Selwyn House School - Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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SELWYN HOUSE SCHOOL MAGAZINE audience much more than do the other two, and for this reason, if the conjurer is capable of doing it, and has a suitable stage, it is preferable. The natural style of conjuring is more adapted to the parlor and platform types of magic shows, and is very widely used, as there is little memorizing of patter, and the magician can say whatever comes into his head about the trick. The effect on the audience is at first less than the mysterious show, as they think that they are merely seeing someone do a trick, and when the end proves to be startling and unexpected they sit up and take NOTICE. ln this type of show cheerfulness is essential, and if a performer is consistently cheerful the audience will respond to his attitude by being cheerful themselves, and since the audience wants mainly to be entertained this cheerfulness is very advantageous. Occasionally in the audience, during the natural kind of show there is one person who knows how it's done , and persists in calling out his knowledge. The only way to prevent this, and save the success of the show is to make the offender seem ridiculous. The aud- ience, knowing he is doing this, will immediately laugh at the culprit, and will more admire the performer for his cleverness. Magicians who use the humorous style of presenting a show have to use a definite outline to follow, which brings in the jokes to the best advantage, and permits the inventing of new ones in the talk. This also creates a good impression on the audience, who only think of the tricks as mediums for bringing in the jokes, and so entertainment, and there- fore to give the tricks their proper importance a half-natural half-humorous style seems as good as any to me. But of course, if the magician is unable to make jokes he should not bring in ones thought out beforehand, as these, coming from the wrong person, seem rather forced, or unnatural. The impression created upon the audience at the outset is also of great importance, and thus the first trick should be a good one. If it is not, and the audience start to think of the magician as a person, not a personality, the show is damaged, and, the performer sensing this, the entertainment proceeds in a rather strained way until a reaffr good trick is accomplished. The second most important item is the last trick, which should represent the utmost in the magician's repertoire, and it should be extremely spectacular, a production effect usually, and the audience should depart thinking mainly on this trick. So that, from the importance of the first and last tricks, we gather that the object of a con-iurer in a show is to create a good impression, and the object of the spectator to be entertained. The magic wand is another item of importance in a magic show, though its use is often regarded by the beginner as an affectation. This is not true, for the psychological effect obtained by touching an object with the wand and saying Presto in a deep voice, actually helps to make the audience believe that the miracle was accomplished at that very instant, though they really know that it must have been effected earlier. Usually any small suspicions that the audience have are overshadowed when the magic wand is used, and this is one reason why the wand is indispensable. The practical value of the wand, too, is often overlooked. It is most useful, as the magician can return to his table to pick it up or lay it down, thus acquiring an excuse to l3Sl

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FOR THE SCHOOL YE.-XR 19-ll Y 19-ll The Qrt nf Magi: Ever since earliest times the human mind has been intrigued and deceived by other people who profess to call upon occult powers to accomplish their ends. One of the first examples of this is the Druid priesthood, which evoked pagan gods, and filled their fol- lowers with awe when they accomplished apparently impossible feats. liiven today, in Africa, there are men called witch-doctors who play upon the ignorance of the others of their race to acquire wealth and power. All people have an inherent fear and suspicion of things unknown, and even in civilized races people pretend to do real magic. Foremost among these are spiritualists, but now almost all of this class have been exposed, and I do not believe that the average person takes spiritualism at all seriously. Curiously enough, conjurers have mostly been the ones to expose the mediums, as they do not consider it fair for people to impose upon the gullibility of the public without telling them that they are subjects of a deception. However, some persons still persist in believing in spiritualism, though such belief in magic is supposed to have died out a few hundred years ago, when witches were no longer credited with supernatural or evil powers. The conjurers of today are quite different from spiritualists and that class, as they openly admit that they deceive the people, but they defy the public to explain how they do it. The modern magician is essentially an entertainer, even though some shroud their work in mystery. Magicians also have to keep up with the times, as today it would look rather peculiar