From ring reporter Peter Rodgers
Three members had agreed to present a mini lecture for our March meeting “Improving Your Magic”. Our MC for the evening was Jack Sharp. Jack had recently returned from the Blackpool convention and he interspersed the lectures with items that he had purchased there and was introducing to his new family shows. Jack started by displaying a birthday card, ideal for use at children’s birthday parties, however it looked very dreary as it was only in black and white. With plenty of “bits of business,” and audience participation jack magically and visually coloured the card in, ready to be handed to the birthday child.
Jack then introduced our first lecturer of the evening, Anthony Dillon and his mini lecture “Eliminating Weaknesses”.
Anthony commenced by asking us to compare two questions.
1) Would you like to see a card trick?
2) Would you like to see something my grandfather showed me?
Everyone agreed that the second question is much more interesting to your audience and we had some discussion analysing the reasons. Anthony then discussed Michael Ammar’s “Two Coin Transposition” and asked the question, “Who Cares?” Its necessary to give the audience some meaning to your effects. Anthony then performed a ring through handkerchief effect that he had learnt from the Mark Leveridge Zoom lecture to our club during the Covid-19 lockdown. Anthony explained that, he always had a problem with one aspect of the effect. He explained that at an IBM social meeting he had raised his concerns with member Peter Wood, and Peter showed him the classic move which is now the way Anthony performs the effect. Thats one of the big benefits of belonging to a magic society such as ours. You can always discuss things over with your fellow performers. Anthony then showed us an effect with three plastic cards. A Visa card, A Social club membership card and a work/business card. He had a spectator very freely choose one of these cards and Anthony showed that he had predicted the outcome. The method, often maligned by magicians, but can be very astonishing for laymen was a three way out. The problem with this type of effect is that some of the “Outs” are always much better than others. After Anthonys performance he lead a long discussion on how to improve the weaker “Outs”.
Jack thanked Anthony and brought forward our next lecturer, John Kanawati and his lecture on Misdirection.
John commenced by quoting the great Tommy Wonder. Most magicians start to learn a routine by practicing the mechanics, then they add the patter then as a final step they work out the misdirection. Tommy Wonder told us that misdirection is integral to the whole effect/routine and should be part of your thinking from the start. John then performed his lovely multiplying billiard ball routine, explaining that it included 12 points of misdirection. He explained such techniques he used as mirroring, ie. placing both hands in his pockets at the same time but just palming one ball. He explained how he looked at his elbow or where he wanted the spectators to look. He explained Juan Tamariz’s Crossing the Gaze and what and where to watch and he referred us to Tom Stone’s Penguin lecture. John explained ‘what’s higher gets more attention’ and that ‘the bigger move covers a smaller move’. Performing a card effect John palmed cards as he asked a question, he demonstrated cover for the pass as he turned and gestures proving again that the large move covers the small move. He explained that what is closer gets more attention and the concentration of the performers attention will attract the spectators attention to what you want them to take in or away from what you don’t wont them to see. John concluded by referring us to both the Tommy Wonder and the Tom Stone lecture notes.
Jack came back and advised that the Sydney Ring would be performing a family show for the Salvation Army in November and for all members to start to plan for the show. He then introduce our final lecturer of the evening, Barry Abkin to lecture on The Memorised Deck.
At a previous meeting Barry had impressed many of our members with his performance of Simon Aronson’s “Histed Heisted” which is Simon’s take on “The Miracle Divination” from “The Magic of Louis S Histed”. Its an effect from the 1940’s that users a Mem. deck. Barry had been using the Aronson Memorised Stack and tonight he said that a stacked deck was currently his favourite magic technique. He repeatedly had cards chosen and he apparently read the spectators minds to disclose the card. Barry was using a stacked deck, he was cutting the cards as the cards were chosen, he then glimpsed the new bottom card of the deck and he new the next card in his stacks sequence was the chosen card. Barry had originally learnt this method from the writings of Gene Anderson, however it is standard procedures with a stacked deck. Although Barry was using the Aronson stack he did mention other memorised stacks such as Juan Tamariz’s Mnemonica and the Nikola Card System. He also talked about the Si Stebbins stack which could be used for virtually all the effects that Barry performed tonight, but it does not need to be memorised making it much easier to learn. For those still interested in remembering fifty two cards in order Barry suggested the Rick Lax Mnemonica Trainer or to just remember a few cards at a time as if they were phone numbers. He also suggested having an Invisible Deck in your pocket for a good finish or as a good ‘out’, when an effect goes wrong.
Jack Sharp thanked our three lectures and mentioned that they may be thirsty, he had a jug of water and a stack of glasses. He poured out three glasses of water for them, decided that he would have a drink too, but the water mysteriously turned to wine as he filled his own glass. Jack asked if any other members wished to perform. Phouc Can Hua is always keen to perform and he managed to balance a ping pong ball on the edge of his handkerchief. After a few attempts Phouc got the ball to roll along the top of the hanky. During the supper break, which followed, Peter Wood gave Phuoc a few hints to help improve his very old, but seldom seen routine.
Peter Rodgers
Sydney Magic Club 