“Speech! Speech!”
Several weeks ago I attended a public performance at a local elementary school that featured volunteer entertainers from one of the two major magical organizations in the world. They were all members of the local chapter. The audience was neither small nor large; it was a family crowd and they seemed enthusiastic about the show.
I was there only to observe and lend support by being in attendance. It quickly became apparent that even observing would be difficult as the lights in the combination gymnasium/auditorium were extinguished leaving only nominal overhead stage lighting. Since these instruments were set somewhat back from the front of the stage, any performer early on was more a silhouette than a real stage presence. This snafu was corrected during act one.
My experience has been that dousing lights in venues other than traditional, legitimate theaters is often not a good idea. Most places just do not have enough illumination and so to turn any lighting out seems like a bad idea to me.
To the extent that I know these generous magicians they are all fine individuals. They have, of course, varying levels of skill, experience and expertise.
By the time the evening was over I had become convinced that there was one, simple thing that almost every one of them could have benefitted from. And that thing was a script.
For the performers who spoke the patter that emanated from their mouths was largely garbage.
They mostly knew their magical effects and sleight-of-hand. There was evidence that they had rehearsed their mechanical maneuvers. But, there was little evidence that they had thought about what they’d say in front of the crowd.
I wished that there had been a court reporter in attendance with that unique machine used to exactly take down testimony. This could then have been transcribed into a typewritten record of their patter verbatim. I would have enjoyed handing these ‘speeches’ to the individual performers and asking them to read their own words… exactly.
Do magicians believe it is not necessary to write down beforehand a script of what they intend to say as they perform?
After all, if it was good enough for William Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw and Neil Simon, I think it’s safe to assume it’s good enough for both amateur and professional magicians.
Rule #1: Less is more. Say only what you need to say. Make your patter concise and to the point. Make it easy for the audience to follow. If they’re confused, they will not appreciate the magic because they may have no idea what amazing thing has happened.
Here’s an example: I am fond of the classic transposition effect usually known as the Rice, Orange & Checkers. For years I owned the traditionally-sized outfit first produced by Thayer’s Studio of Magic and now by Owen Magic Supreme. It’s drawback is that it’s quite small. If you truly perform in a “parlor,” it will work; any place larger and it’s not big enough to register. I pestered the late Les Smith and suggested that he produce a larger outfit with a grapefruit instead of an orange. He finally did and it’s beautiful, but it costs as much as an illusion. It’s large enough for most any stage. Since I was the impetus for this offering I felt compelled to purchase one and I do enjoy performing it. Fellow TOPS columnist Steve “Chezaday” Cesare handcrafted two beautiful Chinese tables for me to use with this. His clever thinking makes it much easier to perform. I also was able to purchase a used Mandarin Transformation, the all-metal version of this act as produced by Rings ‘n’ Things in the 1970s. Few were built and so they’re desirable and expensive, too. It is larger than the traditional Thayer/Owen version and so I use it on smaller stages. Of course for years there has been a MAK Magic version, too, but the less said about it the better. It is inexpensive… and looks it.
With a stack of checkers on a table downstage right, a piece of citrus fruit on a table downstage left and an attractive female assistant standing somewhat upstage center with the required vase I must direct the audience’s attention so they understand clearly what is where. I want them to be impressed when everything changes.
The pitiful solution would be to say, “Over here I have these red and yellow checkers that I am now going to cover with this cover. Over here I have a piece of fruit that I will cover with this cover. I am now going to pour rice into this vase. Presto! I will uncover here where the checkers were and we find rice. Now I’ll uncover where the fruit was and here are the checkers. Inside the vase is the orange. Thank you very much.”
Instead, I sat down and composed some simple patter that delivered all the required information in a few words and —I hope— in a more interesting style.
“Years ago the three largest Chinese cities were Peking, Shanghai and Tientsin. Situated miles apart, there was very little trade between them. Shanghai was a port city and received mineral wealth from foreign ships. The red and yellow blocks represent, perhaps, rubies and gold. The fertile groves near Tientsin were used for growing oranges and other native fruit. And, finally, the paddies near Peking were for China’s number one crop, rice. Each city hoarded it’s own resource until a clever Chinese magician revealed that by trading each could share in the others’ gifts. And, that is how the port of Shanghai received all its rice… the city of Tientsin its great mineral wealth… and how the people of Peking ate fruit as well as rice.”
That example leads us to my second rule.
Rule #2: Your patter must NOT be just a description of your actions which the audience can plainly see! It is boring to hear a dull description of your actions. We are not blind! Several years ago a magician came to my home and asked for some creative help with his act. He demonstrated an effect where four, different-colored scarves were dropped into a Crystal Silk Cylinder and then changed into one of Rice’s beautiful 36? art silks (the Imperial Dragon as I recall). His patter was, “I am going to put this red silk, this black silk, this yellow silk and this green silk into the tube. Now I’m going to cover the tube.” That’s exactly what he did and then uncovered the prop and displayed the dragon. There’s nothing wrong with the magic, but his patter only stated the obvious.
I thought for a moment and then suggested, “There once was a Chinese artist who achieved fame not for painting with oils or watercolors or sculpting with clay. No, he used beautiful Oriental silk scarves like the four I have here. By combining them and using his magic he was able to produce great works of art… like this distinctive dragon.”
Now, which paragraph of patter would hold YOUR attention? Too many magicians call their scarves “silks,” forgetting that only magicians refer to them that way. To an audience they’re scarves, perhaps silk scarves, and definitely NOT “handkerchiefs.”
The performers at the show I witnessed also used way too many vocal crutches. This happens when speaking without preparation and trying to cover that you truly do not know what you’re about to say next.
“I, um, have this pack —deck of cards here and I, uh, want you to take them and…” Well, you get the idea.
I used to recommend that magicians make a video recording of their performance to witness firsthand what they inflict on the spectators with run-on sentences, incomplete sentences, bad grammar and just boring, unending commentary that serves only to minimize their impact. However, today everyone has access to a video camera and I suspect every magician has seen himself perform. I’ve concluded that they’re immune to the damage they do to themselves and our art… yes, ART!
So, I’m now recommending the transcript approach. I am hoping that if you actually are forced to read the junk that has come off your own tongue that you’ll realize an honest-to-goodness script is a good idea.
“But, I cannot write a script!”
That’s okay. I can’t build the Palanquin Illusion either. That’s what Abbott’s is for. If you do not have the requisite talent to compose an interesting, literate and grammatically-correct narration for your act, find someone who can help you just as you consult an artist for your graphics and a dentist for your oral health.
Going out on stage without the faintest idea of exactly what you’re going to say seems like going hunting with a rifle, but no ammunition.
At least, that’s the way I see it.
