Are You A Showoff?

Nobody likes a showoff.

Magic is different from other performance arts. Most of the time the skill is hidden.

Unless you’re performing manipulation, audiences are not supposed to be aware of your skill.

It’s not like singing or playing an instrument. So too often magic seems like showing off.

Or as the late Harry Anderson cautioned, “I know something you don’t know.”

And showing off with volunteers on stage with you is even more…uh…wrong-er.

I’ll let you behind the scenes for a little thought experiment I did this week with a new prop.

Recently, I purchased an effect from Jeff McBride’s Mystery School site. Here’s a bit of the ad copy:

IMAGINE THIS: The entire audience takes out their smartphones, opening their calculator apps to challenge you. A spectator arranges large "number blocks" and builds more and more complex mathematical combinations, and in seconds, you outsmart the machines with just your mind. Gasps. Applause. Shock.

It’s a rendition of a classic effect in mentalism called ‘lightning-fast calculations.’

Very cool effect, but to me always comes off as show-off-y.

Jeff’s new prop takes what is typically a closeup effect and transforms it for the stage.

I’ve long been interested in a stage version of this effect for my middle school math show.

But how to present it? Middle school kids are tough enough to perform for.

Doing something where you’re apparently showing off is a surefire way to alienate this very tough audience.

Bringing volunteers up only to have them lose is not going to endear you to any audience.

So here’s what I’ve come up with.

To perform the piece, four students are invited up to participate in a contest.

We’ll see if they can add up the totals faster than I can. If one of them beats me, they get $20.

I display the $20 and put it in my wallet, which remains in full view.

Now there are at least stakes in the game.

We then play the game, adding up the mental blocks in various permutations (chosen randomly by another student), the four students vs me.

Of course, I win each time. The problem?

Ending with my four vanquished volunteers heading back to their seats is not a good way to end such a piece.

But no one goes home empty-handed.

I open the (himber) wallet and the $20 has transformed into four $5 bills. Each of the four contestants gets one as they take their seats.

How will this play? I’m not sure. I just received the effect. But I have no doubt that it will play much better than if I had just demonstrated my incredible ‘skill.’

Here’s another example from my own work. This comes from my science show.

One of the demonstrations I learned from its creator involved potential and kinetic energy.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to get all science-y on you now. But if you want to learn more about it, check THIS out.

Back to the experiment. The audience sees a small table with a box on it. On top of the box’s lid are two clear glasses filled with water. On top of the glasses lays a clipboard with a long string attached. On top of the clipboard are two toilet paper tubes.

Here’s where it gets good: On top of each tube rests an egg.

As written, a volunteer is called on stage. The performer acts like he’s going to knock the clipboard out of the way, causing the eggs to fall into the water.

The problem? As the performer apparently starts to knock the clipboard out of the way, he tries to convince the audience the clipboard is going to fall straight into the volunteer’s face.

It’s a funny moment that the kids I perform this for eat up.

Obviously, the clipboard never gets knocked into anyone’s face.

But here’s where the show’s author really screws up. After the bait-and-switch of potentially hurling the clipboard into the volunteer’s face…he merely knocks the clipboard out of the way.

The eggs drop into the glasses. The volunteer is never in any real danger. They are thanked and sent back to their seat.

Do you see the problem with this? The volunteer’s only purpose is to stand there for the gag. They don’t actually do anything.

Well, They DO something. They get to stand there and witness the awesomeness of the performer as he successfully (and safely) completes his difficult stunt.

Why bring the volunteer up at all?

I think I performed it that way once or twice. Then I flipped it on its head.

I do perform the gag, acting like I’m going to slam the clipboard into the volunteer, then stopping at the last second.

But when it’s time to actually knock the clipboard out of the way, I have the volunteer do it.

And 99 times out of 100, they’re successful. It’s high drama as the audience waits to see if the volunteer will succeed.

The applause when they do succeed is genuine and heartfelt, not done out of some performance obligation.

What we as performers do is amazing. But too often, we come off as showoffs.

Your mention, should you choose to accept it… look at your own show. Are there routines involving volunteers where you are just showing off?

If so, can you change the script so the volunteers succeed? Or at least take the sting out of a contest where they lose?

Quick plug…in this issue, I’ve detailed my approaches to some of my routines for middle school audiences.

If you’re curious about middle school shows, check out my product, The Complete, Uncut, Middle School Project.

In it, you see me perform two complete shows for two different idle school audiences. After each show, I also provide a commentary on each, outlining my choices, how I handle things that went wrong, and much more.

Check it out, it’s loads of fun.

One last thing. Regarding the presentation for Mental Towers…I’m sure some of you reading might wonder what would happen if by chance I got some kind of savant up as a volunteer.

What if they did in fact beat me?

To preserve the premise (and my integrity) I’d give the kid the $20.

Have a great week!

--Cris

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