Workers One

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WORKERS

Number One

ROUTINES FROM THE PROFESSIONAL REPERTOIRE OF

MICHAEL CLOSE

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WORKERS Number One Written by Michael Close Illustrations by Chris Kenner

Pre-illustrative Photography by Sam Close Ebook Layout and Design by Lisa Close

The Workers Seri

© Copyright 1990, 2005 by Michael Close. All rights reserved including manufacturing, sale, and distribution rights. Reproduction or utilization of this work in any form, by any means now known or hereinafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without express written permission from the copyright holder. Tell your friends. [This was the first of the funny copyright notices, a gag that continued through all the Workers series and Closely Guarded Secrets. In the original volumes, there was a restriction concerning television, video, film, stage, and theater performances. This was included to protect me from famous stage magicians using my material on TV shows. As it turned out, this was never an issue, so I have dropped that clause from the copyright notice.]

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION — 11 THE UNBELIEVABLY USEFUL COMEDY PROP — 17 THE ORIGAMI BUNNY — 19 DR. STRANGETRICK — 31 THE POTHOLE TRICK — 49

The Workers Seri

A Small Requt In the two years that Illusions has been open many magicians have stopped in to have dinner and check out the magic. Almost none of them ever saw the routines in this manuscript (or in the manuscripts to come). Of the few who have seen these routines, only one person was ever given the full handlings so he could perform this material. I mention this only to emphasize how highly I regard these routines. They can establish a unique reputation for you among laymen. Please be considerate as to how you disseminate this material among your friends. I would be grateful if you would keep this manuscript to yourself. If your friends think they could use this material I would be glad to sell them a copy. Suggest that they visit www.MichaelClose.com and purchase one. [email protected] Thank you for your consideration. [Copy protection and the theft of intellectual property remain important issues. I have been interested in computers since 1985, when I purchased an Apple IIe. One of the first things I taught myself was how to circumvent the copy protection (we called it “cracking” back then) on computer discs. I did not attain this knowledge to make illegal copies of software; I wanted to make back-up copies of the software that was vital to my music business. It has always been my contention that copy protection merely serves as an inconvenience to legitimate users; it does little or nothing to deter those who make illegal copies. For every copy protection scheme, there is a 13-year-old kid who can crack it in a week. Consequently, there is no copy protection on this disc, or on any of the other digital products I have released.

Workers One

I’m sure that there are as many illegal copies (Xeroxes, pirated tapes, etc.) of my products as there are legitimate copies. The only solution is whether you choose to do the right thing, whether you choose to lead by example. I trust you on this, and I’m positive that my faith is not misplaced. Let’s change the world, and show those who create the products that entertain and inform us that we respect their efforts. Thanks again.]

T

I NTRODUCTION

he title of this series of manuscripts is “Workers.” So what is that supposed to mean? In the past 15 years I have been fortunate to spend time with magicians whose creative and performing abilities I greatly admire; people who, for the most part, made their livings (or a substantial portion thereof) from the performance of magic for lay audiences. These performers plied their trade in the real world, under real life conditions. Routines would be demonstrated and shared. And very often, one or another of us would say in admiration of a routine, “Now that’s a worker.” A “worker” is a routine in which every last performance detail has been thought out. These performance details include the technical aspects of the routine, the patter, audience management, and misdirection. In addition, thought had been given to how the props were introduced (i.e., how you “got into” the routine) and how the props were cleaned up at the end (i.e., how you got out of the routine). [This is the same mind-set as a card cheat, and I think it is one of the most important concepts of professional caliber conjuring. During my tenure as product reviewer for MAGIC magazine, I have seen hundreds of tricks that cannot be performed under real-world conditions, because the creators have given no consideration to getting in and getting out. Solving these problems is a major step toward creating a true “worker.” If I can’t solve the problems, I never perform the routine. This is one of the sieves in my magic filtration system that is discussed in Workers 3.] The wonderful thing about routines which are workers is that if another performer wants to adopt the routine, the majority of the hard work has already been done. All another performer need do is to change the words to fit his own presentational personality, and become comfortable with the moves involved. (This may mean acquiring new techniques, or perhaps altering the handling in order to fit the technical level of the performer.) In any case, the routines are ready to be performed and they will evoke maximum audience response. In my opinion, about 1% of the routines in print are actually workers. If this were not the case, then the repertoire of the average magician would run into the thousands of tricks, rather than the twelve that everyone in the world seems to do. I have nothing against sponge balls, the Professor’s Nightmare, the color changing knives, the chop cup, the Benson bowl, card in the wallet, and all six thousand methods for doing Matrix. I would simply ask the magicians of the world to begin to give 11

The Workers Seri some thought toward making a few other routines into workers. This would certainly be a giant step toward the betterment of magic. The routines in this manuscript (and in the manuscripts to come) are (in my opinion) workers. I have used them successfully in thousands of performances for lay audiences. For the magician who works professionally they can be valuable additions.

Who is this Michael Close, anyway? My own interest in magic began at age 6 when I was given a few tricks as a birthday present. The bug bit and held, and magic remained an important hobby for me through high school and college. In 1972 I was lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Harry Riser, who lived not far from me in Indianapolis. By this time I had a strong interest in sleight-of-hand close-up magic and being able to spend time with Harry was a treat and an education. For the first time I was able to have an expert example of what magic was supposed to look like. More important than the many hours we spent discussing sleight of hand, however, was the philosophy of magic which Harry imparted; a philosophy that he had developed through his association with such greats as Dai Vernon, Charlie Miller, and Stewart Judah. I will discuss this philosophy of magic in a moment. I had always kept magic purely as a hobby. My profession was, and still is, music, and I wanted to avoid having to do magic for money (which inevitably changes your outlook on the subject). But in 1978 I took a job at Max and Erma’s restaurant in Indianapolis and performed there one night a week for seven and a half years. During this time I was hired to work a few magic conventions, and was able to make the acquaintance of some wonderful magicians whom I am happy to call my friends. In 1985 the music aspect of my life became busier and busier and I found that I was less and less happy performing magic. I turned the Max and Erma’s gig over to another magician and pretty much dropped out of the magic scene. While I still kept in contact with friends, I performed very little. [The magician who took over the Max and Erma’s job, Marc Lehmann, is still performing there, almost 20 years later.]

