joking around to much he said on stage you should be a diffrent person take your act a step up a little.Now a lot of magicians say you should find yourself when you do a show now I'm not a serius person I like to have fun come on I'm 15 what do you want me to do?So is mixing comedy with mentalism a good idea?
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freddyz New user 14 Posts |
Mix away! Generalizations, in most any form, are faulty (you see, I tried to avoid a generalization there!).
Yes, you should be you. This is the only way you will avoid imitating others, and also keep from having anyone imitate you. Well-written and well-placed humor is always essential to communication. There's an old adage, "If you have them laughing, you know they're listening." However, I'll cut your friends some slack here and perhaps rephrase and refocus their remarks. Perhaps, and this is only perhaps having not seen you perform, you are using too much humor, or perhaps the humor you are using was distracting from the flow of your act. A joke for a joke's sake is rarely correct. It must be carefully placed, either to help maintain the rhythm and interactivity of your act, or to help cover a move or incongruity. Also, the word "humor" is such a general term. Are you telling "gags? " Are you making humorous asides? Are you using insult humor? Perhaps your friedns were not reacting to your use of humor per se, but to your choice of material. A reaction is a reaction, and your friend's reactions are legitimate. It's up to you to analyze where they're coming from. It's easy to blow off negative remarks with thoughts of, "Oh, they're just jealous." However, before you file away their comments, try and figure out why they siad what they did. Be honest with yourself. Did you do a good job? Could your act be better? And most importantly, did your audience experience the full experience of your effects? Everyone has room for improvement ... everyone, including you, and your friends .. and ... OK ... me. Here's an idea, and you may not like it at first but you'll like it eventually. Videotape your next performance, and then privately watch your performance with an open mind. Don't mentally blink at misunderstood lines, timing lapses, missed or boggeld moves, or other faults. Us them to learn from. But also, revel in the parts done well. And if you REALLY want an eye opener, videotape the AUDIENCE of your shows. I did this in my early days. WOW, what an eye-opener. I can hear myself rattling on in the background, but I can see the REAL reactions, the sidelong comments, the smirks, the nudges. And I can also see the genuine moments of wonder and involvement. Truly a learning experience. Friends can certainly help you with comments and direction, but ultimately, it is the audicne who will give you the honest, unadulterated answer. As the Oracle of Delphi states, "Be yourself, but nothing to excess." Fred Z. |
bevbevvybev Inner circle UK 2672 Posts |
I think that a lot of mentalism doesn't have enough humor in its performance
What's wrong with being 'lighthearted'? Or being yourself? If you're a funny kind of guy, being yourself is cool. |
Lee Marelli Special user Aurora, Colorado 876 Posts |
Try you act in front of an audience of people other than those in magic. See how it plays. It is the only way to know. Freddy Z has some good advice. When you are rehearsing, audio or video tape what you are doing. Then critically watch or listen to what you are doing. When you do a show for others, do the same. Now you can also listen to audience reaction, which is of course very important. Video is best, because you can see yourself, your mannerisms,etc. but at a minimum, audio tape yourself. Hope this helps.
"Mentalism is a state of mind." Marelli
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