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Being An Assistant
By Bruce “Charlie” Johnson
In May of 2004, I had the pleasure of attending the first
Magic Show Conference in
Branson
,
MO.
The classes were taught by Duane
& Mary Laflin and Marty & Brenda Hahne.
Each class was either about some aspect of showmanship or about how to
develop a show for a particular venue. I
felt that the classes were all very strong.
One of Brenda’s lectures was on being a magician’s assistant.
She directed her comments towards women who wanted to be an assistant.
She also talked about how magicians could work more effectively with an
assistant.
After her lecture I began thinking about the times I had
assisted magicians. I realized that
her lecture was relevant to everyone because every performer should learn to
assist others. Here are some
examples from my experience.
I toured with the Carson & Barnes Circus in 1980 and
1981. In 1980, Phil Chandler was the
Ringmaster. He also performed a
Wizard of Oz illusion act assisted by Linda, his wife, their daughter, and two
other women traveling with the show. I
was the off stage assistant for the act. I
helped unload and assemble the illusions. Just
before the act I double checked that they were in the right position for the
prop boys to carry into the ring and that they were set correctly.
Linda played the Wicked Witch, and at the end of the act she was turned
into a skeleton using an illusion called Burned Alive.
When the prop boys carried the illusion outside of the tent, I helped
Linda out of the hidden compartment so she could quickly return to the tent to
join the rest of the act for their bow. Phil
felt her reappearance was important to reassure kids that she had not been
actually hurt.
During the first show of the day, I reset the props for the
next show. During the last show of
the day, I disassembled the illusions and helped load them.
One day between shows, one of Phil’s assistants was
kicked by a horse. I took her place
as the Scarecrow, wearing my tattered tramp wardrobe, and assisted in the ring
during the week it took her to recuperate.
The next year Jim Royal was the Ringmaster.
The show needed a filler act following the Spec and Aerial Ballet.
The decision was made to use a Sword Basket illusion that Jim owned.
Since all of the showgirls, including Jim’s wife, were in the Aerial
Ballet they were not available for the illusion.
I ended up being cast as the assistant who was shoved into the basket,
vanished, and then reappeared.
In 1982 and 1983, I toured with the Funs-A-Poppin Circus.
Ed Russell was the Ringmaster and Magician.
The assistant traveling with him worked in the concession stand before
the show so they were not available to help him with the opening act.
I assisted Ed with the manipulation act that started the show.
(Opening the show allowed him to load his doves and set his props before
he became involved in announcing the other acts.)
Ed’s regular assistant helped him perform illusions later in the show.
In 1985, I toured with the Family Showcase Theater for five
weeks. Tim Balster was the show’s
illusionist. Diana Hansen, who did a
foot juggling act in the show, assisted him.
However near the end of the show Tim did a Drum illusion where he covered
the ends of a large cylinder with paper, produced a huge quantity of silks, and
then produced Diana from the drum. I
assisted Tim during that illusion.
I have appeared in many small circus and variety shows with
a small cast and crew. There was no
room for egos in those shows. Everyone
in the cast assisted everyone else. If
you were not performing your act, you were available to assist somebody else
with their act.
Magicians are not the only variety artists who might work
with an assistant. Jugglers who use
a large number of props may emphasize the number by having an assistant toss
them the props one at a time allowing the audience to count them.
If a juggler uses a variety of props during their act, the act is
smoother if somebody else exchanges the props between routines.
A foot juggler almost always needs help with their props.
I worked many times with Chester Cable who manipulated an eight-foot
table with his feet. After he lay
back on his bench, it took two of us to lift the table and balance it on his
feet. Entertainers performing animal
acts may need help leading their animals into the ring.
In the circus, assisting any act besides a magician is
called “styling” the act. Generally
an act performed by a male entertainer is styled by a woman or a clown.
An act performed by a female entertainer is usually styled by a man or a
clown.
Another type of circus act requires specialized assistance.
That is aerial acts. A web is
a canvass covered rope that is used to climb to aerial rigging.
Tricks performed on the web itself are part of the Aerial Ballet. When
somebody is using a web they are assisted by a Web Setter standing on the
ground. By increasing and loosening
tension on the web at the right time, the Web Setter makes it much easier for
the Aerialist to climb the web. Some
tricks performed during the Aerial Ballet require that the web be kept taut
while other tricks require a slack web. The
Web Setter has to know how to adjust the tension. The Web Setter is responsible
for making the act look good and for the safety of the Aerialist.