Workers One

In June of 1988 Illusions restaurant opened in Carmel Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis, and I was asked to be part of the magic staff. I joined, feeling that if I didn’t enjoy the performing I would simply quit. As it turned out, the performing situation in Illusions was wonderful, the staff was excellent, and about two months after the restaurant opened I was put in charge of the magic staff. We are now into our third year and I believe we will be going strong for a long time to come. Illusions has provided me the opportunity to perform five or six nights a week, in a variety of different performance situations, and many of the routines in this series were developed during the weeks, months and years of constant performance. [The five years I spent at Illusions was a remarkable experience. Magic that was developed during that time (by me and others) is still being varied and discussed by magicians worldwide. The restaurant closed its doors in 2003, falling victim to a landlord who wanted to turn the space into offices. By that time most of the magicians I had worked with had gone on to other things.] 12

Introduction

A Philosophy of Magic As I mentioned earlier, Harry Riser gave me an appreciation for a particular philosophy of magic. I feel that every performing artist must develop some philosophy (or least conceptualize an approach) concerning his or her artistic field. This philosophy then influences all the routines you perform, and how you perform them. This seems very vague and abstract, so let me discuss my philosophy, my approach, if you will. It is important that I discuss this, because this philosophy influences all the material in this manuscript. You will need to understand your own philosophy in order to adapt the material so it does not appear false when you perform it. My feeling about magic is this: magic is something which should have absolutely no possible explanation. The audience should be unsatisfied with any solutions they come up with. This approach is one that is exemplified in Harry Riser’s magic, and in the magic of his mentors, Vernon, Miller, and Judah. Adopting this philosophy immediately precludes flourishy handling of props, rapidly done moves, or overt displays of skill. Once it has been established that the performer is “quick with his hands” or has a lot of technical ability, the spectators have been provided with a satisfactory explanation for all the effects they witness. Granted, this explanation may be totally wrong, however it is an explanation the spectators can live with. Many performers of the “Look at Me” school of magic are perfectly content to leave the spectators with this explanation of what they have seen. This is their philosophical choice. My own preference is to consider the magician in the same way you would consider a motion picture screen: the screen is the medium by which we are able to view the movie. If you have ever been to a movie theater where the screen is stained or dirty you know how distracting it is. You become aware of the screen and focus less on the movie. Likewise, the magician is the medium by which the spectators are able to see impossible happenings. This is also the function of the classical musician; his function is to transmit the music from the mind of the composer to the mind of the listener. If the manner of the performance draws undue attention to the performer, the impact of the music (or the magic) is lessened. [In his book, Strong Magic, Darwin Ortiz took me to task for the above “movie screen” analogy. He had every right to do this, because I did not clearly state my point. I in no way meant that the performer was to be transparent; it is vitally important that we establish and project our personalities and points of view. What I meant was that our technique should be transparent. Nothing we do should distract the spectators from experiencing the sensation of seeing magic that has no explanation.] The approach I have chosen in no way diminishes the spectators’ appreciation of the magician. The spectators know that the magician is ultimately responsible for the miracles they have witnessed, just as we are aware that the skill and artistry of the classical musician are responsible for the music we hear. I also feel that a performer should have something interesting to say during the performance of routines. I thoroughly dislike patter that merely tells the spectators what they are seeing. Such patter 13

The Workers Seri serves no misdirective purpose whatsoever. But well constructed, imaginative patter can be highly misdirective because it engages the spectators’ intellects, and thus directs part of the spectators’ analytical processes away from attempting to discover the modus operandi. Another performance criterion is that all routines should be performable under all conditions, without the need for close-up pads or for the performer to be seated. This single criterion eliminates thousands of tricks in the published record. As you establish your own set of performance principles you will find yourself immediately eliminating routines because they no longer fit your philosophy. Other routines may look promising, but for one reason or other they just don’t make it. It may require months, or perhaps years before the solutions occur to you which will transform one of these unsuitable routines into workers. This is time well spent. The routines in this manuscript have developed over ten years time. My dissatisfaction with one aspect or another kept them from achieving worker status. Finally solutions presented themselves and now I have routines that will work anywhere and with which I feel totally confident.

About Audience Management I have come to the opinion that much of a performer’s success in both close-up and stand-up magic depends upon learning to “size up” an audience. This evaluation controls all other performance decisions. This sounds like a vague and theoretical concept. Let me give some practical examples. It is possible to make judgements about the people I am performing for within minutes of meeting them. What kinds of things am I looking for? Some obvious ones are: What is the mood of the people? Are they having a good time? Do they seem to be eager to see some magic? These questions can be answered in just the time it takes to meet everyone.

Workers One

More important considerations are: Are there potential troublemakers at the table? Are there people whose attitude will be challenging and disruptive? Who at the table seems to be most able to get into the spirit of the performance? It is important to identify potential problems early on. If one of the spectators feels as if he or she might give me trouble I try to situate myself so I am doing the performance as far away from them as possible. This will keep all of the props away from their grasp and will focus the table’s attention away from the troublemaker. If I feel that many people at the table are going to be problems, I tend to do dead-sure material — tricks where the props stay in my hands and in which there is little opportunity for anyone to cause me problems (Dr. Strangetrick is in this category). I do not linger at tables where people cannot get into the spirit of fun. Some people simply cannot deal with magic. They are intimidated and demeaned by anything that they cannot figure out. No magician will change them, regardless of how artistic the performer or how non-intimidating the performance. My life is too short to try to convert or convince these people that my intent is to have fun while demonstrating a few amazing things. I do the minimum show required by my job and then I get off and hope that the next table will be more fun. I have learned through painful experience that attempting to force fun upon people who are unwilling to relax and enjoy the magic is inevitably futile and frustrating. 14

Introduction People are amazingly complex creatures. There is no way to understand how and why they act as they do. The best approach is to learn how to read your audience, identify potential problems, and adapt your material and your performance accordingly. Be cordial, polite, and professional, but save the good stuff for the folks who are going to be able to appreciate it.

How to Read this Manuscript What separates a worker from a run of the mill routine is an attention to detail. Every aspect of the handling has been worked out. Unfortunately, this means that the write-up of such routines becomes long and involved. I’ve tried to ease the reading and learning process in the following ways: Various sections of the routine have been delineated through the use of boldface subtitles. This will aid you locating each section of the routine you are learning. “I’ve indented and italicized all the patter. The patter will generally precede the actions which accompany it. By delineating the patter in this way you can skip over the patter when you are first learning the necessary moves. Then you can go back and read how the patter fits the action.” A word about the patter. I have included just about every line I use during the presentation of the routines. I may not use every line at every performance. The verbosity of the patter depends on my evaluation of my audience. Some folks get only a bare bones show. Others get all the bells and whistles. It is vital that you re-script the patter into words that you feel comfortable saying. You are not me; you are not an actor trying to portray me; you are trying to be yourself. The patter is included to show you my verbal approach to the routine. Please use it only as a guide. There are times during the write-up of a routine when I will want to impart further information that is not absolutely vital at the time you are first learning the routine. (An example is the above paragraph.) Such information has been placed in bold-face type and indented. This information can be skipped and then referred to after you have become comfortable with the routines. I hope that this system will speed your learning process. For more information about developing a philosophy of magic, I strongly urge you to purchase and study The Magic Way by Juan Tamariz. There is much to be learned from a careful study of Senor Tamariz’s writings.

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Workers One

The Workers Seri

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THE U NBELIEVABLY U SEFUL C OMEDY PROP

efore getting into the magic routines, I would like to make note of a prop that has proven to be quite useful in both my close-up and stand-up performances. It is not only a laugh-getting device, but it also functions as an applause cue, a running gag, and an extremely subtle way to unload a “dirty” hand without obviously going to a pocket or using a device such as a Topit. The prop is simply a small plastic hand which has been mounted on a pencil or a thin dowel (see Figure 1). The hand has articulated fingers and can be shaped to various hand gestures (obscene or otherwise). These hands can be found already mounted on pencils, or they are also available on key chains. In the case of the key chain model it will be necessary to cut off the end of the hand so that the pencil can be inserted. I carry one of these in my righthand inner breast pocket with the fingers formed into the familiar “okay” shape. The running gag consists of merely suggesting to the audience that applause is unnecessary, but that they should simply “give me one of these” (removing the little hand and displaying it while this line is said). [At the time Workers 1 was published, it was easy to find these little plastic hands. Now, they are not so easy to find. If you have had problems tracking one down, you order it from us. The “give me one of these gags” is associated with Rodney Dangerfield, who died in 2004. He will be missed.]

