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Scripting, Rehearsals, Prop Management and Last Minute Changes

Why preparation is key.

Have you ever had a show all set… magic selected, script written, props built and the show has been rehearsed and you are ready to roll.  And then for some reason beyond your control the client says:  “We are going to be tight on time… can you cut say… 5 minutes out of your spot?  “No problem”… you say, and you mentally cut one routine which will eliminate the extra 5 minutes, figuring you will just leave that trick out and you think:  “I’m good to go.”

But you are not!  And here is why.

Before you are ready to go you need to reset and rehearse the full act (probably a number of times) just to adjust to this minor change.  You might read this and say:  “I don’t need to rehearse cutting something from my act”… but you do.  Any change to a well-rehearsed presentation will impact the program, often in unseen ways.  And the last thing you want to do is to discover the impact of that change while standing in front of a live audience.

This is even more critical if you are working from a custom script, matching words to actions with something like a corporate message that will probably be delivered only one time.  When we rehearse, we subconsciously attach words to actions, movements and objects.  You may not realize you are doing this but you are.  The action of picking up a prop, the feel of a prop in your hands, or the position you are standing on stage… is subconsciously sending you a cue or a signal as to what words should be coming out of your mouth next.  Actions, movements, and touch are all part of the memory process when we are memorizing and putting a script in our mind.   Also, making sure every prop itself is exactly where is should be, both before and after, a routine is critical.  The elimination of a routine may mean you end up moving to the next trick with an extra coin in your hand or an object in your pocket that was not supposed to be there… just yet.

When you make a physical change to your act… like eliminating (or adding) a routine… you must retrain your hands and your brain to adapt to this new environment.  Simply walking through it in your head… or physically miming the new routine multiple times without the props in hand is a very bad idea.  Without rehearsing and seeing how that change… no matter how small… impacts the total program, you can easily go blank (especially in front of an audience) and forget where you are in your script.  When this happens, the carefully written words and actions can easily get out of sync… and you lose the full impact of the message you are trying to deliver.

So the next time you have to make a last minute change, especially when it appears to be an easy one… don’t wing it.  Take the time to set up the show and run it a few more times with props in hand and look for any surprises… you will be glad you did.

Paul Gertner is nationally recognized speaker and corporate magician, whose honors include multiple Tonight Show appearances, performing at a presidential inauguration, and winning three international competitions. He can be hired as a trade show magician or keynote presenter. For more information, visit gertner.com.

Posted in Magical Thinking, Magicians Only on May 10, 2018 by Paul Gertner.