Take a Bow
Take a Bow
By Jeff Stone
I’m sure that most of you are familiar with the old Needle Through Balloon effect. If not, simply, it’s this: You run an 18 inch real ungimmicked needle through a real ungimmicked balloon without the balloon popping. It’s quite a stunning visual, and was a staple of my children show act back in the day. My buddy Diamond Jim added his personality to the effect and came up with The Drill Bit O’ Death <evil laugh>.
He actually does the exact same effect with a 1/4 inch brass drill bit. It’s a killer visual and one that people ask to see more than just about anything he performs . . . yet, every time I’ve seen him perform it, it seems to fall flat. He and I were discussing that, and it occurred to both of us that the audience just isn’t quite sure that the effect is over, so they don’t know that they’re supposed to applaud.
This lead us down the road of opening and closing lines. One year ago in the August 2008 Issue of Stone Cold Magic Magazine, I wrote an article called Oh, I thought You Were Done. The article is about structure and proper communication with your audience. This month is a great parallel article to further the discussion on communication.
Root:
Let’s remember our roots. This month’s root: Take a Bow. It’s the name of the article, and it’s the name of the root. Think about it. When a theater performer is done, s/he bows at the end of the show. The audience applauds and shows their respect. In between each act, the curtains close. This is like a bow. It tells the audience that you are done with that part of the play.
The old timey magicians bowed; the Vaudvillians bowed; Take a Bow. I don’t care if you work close up, stage, parlor or underwater for the basket weaving class, take a bow when you are done. Remember, this column is all about looking to the past (root) and projecting to the future (branch). Let’s raise our art back up to the level of class that it deserves. Let’s put in some showmanship and be the performers that we should be.
Branch:
Let’s build our branches. Your challenge for the next 30 days is to simply Take a Bow. At the end of your show, take a bow. At the end of your set at a table or strolling group, take a bow. Do it with grace, humility and gratitude. There’s no need to be overly dramatic. Simply say, “I enjoyed my time with you. Thank you.” Then slightly bow your head toward them much like you might if you were about to spar with a Karate partner.
If you are performing on stage, after each effect, make sure that you have an applause que. It doesn’t have to be a bow in that case, but you definitely want to have a final line lets the audience know that the trick is over. Take a pause as you display the final image. Then transition to the next effect. When I say “take a bow,” I’m partly being metaphorical. I certainly am being literal when it comes to ending your show. However, in between tricks, what I really mean by “take a bow” is “communmicate to your audience that the trick is over.”
This can be accomplished with the tone of your voice, your posture, a pause, a final line, etc. It’s all about what suits you best. So throughout the month, pick out one effect and refine it a bit. Pick one that you do fairly frequently and take a good hard look at it. When it’s over, is your script clear? Do you clearly communicate to your audience through you actions, words, etc. that the effect is over?
Then, at the end of your act, take a bow. To quote Mr. Miyagi from Karate Kid, “Look Eye! Always Look Eye!” Look them in the eye and take a bow.
Now go study the classics, and go discover your true magical self.
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