Figure 1

This gag is an invaluable icebreaker; it lets the audience know that it is permissible to respond to the tricks. At the tables an uncomfortable pause often occurs after the first climax of a trick. The audience is unsure what to do. Should they clap? After all, they are in a restaurant; what is acceptable behavior? I have seen many magicians look pretty sheepish as they stand at the table waiting for some kind of a response as they put away the props from their first trick. The little hand gets a laugh 17

The Workers Seri and also offers an acceptable response. An uncomfortable pause is thereby avoided. In addition, the “give me one of these” gag becomes funnier with each repetition. At Illusions I have trained the regular customers so that many of them ‘give me one of those’ as soon as they enter the restaurant. Once you have established the action of going to the pocket to get the little hand, the prop provides an excellent way to clean up during a trick. Merely reaching in for the hand allows you to dump thumbtips, coins, knots, and other paraphernalia in a way that will often get by other magicians. In my stand-up act I use the hand to ditch the knot in my presentation of Pavel’s Fantastic Knot (also known as The Jumping Knot of Pakistan, see Workers 3). This clean-up has whizzed by some pretty sharp magicians. Of course, laymen don’t stand a chance. I will detail how I use the hand in the performances of Dr. Strangetrick and The Origami Bunny. Other uses will be explained in further volumes of this series.

Workers One

And to my good friend Jon Brunelle who couldn’t believe that I actually bought one of these hands when I was up in Chicago: “Nyah, nyah, nyah.” [Jon Brunelle was a very clever and creative closeup magician. He moved to New York City and we lost touch with one another. As far as I know, he is no longer active in magic.]

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T

THE O RIGAMI BUNNY

his opening offering is not really a trick, although (as you will soon learn) it is possible to inject a little magical surprise. This is simply a paper fold that I have used with great success for the past twelve years. I found the fold in a book of dinner napkin folds by Alice Gray or Lillian Oppenheimer. It seems to be generally unknown among magicians. The fold was originally described using a full-sized cloth dinner napkin, but I have found that a small cocktail napkin is more effective, as the small size of the model seems to increase its charm. This little fold has proven to be enormously useful, not only as a giveaway, but as a barometer by which I can evaluate my audience. I will describe the fold, then give the associated lines, and then I’ll explain some magical uses for the bunny. (If you are unfamiliar with the terminology of Origami, see the Glossary on page 25.)

Folding the Bunny Start with a cocktail napkin. Normally these are squares. Unfold the napkin once, which produces a rectangle. The crease should be at the top. If the napkin has a logo or any other decoration, the design should be on the surface facing you. The valley fold is the existing crease (Figure 1).

Figure 2 Bring bottom edges up to the top and crease firmly.

Figure 1

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The Workers Seri

Figure 3 Fold up bottom right edge so it lies along the center crease. Repeat with the left bottom edge.

Figure 4 Fold down the right upper edge so it lies along the center. Repeat with the left upper edge.

Workers One

Figure 5 Fold the right edge to the center. Repeat with the left edge. Turn the model over.

Figure 6 Fold up the bottom point

Figure 8 Using the right hand and the left thumb, wrap the model around the left forefinger. Tuck one corner into the pocket of the other corner. At this point I place a small piece of tape at the overlap to hold the model permanently together. Otherwise it will tend to come apart.

Figure 7 Pick up the model with the right hand and then grasp it with the left hand at the end opposite the points. The grip is with the thumb and forefinger on the bottom. 20

The Origami Bunny

Figure 9 To finish off the formation of the bunny, hold the model at the overlap with thte left thumb and forefinger and use the right forefinger and thumb to form the ears. This is done by inserting the right forefinger into the ear and twisting the ears away from each other.

Figure 10 Form the face by opening out the triangular flap so that it forms a sort of cowl. This is the completed bunny rabbit.

Figure 11 I usually fold a dozen or so of these at a time and leave them in my case. Before going to a table, I take one of the models, form only the ears, and put it in the breast pocket of my tuxedo leaving only the ears of the rabbit sticking out. This appears to be a folder handkerchief.

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The Workers Seri With sufficient practice, a bunny can be folded in about thirty seconds. I mentioned earlier that I use this rabbit as a barometer of my audience. Here’s what I mean by this: Part of a performer’s job is sizing up an audience and choosing material that will play most effectively. I need to understand the people I’m about to perform for. Are they ready to laugh? Are they intelligent? Are they particularly hip? In close-up magic this evaluation is vital because of the extremely personal interaction involved. Using the rabbit I can make judgements without “wasting” a magic trick in the process. Here’s what I do:

The Opening Bit I have made my introductions at the table, learning everyone’s name and perhaps engaging in a bit of small talk. While doing this I’m looking to see which of the women at the table appears to be enjoying the evening — someone who has a ready smile. I also commonly use the youngest or oldest person at the table, or someone celebrating a birthday or a special event. I remove the rabbit from my pocket. “Mary, hold a finger up in the air.” I demonstrate by holding up my right forefinger. I begin to form the rest of the rabbit. I place the rabbit on the spectator’s finger. Should the spectator ask me which finger she should use, I indicate my forefinger again, and I ask the spectator not to editorialize so early in the performance.

Workers One

“Mary, this is for you. I made it in shop today. This is your own Illusions’ souvenir bunny rabbit. The nice thing about this is that it is not only esthetically pleasing, it is also functional. As long as you leave this rabbit on your finger, you will never catch a cold. Never — ever — never — ever. Do you know why you will never catch a cold? No one will ever talk to you! You will be amazed at the distance people will put between you and them as long as you keep something enormously stupid on your finger. In fact, I often fly into LA. and this even keeps the Krishnas away. It’s also effective for Jehovah’s Witnesses and Amway salesmen. It’s a powerful talisman.” Right here I should point out that I am giving the full script for the rabbit. I probably will not use all of it at a table unless I’m getting a strong reaction. Just from this opening it is possible to get a feel for the table. How did the woman react to the rabbit? Pleasure? Ill at ease? What kind of laughs did I get? It is very possible that at this point I may not be getting good vibes. In that case I simply ask the woman to accept the rabbit as a little momento of the evening and I launch into the magic. But I now know the kind of people I’m dealing with, and I can choose my material and edit my presentation accordingly.

If I’m happy with the response up to this point I will continue as follows (let’s assume the spectator has the rabbit on her right hand):

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The Origami Bunny “A couple of other things. Tonight when you get home, put your left hand on top of your television and hold your right hand high above your head. This will improve the reception. You may have to adjust the ears just a little bit.” [Because of the overwhelming popularity of cable television, there are fewer and fewer people who actually understand the above joke. I no longer use it.] I adjust the ears of the rabbit slightly as this line is delivered. “And tomorrow when you see your friends they’ll say to you ‘Mary, you look different. What did you do last night?’ And you’ll say ‘I went to Illusions and Michael the magician did my hare!’” Usually I make a gesture as if I am gagging over the “puniness” of this last remark. These last two bits are groaners of course, but they get laughs (or at least mild chuckles) and I get some insight into the spectators’ taste for puns and wordplay. Regardless of the amount of laughter generated, I have found that the above by-play does break the ice at the table and gets people in the mood for what is to come. I usually finish up with the following line: “All seriousness aside, I would like you to have the rabbit. Will you take it with you as a little souvenir? (The spectator makes noises of assent.) That’s good because I added it to your bill.” This usually gets a good laugh, and from here I launch into whatever trick I have decided will be appropriate for the audience. Here now are three little effects that I have used with the rabbit fold. Two of these are for adult audiences and one is for children. I must put a word of caution here: I do not use the adult effects at every table. Because of the nature of the bits there will be times when performing them would be inappropriate and possibly offensive. Chose the time with care. With the right group of adults both bits are very funny and produce nice magical surprises.

