Five ways to be positive, while hopefully not being positive.
As I was putting this blog post together I got a note from Paul Romhany, my editor at Vanish Magic Magazine. He is putting together an article with ideas from some of his key contributors. I can’t wait to read them. It is vital that the magic world handles this world crisis in a sensible manner.
1 Take the time to creatively work on some new pieces for the act. Read, research, and do something to revitalize your show. When everything calms down, which it will, you will have achieved something constructive. You can also use the time to re-evaluate and improve safety. and just as vitally the appearance of safety in your show.
2 Look ahead to when something like this happens again, and it will, and really think about the items/moments in your act that would be cringe-worthy at this moment in time. Work out ways to avoid using saliva during the Gypsy Thread, or doing the Card From Mouth. Maybe they always were a bit cringeworthy and we didn’t fully realize it.
3 Plan out a show that requires no assistant coming up onstage. Many magicians use assistant volunteers way too liberally;
are there ways to perform the same routines without parading back and forth continually. This will be a bad optic for a long time to come; plus it will probably really speed up your show in a positive way.
4 See if you can restructure your show so that people do not have touch props during your show. Does the spectator have to really remove a card from the pack or could you handle the situation without any physical contact taking place? Even as things return to normal you can expect people to have a new awareness of these basic safety concerns.
5 Most importantly of all, keep yourself healthy and safe. Everyone is losing shows and dates, everyone is going to be hurting financially. Do not figure that you can just do “this” show without a problem, we need to retool the old adage from if in doubt cut it out and make it If in ANY doubt, close it down.
I am already seeing magicians on social media talking about going out and performing magic in stores and other hot spots in order to “raise spirits,” and “cheer people up.” This isn’t about you, or any half-assed notions of being a social media hero. Put those grubby sponge balls back in your pocket; you could potentially be passing on something other than a few moments of amusement. Think it through.
REMARKABLE MAGIC 