The web may also be used to swing or spin an Aerialist while they are on
another piece of rigging. A Web
Setter is almost always male. Many circus Clowns double as Web Setters.
Here is some advice for when you assist another
entertainer:
| You
should never touch another entertainer’s props without permission.
If they request that you move something for them, don’t assume that
you know how to do that. Always
ask if there is a special way of handling it.
For example, my magic table has a shelf that is suspended below the
top and hidden by the drape. If
you picked the table up from underneath, the shelf would move upwards
disturbing or crushing items set on it.
You pick this style of table up by its center post or by holding the
top. I know other magicians who
use a flat table with boxes set on top.
If you don’t pick it up by the bottom you leave the table behind.
There may be special set ups, levers, releases, or other things about
an illusion or prop that you need to know about before you can move it
properly. |
| If a
juggler wants you to throw a prop to them, they will generally hold up an
empty hand giving you a target. That
is your cue for when and where to throw it.
Aiming for their hand, toss it gently using an underhand throw so
that it arcs into their hand. |
| Make
eye contact with the person you are assisting.
This forms a relationship between you.
In 1980, I was a Web Setter during the Aerial Ballet for a lady named
Gloria. After we entered the
ring the first thing I had to do was take the cape she was wearing.
I gazed into her eyes adoringly as she gave me her cape.
I carefully folded it and draped it over an elephant tub.
When I returned, we made eye contact again before I lifted her up to
give her a boost in climbing the web. At
the end of the routine, Gloria climbed down until I could reach her and
lower her gently into her shoes. Then
I got her cape and assisted her into it.
She would turn, make eye contact with me, smile, nod her thanks. Then
I would give her my arm and escort her from the ring.
Later in the show, I would exit the center ring after performing a
Clown act while Gloria was entering to perform a Head Balancing Trapeze act.
We would make eye contact as we approached each other.
At the edge of the ring, I would doff my hat and bow her into the
ring. She would smile at me, nod
her head, and then enter the ring with a majestic sweep of her robe.
I received many comments from people about how much they enjoyed the
romantic relationship between the Clown and the Aerialist.
We did not have a romantic relationship outside of the performance
and rarely socialized together. |
| When
somebody assists you, acknowledge their help unless you are playing a role
that requires an attitude like arrogance for comedy effect.
Audiences respond much better to somebody who is likeable.
How you interact with assistants influences audience opinion of who
you are as a person. Your
relationship with your assistant can affect how willing audience members
will be to volunteer to come on stage. In
effect, audience volunteers are additional assistants. |
| If
you are assisting somebody while they are working with audience volunteers,
help with volunteer control. Quietly
direct them about where they need to stand or move.
Help them feel comfortable on stage.
Quietly reassure them that they are doing a good job.
If a young volunteer begins acting inappropriately, quietly reprimand
them. |
| Be
aware of sightlines. Don’t
stand where you block the view of audience members.
Make sure everyone can see what the entertainer is doing.
If there are volunteers on stage, make sure they are not blocking
sightlines. |
| In
addition to keeping sightlines open, you should help direct the audience’s
attention to where they should be looking.
Your eyes are an excellent tool to use.
The audience will tend to look where you look.
Don’t look at gimmicks because that may draw the audience’s
attention to them. For example,
a Junior Nite Club Vanish is a box with a door in its lid.
Something like a dove is put in through the door. Then
the box is dismantled proving that the object has vanished.
The hidden compartment for the dove is on the underside of the lid.
The lid is taken off first and handed to the assistant.
The assistant holds it in such a way that the hidden compartment is
masked by their arms. As the rest of the box is taken apart the pieces are
laid on top of the lid. When I assist a magician using this effect, I always
hold my arms out ready to receive the lid, but I never look at the lid as it
is handed to me. I try to peek inside the top of the box to see if the
object is still inside. That
keeps the audience’s attention focused on the box.
This is effective enough that I have assisted circus magicians
performing this while surrounded by the audience and nobody noticed the
gimmick. (Our body positions
also helped screen audience view of the gimmick.) |
| Use
all of the theatrical tools for controlling focus.
For example, height tends to attract attention.
I wanted to attract the audience’s attention when I reappeared from
inside the Sword Basket so I held my arms up as I was uncovered.
When I want to shift more attention to the magician, I sometimes bend
forward at the waist looking at something they are holding which makes me
shorter. Sometimes when
assisting a female entertainer I drop down to one knee when presenting
something to her. |
| Movement
attracts attention so you need to know when to move and when to hold still.
When an entertainer pauses people tend to applaud.