For Children The first bit of business is geared toward children. I’m not sure how practical this will be for you. Somewhere, somehow, in my journey through things magical I acquired a miniature top hat. This is made of plastic and is about a half inch high and the brim of the hat is about a half inch in diameter. Where you can find one I don’t know, just keep your eyes open. Figure 12 shows the hat. 23

The Workers Seri

Figure 12

Figure 13

I carry the hat in my right vest pocket. Sometimes someone at the table will trigger this trick by asking, “Can’t you pull a rabbit out of a hat?” Otherwise I will instigate the proceedings by taking the rabbit back and doing one last trick with it before I leave the table. To get into this I clip the top hat between the tips of my first finger and ring finger with the brim resting on my middle finger. I clip the hat as my right hand comes out of my vest pocket and as I am getting the rabbit back from the child. I set the rabbit directly on top of the clipped hat, and with a gentle push I lodge it up into the hollow of the rabbit’s head. This takes just an instant (Figure 13). Now the rabbit can be handled quite freely, as the hat is hidden inside. I cannot give you the exact words I say as I load the rabbit, as this bit is extremely improvisational. Just make conversation. There is more than adequate cover. When the hat is loaded into the rabbit I say: “I forgot to mention, Mary, that you can do quite an amazing trick with this rabbit. Most magicians are simply content to pull a rabbit out of a hat. That’s pretty trite. But how many magicians have you ever seen who pull a hat out of a rabbit?” I show my right hand empty, the left hand holds the rabbit by the ears. The right hand reaches into the hollow of the rabbit’s head and with a sharp tug pulls the little top hat out. I display the hat, then I give the rabbit back to the child and pocket the hat.

Workers One

I admit this is not profound magic, but done with an air of spontaneity it is quite effective, especially when performing for young children. It is especially strong when the spectators bring up the subject of hats and rabbits. For this reason I usually just carry the hat with me and wait for the right moment to present itself.

For Adults #1 I carry an imitation gold coin in my right trouser pocket. This is a Bicentennial coin and is about the size of a silver dollar. A real gold coin could be used, and in the patter a Kruegerand is mentioned but they are no longer available in this country. Also, I don’t feel it is particularly wise to be carrying a valuable coin around as a prop - it is much too easy for such things to get lost or appropriated by unscrupulous people. Anyway, the gag works like this: 24

The Origami Bunny After two tricks or so I decide whether I feel this gag would be appropriate. If I feel it is, I fingerpalm the gold coin in my right hand. I reach for the rabbit with my left hand and as I do this I shift the coin into an edge grip. This is the grip associated with David Roth’s Hanging Coins. Chris Kenner offers this excellent method for getting a coin into edge grip: •The coin lies on the right fingers near the tips. The coin is not actually palmed, it merely rests on the fingers (Figure 14). The hand should be hanging at rest at the right side of the body. The left hand gets the bunny and brings it to the center of the body.

Figure 14

•The right hand moves up to meet the left hand. As it travels in this upward arc the coin is shifted to an edge grip. The coin is shifted by slightly moving the index finger onto the upper edge of the coin and slightly pressing down. This raises the lower edge of the coin away from the fingers (Figure 15).

Figure 15

•The thumb moves down and contacts the lower edge of the coin. The thumb lifts up this edge. The middle finger moves out from under the coin and catches the coin on the edge opposite the thumb. The coin is now is edge grip (Figure 16).

Figure 16

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The Workers Seri •The actions of clipping the coin and moving the thumb and middle finger all occur as the right hand sweeps up in an arc to meet the left hand. Be careful to keep the back of the right hand toward the audience so the coin does not flash. •When the hands meet, the left hand places the rabbit between the thumb and middle finger in front of the edge gripped coin. The rabbit shades the coin extremely well and the right hand looks empty (Figure 17). Of course, it is necessary to watch your angles with this type of grip, but a few moments of experimentation in front of a mirror will show you how to avoid flashing the coin.

Figure 17

The rabbit is held toward the audience and I address the woman to whom I originally gave the rabbit. “Mary, I forgot to tell you one fabulous thing about this bunny. Tonight, put the rabbit under your pillow. When you look there tomorrow there will be a solid gold Kruegerand under your pillow. That’s assuming, of course, that you come home with me.” There is always a vocal reaction from the spectators at this point. I pause for a couple of beats then I say: “Not interested, huh? That’s okay; I’ll just keep this then.”

Workers One

So saying, I give the rabbit a quick up and down shake, releasing the gripped coin on the down shake. The coin falls into my left hand which has moved under to receive it. The illusion of the coin having been shaken out of the hollow part of the rabbit is very good. I display the coin, then pocket it and return the rabbit to the spectator. The gag line for this bit was given to me by Mark Brandyberry of Lafayette Indiana, a fine magician and a very funny fellow. [Working with Mark Brandyberry was one of the great joys of the Illusions gig. When Mark would do his stand-up show in the bar, there were actually two shows going on — one for the patrons and one for the magicians who would stand behind the bar and watch. Mark is now a successful trade-show magician.]

26

The Origami Bunny

For Adults #2 The third bit of business is perhaps the strongest of the lot. It is a recent addition and I kick myself for not having thought of it sooner. I use this in my stand-up lounge act and the laugh it gets is way out of proportion to the work involved. It is necessary to have a duplicate rabbit ear in the right trouser pocket. The ear is made by following the folding process up through Figure 5, then ripping off the right hand portion which makes up the ear. I use several pieces of double stick tape to hold the base of the ear and the loose pieces of paper together. The rabbit has been made previously and handed out. I palm (more or less) the duplicate ear in my right hand and retrieve the rabbit from the woman who has it. “I’m going to digress from the act for just a moment to talk about something that is of great interest to me: it is possible for the most seemingly insignificant objects to have an extremely profound influence on society. This little rabbit is a case in point. I have been making these rabbits for a long time. In fact they were extremely popular among my friends when I was in college back in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Now, I don’t like to boast, but these rabbits were responsible for the most often heard phrase from this rather turbulent decade. You see, the scenario goes like this: I’ve been invited to a party at someone’s house or in dorm room. I would make a rabbit for everyone. As would often happen, more people would show up than expected, and the host would run out of rolling papers. Rather than run down to the Head Shop we would just tear an ear off one of the rabbits.” The rabbit is on the middle finger of my left hand. The right hand with the concealed ear approaches the rabbit from the front (Figure 18). When the right hand conceals the right-hand ear of the rabbit, the right thumb pushes the real ear down and back, where it is held in place by the left thumb. In the same action the right fingers press the duplicate ear against the head of the rabbit and, using a twisting action, apparently tear the ear off (Figure 19). By scraping the tips of the fingers against the paper of the head of the rabbit, it is possible to produce a tearing noise. The right hand comes away displaying the tom ear while the real ear is concealed behind the left fingers.