to see a conjurer use a snuff box in his tricks. Fvery new invention that can be adapted to deception is used by con-iurers, and so we have tricks with cigarettes and tricks involving photography, which no one would have understood a century ago. Nowadays the old conhiuring table, draped to the floor and concealing an assistant, is abolished, small spidery-looking ones taking their place which perform the same me- chanical functions, but are very much more modern. In other words, the tricks which would, in all probability, have puzzled our great-grandfathers are childishly simple to us, and if a magician of a century ago could see our modern conhiurers he would be more mystified than the present-day audience. But there are some ageless tricks which will always con- tinue to be performed, mainly because the equipment can never be dated, these tricks are usually executed solely by sleight of hand, such as the Cut Rope Restored . There are three different styles that are used in magic shows, first the mysterious, second the natural, and third the humorous. ln the mysterious style the conjurer almost always wears full dress, and his opening is spectacular, but usually no word is uttered until the first trick is completed. This creates an impression that the conjurer is a superior being, which is maintained throughout the performance. It is funny to see the slight con- tempt the audience has for the conjurer slowly vanish and a look of wonder, and possibly awe, replace it. This type of performance is only useful upon the stage, and very rarely upon the platform, and it requires an exceptionally good actor to carry off the show suc- cessfully, still leaving an impression of superiority. It is even harder to perform the silent first trick, as the audience is almost sure to Spot how the deception is performed unless it is executed fast and with great dexterity. However this type of show impresses the l27l

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FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 1941- 19-11 obtain a coin or gimmick secretly, or to deposit some previously vanished article in a secret pocket. Also special wands can be made for vanishing cigarettes, handkerchiefs, etc., or for producing candies or plumes. Again, gesturing with the magic wand materially assists misdirection , or leading the spectators' eyes away from the hands at a vital moment, and thus helps to ensure the success of the trick. Therefore the wand is a most practical object for the conjurer to possess, as not only does it lend an air of mystery to the performance, but it is an extremely handy object when used for a definite purpose. :Xn example of how the magic art has become modern is the almost universal em- ployment of simple objects. Fifty years ago a con-iurer's show was filled with peculiar covers for objects, large globes, papier mache heads, and similar objects which could only have been made expressly for conjuring purposes, and which usually couldn't be examined. The modern idea of tricks is to use only everyday ob-iects in a programme, and a few magic- ians specialize only in one branch of articles. Cards, coins, handkerchiefs, rings, cigarettes, balls and 'cigars now form a main part of the magician's equipment, and the wonderment of the audience is increased tenfold when the con-iurer produces just as startling results with these as with specially made apparatus. Naturally the stage magician has to use the older type of performance, because the audience cannot see cards etc., but sometimes even he uses extra big everyday objects made for the purpose. Outside the actual performing of the show the main platform or parlor conjurerls dilliculty lies in handling children, and pleasing them. Children appreciate a well put over programme as well as adults, and they are very easy to deceive, but the danger with them is that they are quick to spot a mistake, intentional or otherwise, and also they never keep silent about it. The only remedy for this is not to make mistakes P Pleasing women, and children too, is not so easy when both are in the same audience, but as women always like pretty things, flowers and handkerchiefs, and children like animals, a liberal sprinkling of both in the show will be sure to please all. Men are very easy to please, merely a well-executed trick serving to satisfy them, and so the magician has to play up to the women and children of the audience. The dress of the magician, like the magic wand, has become standardized. The hrst garment of the early conjurers was a long, flowing robe, covered with mystic signs, and in which there was ample room to conceal an elephant if necessary. This became more modern until one magician startled the public by wearing a full dress suit which had apparently no places of concealment. The stage magician still has to wear the full dress suit, but the platform or parlor conjurer is permitted to use a tuxedo, or even an everyday business suit. So that, taken all in all, the slow development of magic through the ages to its final culmination in the present day, has gone through all stages, from religious rites to enter- taining, and is now a very highly developed science which has its followers and clubs in all parts of the world. C. P. E., Form 6. l29l