Therefore, many entertainers will strike a pose when they want to
give the audience time to applaud. When
the entertainer moves, the audience stops applauding to see what they are
going to do. If an assistant
moves during the entertainer’s pause, the assistant both draws attention
away from the entertainer and ends the applause.
In a circus, when the entertainer pauses for applause, the assistant
also poses with one arm stretched out towards the entertainer.
This pose is called a style, which is the origin of the term
“styling an act.” Many
circus performers use a “split finger style” because that is considered
more graceful. This means their
first two fingers are straight while their ring finger and little finger are
both bent slightly and together. |
| React
to what is happening. That helps
contribute to the illusion that it is occurring for the first time.
When something unexpected happens, respond appropriately.
When I assisted Tim Balster, we produced two six-foot silk scarves
and hung them on backdrop frames. The
scarves were attached by duct tape that was doubled over and stuck to the
frames. At one performance, a
corner of a silk came loose and fell to the floor.
I was the one who was closest to it, so I moved over, picked it up,
reattached it to the frame, and then took out my feather duster and cleaned
it off. After the show Tim told
me that was just the right touch for that moment. |
| Be
sure that you know what to do in an emergency.
In an outdoor circus, a foot juggler using a prop with fire torches
on it. A spark set the grass in
the ring on fire. The young man
styling the act immediately went over to a center pole, grabbed a fire
extinguisher, and put out the fire before most people in the audience saw
the flames. If he had had to
search for the extinguisher, the fire might have spread enough to panic some
audience members. (Panic has
been the leading cause of injury to circus audience members historically.) |
| Even
when you are not assisting onstage, you can still help other acts backstage.
Legs are the curtains hanging beside the stage that prevents the
audience from seeing through to the backstage area.
Legs frequently get in the way when magic illusions are being moved
on and off stage. When an
illusion is being moved, you can help by pulling the Legs out of the way. |
| You
can be an extra pair of eyes for other performers.
I performed in a variety show with two magicians who shared the same
female assistant. She had a lot
of costume changes, and each costume had several accessories.
Before she went on stage each time I looked to make sure she was
wearing the right accessories for that costume.
Even though I was not familiar with all of her costumes I know enough
about costuming to be able to spot something that did not belong.
She wore several dresses in that show, and after she got into
concealment for a production, I double checked for her that her skirt was
not showing. |
| One
of the biggest myths in clowning is that you should always be in character
when you are in make up and costume. That
is false when you are backstage during a variety show.
Responding to other entertainers backstage as your clown character is
inappropriate. In that area you
are a cast member instead of a clown. You
should react as somebody doing what they can to make the entire show run as
smoothly as possible. |
| Sometimes
the greatest assistance you can give is to do nothing.
Respect the needs of others to concentrate on preparing for their
performance. It is a lot of fun
to swap stories and experiences. (In
the circus that is called “Cutting Up Jackpots.”)
However, there is a time and place for that.
If other entertainers are ready for the show and demonstrate a
willingness to talk, you can enter into conversations.
But if they are being quiet, respect their need to concentrate. |
| After
the show, respect their need to pack up their props.
At this time other entertainers don’t welcome distractions and may
not welcome help. Often they can
pack something quicker on their own than they can direct somebody else how
to do it. Also, for me the
packing process is my method of double checking that I am not leaving
anything behind. I have to do
that myself and need to concentrate while I am doing that. |
| You
can be the greatest assistance to others by getting your own props packed up
and out of the way as soon as possible.
Often when I was with a circus, my props were all packed and loaded
before the end of the performance. If
you are sharing a loading dock with other entertainers, move your car close,
load your props, and then move your car away so somebody else will have room
at the dock. |
| Once
the packing is done, it is appropriate to offer to help others load out.
Many times after a variety show, the illusionist is carrying crates
out long after the other entertainers have left.
I always try to wait and help them with the physical labor of moving
out of the building. |
No matter what type of act you do, you are more than just
your act. You can, and should, be an
assistant to the other acts. That
creates the best entertainment for the audience.
It also generates camaraderie among the cast that makes this art so much
fun.
To learn more about being an assistant, I recommend
attending Brenda Hahne’s lecture when you have the opportunity.
This article was originally written for the Funny Paper
Magazine. A condensed version was
published in the November/December 2004 issue.
Copyright 2004 by Bruce “Charlie” Johnson.
All rights reserved.
The 2005 Magic Show Conference will be held May 12-14 in
Branson
,
Missouri
. For more information on this
conference go to www.dazzlingmagic.com
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