Figure 18

Figure 19 27

The Workers Seri “See, the ear has this great natural little pouch in which you can put controlled substances. And you can roll them up. You light this end and you smoke this end.” The left fingers close into the palm. This holds the concealed ear against the palm and frees up the left thumb and forefinger so that they can assist the right hand as it rolls the ear into the shape of a joint. “And that is where this phrase came from —‘ear!’” The “ear-joint” is held up to the lips and a large imaginary hit is taken off the end. Imaginary smoke is held in the lungs and then the joint is removed from the lips and offered to one of the spectators with the right hand as the line is delivered: “ear.” With an audience of any sophistication this bit will get a very large laugh. Regardless of the response the gag gets, I make a move toward getting my little hand (see The Unbelievably Useful Comedy Prop). I say something to the effect of “Oh, oh, where’s my hand?” The right hand has allowed the joint/ear to slip to the base of the fingers so it is concealed from view. My right hand reaches into the inside left breast pocket as if to fetch the hand. It is inside the coat only an instant in that moment ditches the ear. The right hand comes back into view held as if it still contained the car. I make a shrug as if perhaps the hand isn’t necessary. “Sometimes we’d get so messed up that we actually thought we could put the ear back on the rabbit.” The right hand approaches the left hand. The left fingers open. The right hand shades the area where the ear was apparently torn off. As the hands come to this position, the left thumb pushes up on the folded down ear and moves it to a vertical position behind the right fingers. The right fingers make a motion as if they are reattaching the severed ear. Actually they adjust the real ear so it looks like it did before its apparent removal. The right hand is shown to be empty in this process. The left hand moves forward and offers the rabbit back to the person from whom it was taken. This produces an amazingly clean restoration that looks like magic. Its success is based on establishing the little hand

Workers One

gag early on in the act. Should you not care to use the hand gag the torn car can simply be retained in the right hand during the restoration and ditched at a later time. All in all, a large amount of entertainment is derived from a very simple prop. [In October of 2004 I tried something new — I opened for a comedian named Vinnie Favorito at the Binion’s Horseshoe Casino in downtown Las Vegas. I did no magic, just straight stand-up comedy. However, I did use the “ear” gag with the Origami bunny. I had not performed it for many, many years, but it still got very big laughs.]

28

The Origami Bunny

Glossary of Origami Terms Valleyfold: This fold is called a valleyfold because when it is unfolded the crease resembles a valley indented into the paper. Its symbol is a dashed line. Mountainfold: The mountainfold is the opposite of a valleyfold. When unfolded, the mountainfold rises up out of the paper like a mountain ridge. The symbol for the mountainfold is a series of dashes and dots.

29

Workers One

The Workers Seri

DR S TRANGETRICK ( O R H OW I S TOPPED W ORRYING AND LEARNED TO LOVE C ARD W ARP)

W

ithout a doubt, one of the most popular, visual, and memorable (as far as spectators are concerned) card tricks of the last 20 years is the topological effect created by Jeff Busby in his Into the 4th Dimension manuscript and popularized by Roy Walton in his trick Card Warp. The effect has been subject to much variation in handling and continues to be discussed in print. (Both Darwin Ortiz and Eugene Burger offer handling and patter suggestions in recent books.) I learned the Walton trick in the early 70’s and later received handling tips from Paul Swinford, Eugene Burger, and others. And I did use the trick constantly in my seven-and-a-half-year tenure as house magician at Max and Erma’s. However, in all the years I performed the trick I never felt quite comfortable with it. This uneasiness stemmed from two reasons: 1. All the handlings I knew involved either covering a flap or covering a missing portion of the card in order to show that the card had reversed completely. None of these handlings ever felt convincing to me. I wanted a series of moves that avoided the usual “hide the flap” games. 2. I had never come up with an adequate patter story for the trick. I dislike the usual patter lines of “Look, it turned over... look it turned back.” A good presentation can help direct the spectators’ minds away from the modus operandi. Bob McCallister and Howie Schwartzman provided a solution to the first problem in their trick Star Warp which was published in Apocalypse Vol. 3 #7. The use of a dollar bill instead of a second playing card allowed for a very lovely “show” when the card turns inside out the first time. Other than this opening phase, however, the Star Warp routine was not exactly what I was looking for. I kept experimenting with the bill and the card. In the summer of 1989 while spending a relaxing couple of days at the lake cottage of Dan Langell, I came up with the second half of the routine you are about to read. It was at this time that I thought of using the Origami Time Machine patter story, and of also of using the Tearing a Two into Two Ones as a blow off to the routine. As it stands now, this routine has been my opening routine at the tables for over two years. My guilt is gone, my uneasiness is gone, and I can finally sleep at night. I hope it will do the same for you. 31

The Workers Seri

The Props There will be some small preparation necessary in order to perform this routine. Should you not choose to use the Tearing a Two into Two Ones effect, less preparation is required. You will need two similar two-dollar bills, two one-dollar bills, two small plastic business card wallets, and some old playing cards. Use one of the two-dollar bills and the two ones to make up a bill to perform the effect of Tearing a Two into Two Ones. This trick can be found in Jerry Mentzer’s Close-Up Cavalcade on page 134, or in Michael Ammar’s Encore 3 on page 41. Either method described will do fine for the trick. I have no particular work on this part of the trick. The plastic wallets should be the type that have one clear compartment and one opaque compartment. These are commonly used to hold business cards. From one wallet cut out a flap that can fit snugly into the clear side of the other wallet. This produces a double compartment. The remainder of the first wallet is discarded.

Creasing the Two-Dollar Bill The other two-dollar bill must be pre-creased as follows: Lay the bill portrait side down on the table. Fold the bill carefully in half by bringing the left edge over to the right (Figure 1). Fold back just the top flap to the center crease (Figure 2). Turn the bill over and fold back the other flap to the center crease (Figure 3). The bill is now folded into quarters. Unfold the bill and work these quarter-mark creases back and forth so that they fold easily in either direction.

Workers One

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3 32

Dr Strangrick Unfold the bill and position it with the portrait facing you. A mountainfold must be established just to the right of the Jefferson portrait (Figure 4). Make sure that this is a neat, sharp crease. For the sake of reference, let us call this the off-center crease. Unfold the bill.

Figure 4 Now fold the bill in half, face out, and pinch the ends of the bill together with the right fingers. With the left hand bring up the off-center crease so that it lines up with the edges held by the right fingers (Figure 5). Crease the bill flat. If you look inside the bill you will see that there is a fold of paper inside the folded bill, and that this fold does not reach to the bottom because the bill was folded offcenter (Figure 6). It is this off-center fold which makes the second part of the routine possible. Unfold the bill again and lay it flat, portrait up. Bring the upper right-hand corner down to meet the lower right-hand corner and make a sharp crease of about 1/2 inch. Unfold. This establishes the center line. Now make a point on the right end of the bill by folding the upper right edge and the lower right edge to the center line. When folding this point let there be a gap of about 1/8 of an inch between the two flaps. In other words, fold the flaps a little above and below the center line. Unfold the bill.

Figure 6

Figure 5

33

The Workers Seri In Figure 7, I have put in all the necessary folds as they should now look in the bill, so you can check your work.

Figure 7 Fold this two-dollar bill into quarters along the existing creases and place it into the clear compartment so it goes under the dividing flap. Place the gaffed two into the clear compartment so it goes above the dividing flap and is visible. (In order to do this it is necessary to fold this gaffed two so it is more or less in quarters. The two ones on the back of it make this a kind of sloppy fold, but this makes no difference.)

Preparing the Cards Finally it is necessary to prepare several cards for the Card Warp effect. The best cards to use are the less expensive brands. I have found that Hoyle brand works very well. Lately I have found that Bicycles are very brittle and will break apart during the routine. Use only court cards for this effect. An easy way to remember how to tear the cards is this: Hold the card with the back facing you and the long edges horizontal. Start a tear at the center of the upper long edge and with the right hand tear toward yourself. This brings the right hand flap toward you. Stop the tear when it is just a bit above center. Prepare four or five cards and place them face up into the opaque side of the wallet. (The torn edge should go into the wallet first.)

Workers One

Performance Normally, this is the trick I perform right after I make an Origami bunny for someone. The patter line ties the two effects together and allows me to introduce the props in a very logical way. As I bring out the wallet I begin my patter. “I like to start off by making a rabbit for someone because I visited Japan in June of this year and that is where I learned how to fold the bunny. They have a hobby in Japan called Origami, which is the Japanese word for paper folding; it’s very popular with both children and adults. In Tokyo I had the opportunity to have lunch with a fellow who is considered to be the best paper folder in the world. He taught me how to fold the 34

Dr Strangrick bunny and he also showed me an extraordinary fold using money. I’m going to show you this with a two-dollar bill but when he taught me he used a 1000-yen note. This is the fold; it’s very simple in appearance but remarkable in action. In Japan, this simple fold is called the Time Machine. It’s called the Time Machine because when anything goes in this side, by the time it emerges from the other side, it has gone backwards through time. Take a look at the bill, make sure there are no mirrors, trapdoors, secret compartments, or any of that other stuff that magicians use.” The wallet is opened and tilted toward the spectators so that they can see the bill in the clear compartment. Then the wallet is tilted away from the spectators and the right hand removes the ungaffed two from beneath the partition (Figure 8). The left hand closes the wallet and sets it on the table. It appears as if the bill which was in view is the one which was removed, and this early in the trick there is no reason to suspect otherwise. Unfold the bill to display it, then form it into the off-center fold condition, by bringing the portrait crease to the edges. In this condition the bill is displayed as the Time Machine. The forefingers of both hands poke into opposite sides of the folded bill as you explain that an object that is pushed in will go back through time (Figure 9). The bill is unfolded and handed to a spectator to examine.

Figure 9

Figure 8

“For our time traveler I use an old playing card; I use a card because it is of a convenient size and shape, and because I can fold a card two opposite ways. This will allow us to see the time travel occur. A card can be folded with the back of the card to the outside like this, or by swinging this flap the other way I can fold the card with its face to the outside. Let us remember that at 6:08 in the evening the Jack of Hearts is folded with its face to the outside.” 35

The Workers Seri

Folding the Card The wallet is picked up and opened with its back toward the audience. The left fingers withdraw one of the gaffed cards and the card is placed between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, which take a firm grip on the tear. The thumb and forefinger will never let go of the tear during the folding sequence. The left hand tables the wallet, closing it in the process. You will now fold the card in half. The manner to be described will allow this to be done very neatly. When folding the card, do not immediately try for a sharp crease. The left fingers bring the lower right and left corners of the card together so that they line up (Figure 10). Establish a small crease on the lower left edge. This process is repeated for the upper corners. The right hand never lets go of the tear. Once creases have been established top and bottom, the remainder of the left edge is formed into a gentle crease. This does not fold the card flat; it could not, for the right thumb lies between the folded portions.

Figure 10

The left fingers take the upper portion and swing it down and around to the under side of the card. As this is done the right hand turns so that the card shifts from being parallel to the table to a position perpendicular to the table. As the left fingers squeeze the halves of card together there will be a moment when they can take control of holding the card. At this moment lift the right fingers slightly so that the card can be folded flat (Figure 11). Then the right fingers retake the card at the side. The right thumb still covers the tear.

Workers One

Figure 11

It may seem odd to take this much time and space to describe the simple act of folding the card. There is a reason: this method of folding insures that the card will not flare out at the tear and that the folds are very neat. Also there is less chance that the card will break along the vertical fold, since the first crease established is a very gentle one. 36

Dr Strangrick In a moment the card is going to be twirled between the thumb, forefinger, and middle finger of the right hand bringing it from a perpendicular position to a horizontal one with the tear underneath. In order to minimize the chance that the tear may be seen, the left hand extends, which pulls back the jacket sleeve so that I can make a bit of a show of looking at my watch. It is at this instant that the card is twirled by moving the middle finger to my side of the card and then pushing out with this finger (Figure 12). As this happens the thumb moves to the opposite side of the card (Figure 13). The card is now parallel to the table with the thumb and forefinger on top and the middle finger on the bottom. The forefinger now moves underneath the card to complete the sequence (Figure 14). The folded edge is to the left.

Figure 13

Figure 13

Figure 13

At some point in time during the above moves, the spectator who is examining the bill will probably finish and hand it back. I merely stop what I’m doing at the moment, thank him, and drop the bill on the table. Should he still have the bill at the end of the above sequence I retrieve the bill when I am finished folding and twirling.

The First Reversal “If you’d like to try this at home, here’s how to make a Time Machine around a card. You simply line up the center creases. Just like this. You make a very neat fold in this manner. This leaves the face of the card folded to the inside and the back of the folded card on the outside.” The card is held with the right hand, thumb above, fingers below. The left hand takes the bill (opening it out flat if necessary) and lays it on top of the folded card. In order to do this the right thumb must lift slightly. The bill is face up with the portrait facing you. Tilt the hands so that the spectators cannot see the underside of the bill. The right hand holds the card and the right edge of the bill as the left fingers go under the bill and grasp the far right edge of the lower flap of the card. This flap 37

The Workers Seri (which is only a quarter of the card) is unfolded and brought up against the back of the bill (Figure 15). To the spectators it appears as if the entire card has been,unfolded. The right fingers take control of the card flap just opened and the left fingers fold the left side of the bill down, under and around so that the edges meet at the right side. The bill has been folded in half. To the spectators it appears that the card is unfolded.

Figure 15

The card is now shifted so the crease in the card lines up with the quarter-mark crease in the bill. In the patter this action is emphasized. Now fold the left folded edge of the bill over to the right. This folds the bill into quarters, and in the process folds the card in half, with the face of the card on the inside, and the back of the card showing. Because of the tear, of course, the concealed bottom half of the card is face out. This configuration of card and bill is displayed to the spectators and the left fingers slightly open out the folded upper half of the card so that it is clear that the face of the card is inside and the back of the card is outside. “Mary, do you remember that just a few seconds ago I had this card folded with its face on the outside? Hold up your left thumb. Give a very slow gentle push on the end of the card. As the card goes through the Time Machine it goes back through time — back, back, into the past a few seconds, back to when the face of the card was folded on the outside. Here at Illusions folks, you never have to clap, just give me one of these!”

Workers One

Have one of the spectators hold up a thumb in traditional hitchhiking position. Your performance conditions will vary depending on how and where the spectators are seated, but try to use a woman and arrange her hand position so that maximum spectator visibility will be achieved. The right hand holds the Time Machine at the bottom edges. Whether the card projects out the right or left side depends on where the spectator is seated. Place the end of the folded card against the ball of her thumb and ask her to push slowly and gently. As the card emerges from the other end it apparently turns inside out (Figure 16). Figure 16 38

Dr Strangrick

Displaying the Card Now the McCallister/Schwartzman display is performed. The card and bill are oriented so the card protrudes from the bill toward me. The fold of the card is to the left. (Depending on how the bill had to be oriented to do the spectator push-through it may have to be turned over or flipped in order to achieve this position). The hands hold the packet in a similar grip: the thumbs are on top, the forefingers and middle fingers are below. Turning the hands at the wrists will show both sides of the bill and card packet. The left fingers pinch tightly on their side of the packet. The right hand releases its grip and the forefinger and middle finger enter the folded card from the end. These fingers push the upper layer of the card against the upper layers of the bill (Figure 17). As this happens the left fingers must relax their grip. The left hand retakes its grip, but it shifts inward slightly. The left hand is now holding everything in place. The right thumb goes under the folded edge of the bill on the righthand side. The thumb and first finger of the right hand trap the right-hand edge of the bill and the card and hold them together (Figure 18). Release the left-hand grip, move the right hand to the right, and at the same time push to the left with the right middle finger. This automatically unfolds the card and the bill (Figure 19). The left hand catches the left end of the bill as it unfolds. The middle finger of the right hand should lie along the tear in the card. The right fingers drag the card under the bill so that it ends up at the lower right and at a slight angle. The corner of the bill and the right thumb cover the tear (Figure 20). The right fingers now push the card back toward the center crease of the bill as the left fingers push the left half of the bill down and around to the right. The bill is wrapped around the card with the left edge of the card snug against the fold and the loose edges held together by the right fingers (Figure 21). The top and bottom of the card protrude from above and below. In this position the hand can turn at the wrist showing both sides.

Figure 17

Figure 18

While the above description reads very long, the action of unfolding the bill is very swift and graceful. Once learned, it can be performed in the time it takes to say the associated patter lines. Should the above be unclear I would refer you to the original Lorayne write up in Apocalypse. 39

The Workers Seri Note the use of the little hand prop. This is an example of people not knowing how to react. They are stunned by the reversal of the card and their minds are busy seeking solutions rather than responding. So I bring out the hand, breaking their train of thought, and telling them that some form of appreciative respond is expected. The hand is replaced in the coat pocket and the trick continues.

Figure 19

Figure 20

Figure 21

Workers One

The Origami “Hook Up” Because both the top and bottom of the card are in sight, the next phase of the routine has a devastating impact on magicians. It appears that there is no way in which the card can now be “hooked up” for the next reversal phase, and yet that is exactly what will happen. The hook up is accomplished due to the off-center fold in the bill. “Do you want to know what the really strange thing is about this Origami Time Machine? I learned to fold this thing about six months ago and for the life of me I can’t get it to work. No matter what fingers I push with, no matter what hand I hold it in, no matter how slowly or quickly I push, I just can’t get the card to turn over. And this is very frustrating.” 40

Dr Strangrick The card and bill are held at far right edges by the right fingers and thumb. The left thumb pushes up on the left edge of the bill and the card. As this is done the bill will begin to fold on the off-center crease (Figure 22). Continue to push until the bill folds up and the off-center crease lines up with the right hand edges. The card also folds in half during this process. The right hand presses the creases flat and retakes its grip on the right hand side. If you glance inside the folded packet you will see that the center fold of paper does not reach all the way to the bottom (Figure 23).

Figure 22

Figure 23

The right hand turns at the wrist so that the folded edge of the card is down and the card runs from left to right. The right hand raises slightly so that it is just above the spectators’ normal line of sight and it also tilts back just a bit so that the folded bottom edge is closer to the spectators than the top edge. The left hand pinches tightly on the left edges of the card and pulls the folded card out to the left. This is done until the tear emerges. Because of the slightly springy nature of the card, as the tear passes the short center flap of the bill the portion of the card to the right of the tear will flare open. The left hand reverses direction and the card goes back into the bill, but the left-hand portion of the card goes on the other side of the flap of bill (Figure 24). This will happen almost automatically. The action of the left hand is a very brisk push - pull. The card can be engaged in about a half a second. To assist, it is possible for the right hand to exert a slight inward pressure on the bill, but with a card with any natural springiness this is not necessary.

Figure 24

41

The Workers Seri Two factors may impede this hookup: a card with no natural springiness or a very old bill. The solution: use the correct quality card, and use a newer bill when your current bill becomes too worn. The card is pushed back and forth with the right and left hands which alternate grasping (the top edge of the bill) and pushing. To the spectators absolutely nothing has changed. After the flap has been engaged, hold the bill parallel to the table top with the portrait facing you. Push the card through with the left thumb. Then twirl the bill and card 180 degrees between the right fingers and thumb and push the card back through again. Transfer the bill and card to the left hand by turning them over to the left. The left fingers and thumb hold the loose ends. Repeat the pushing, twirling, action as before, but with the opposite hands. End this sequence with the bill held portrait side down (the numeral two faces you) and with the card emerging from the far end.

The Flap is Reversed Again “So I ended up having to call the guy in Japan who taught me how to fold this. I said to him, ‘Hey you told me to line up the creases, so I line up the creases. You said make nice, neat folds and I make nice neat folds. What am I doing wrong?’”

Workers One

Now, under the pretext of discovering why the trick isn’t working the card and bill will be unfolded and then refolded, with the flap going the other way. This is accomplished as follows: The right hand takes a grip on the right edge, thumb above and fingers below. This frees the left hand so that the fingers and thumb can slightly separate the folds on its side. The left forefinger must go underneath the two loose edges but above the lowest flap. The left middle finger goes underneath the lowest flap (Figure 25). The bill and card are now controlled by the left hand as the right hand grasps the card and shifts it so that the left edges of the card almost line up with the left edges of bill (Figure 26). The left hand turns inward at the wrist. The left middle finger releases its hold on the flap it controls. This flap will spring open slightly (within the flap of bill is a flap of card). The right hand catches this flap and continues to open it out to the right. The bill is now folded in half (Figure 27).

Figure 26

Figure 25

Figure 27 42

Dr Strangrick With the right hand controlling the bill and card, the left hand shifts the card slightly to the right so that the visible folded edge of the card lines up with the quartermark crease in the bill (Figure 28). The left hand releases its grip on the bill. The right hand turns inward at the wrist. This action rotates the packet 180 degrees. The right thumb is now under the packet, the first and middle fingers are on top, and the card extends toward the spectators. The left hand retakes its grip on the loose edges of the bill, and the right thumb brings the folded edge of the bill up to meet the loose edges (Figure 29). This action is done quite briskly. Press the creases flat. To all extents you have merely unfolded the bill, realigned the creases and folded it back the way it had been. In reality you are set for the card to turn over again. [This is the most critical phase of the routine. The actions must be performed at a brisk pace, but without seeming to be rushed. Any hesitation and the spectators may tip to the fact that the bill is being refolded in the opposite direction. I should add, however, that the moves are not difficult at all; they simply need to be internalized, so you can execute them without thinking.]

Figure 28

Figure 29

It is imperative you emphasize the actions of realigning the creases and making nice neat folds. By emphasizing these actions, the spectators will not notice that the bill has been folded the opposite way.

The Big Finish “He said to me, ‘You just don’t have the knack.’ Mary, put your forefinger on top of the card and push straight down. When she does it the thing turns right over.” 43

The Workers Seri Turn the left hand at the wrist so that the card and bill are perpendicular to the table. The card should project from the top of the folded bill. Ask the assisting spectator to lay her forefinger on the top edge of the card and push down. The card turns over as it emerges from the bottom of the bill (Figure 30).

Figure 30

“I’m going to go out on a limb right now and try something that I don’t normally attempt. Mary, may I see your finger for a moment? I’m going to steal just a little of Mary’s magic, and I’m going to bring the card back into the present. I’ve opened up the Time Machine so you can watch the card turn over as it comes back!”

Workers One

The bill and card are held by the left hand thumb and fingers at the left edges. The bill and card are twirled 180 degrees between the fingers and thumb. This brings the card (which is now faces out) so it is now emerging from the top of the bill. The bill is held perpendicular to the table. The small triangular creases in the bill should be facing you. With the right thumb lift up the lower triangular flap and press it flat (Figure 31). The left thumb shifts slightly to hold this flap in place. A portion of face down card will be visible to you (and not the spectators). With the right hand pull up on the face up portion of card until the border of the card is no longer visible. A small portion of the corner of the card should still peek out. Because of an extremely serendipitous relationship between the height of the bill, the size of the card, and the gap between the triangular flaps, it is possible to pull the card up to this position without the tear emerging from the top of the bill. (It is important that the original tear be as near the center as possible.)

Figure 31

The left hand turns away which brings the side of the bill with the folded flap toward the spectators. The right forefinger slowly pushes on the end of the card. Due to the folded up flap, the spectators can see the card turning over as it passes through the Time Machine. A strong optical illusion comes 44

Dr Strangrick into play. Push very slowly and make sure that everyone gets a good look at this turnover occurring. Stop the pushing when a little less than 1/2 inch of face up card still protrudes. It should appear to the spectators as if you have encountered problems pushing the card through. “I don’t try this very often and the reason is this: most of the time the playing card gets stuck. When it gets stuck half of the card is trapped in the present and half of the card is trapped in the past. Unfortunately, the only way to free the card is to tear it in half. This leaves half the card face up and half the card face down. Is there anything hiding inside the Time Machine? (At this point I whistle the theme from The Twilight Zone.) You don’t have to clap, just give me one of these.” The right fingers and thumb hold right edge of bill and card while the left thumbs folds back the upper triangular flap. The right thumb shifts slightly to hold this flap down. The right hand now turns at the wrist so that the face up/face down condition of the card can be seen by all (Figure 32). [My friend Richard Myer came up with a sensational addition to this display. Instead of holding the card as in Figure 32, turn the card 180 degrees, so the triangular flap points downward. If you now cover the point with your right thumb, you can push the card through the bill and, due to an amazing optical illusion, it looks like three-quarters of the card is turning over. You can push the card back and forth several times. If you have a small hand, you may need to straddle the point of the triangle with your right thumb and first finger. This display is explained on the Ultimate Workers DVD Volume 1.]

Figure 32

Fold the card and the bill in half by bringing the ends of the card together. Crease and then unfold and refold and crease in the opposite direction. This will make tearing the card easier. The bill is held with the triangular fold of paper pointing to the audience. The left end is trapped between the thumb and the base of the forefinger near the end of the card. The right forefinger and thumb grasp the corner of the face up end of the card and pull down sharply. The card will rip in half (Figure 33). This will be a very clean tear due to the creasing and the fact that the preexisting tear structurally weakens the card. Place the face-up half on the table, then remove the face down half from the bill and place it beside the other half. 45

Figure 33

The Workers Seri [A well-known West Coast magician has commented that tearing the card is this manner tips off the method, because a card wouldn’t tear so easily if it weren’t pre-torn to begin with. My answer is, “Who knows this?” Certainly no layman would come to this conclusion. The bill and card are folded and unfolded as if to weaken the card. And besides, I don’t want my audience to think that I’m such a wimp that I can’t tear a playing card in half.] The bill is unfolded and clearly shown on both sides. If the spectators wish to examine it they may do so. It is then refolded into quarters. The left hand picks up the wallet and flips it open, keeping the back of the wallet toward the audience. The right hand places the bill into the clear compartment so it goes under the extra flap. Then the left hand places the wallet, still open, onto the table. The hand gag is used if so desired.

The Optional Blow-off At this point I am in an very advantageous position. Should I wish to continue and finish with the Tearing a Two into Two Ones kicker I can do so, and the bill that I use is the bill that the spectators can now see through the clear side of the wallet and which they think they thoroughly examined just a moment ago. Assuming I am continuing, I will give the patter I use. The actions involved should be rather obvious from the patter. “It’s funny. I did this trick last night for a seven-year-old boy and he really threw me for a loop. When I finished he picked up this half of the card and sort of felt it for a moment. Then he said, ‘Michael, you did this whole trick wrong!’ I said ‘What do you mean wrong?’ He said, ‘Look, this card is flexible. You should have folded the Time Machine out of the playing card. It would be a better trick if the two dollar bill turned inside out.’ Well, I thought about it today, and I realized that I couldn’t do it that way because at the end I tear the card in half. I don’t mind tearing up money, it’s just that when you tear a two dollar bill, it tears into two ones — and that’s a different trick!” The gaffed two is removed and unfolded as the patter begins. The half card is flexed where indicated in the patter. The card is dropped back on the table and the bill is folded up preparatory to the ripping action. The rest of the action is obvious.

Workers One

When I finish the bill tear, I fold up the ones and place them in the wallet which I then pocket. As I do this I say, “Mary you were a great helper. I can’t afford to give you my ones, but would you like a quarter?” Regardless of her reply I take one of the half cards and rip it in half, giving her a quarter of the card. This is not just a dumb gag. It is imperative that at the end of this trick the half cards not be left on the table intact: people will play with the half cards and it is more than likely that they will hold them together in such a way that the topological principle involved will become apparent to them. By ripping one of the halves in half it is now more awkward to play with the pieces, thereby decreasing the likelihood that the secret will be stumbled upon. This routine is strong enough to end a close-up performance, but I almost always use it as an opener. I do this because this routine will fool anybody, and there are absolutely no opportunities for a spec46

Dr Strangrick tator with an attitude to screw me up. The routine can be done right under people’s noses without them having a clue. The patter places the emphasis on the bill rather than on the card. Also the patter provides justification for the unusual behavior of the card and for the need to check the folding process. Understated acting will help out a great deal. Please do not let the lengthy description keep you from trying this. In performance the actions flow together and the hands, card, and bill do a graceful dance in the air. And I hope that this routine will eliminate your own fear of Card Warp as it has done for me. In comparing the Origami Bunny and Dr. Strangetrick, the sharp-witted reader may have noticed that there is an inconsistency in the patter explaining the origin of the bunny. In one case I explain that I have been making the bunny since high school, in the other I say that I learned the bunny in Japan only a few months before. Since both these stories are blatant lies I feel no guilt about the discrepancy. However, I am never called on this because I never perform the torn and restored ear gag in the same performance as Dr. Strangetrick. Enough said. [I abandoned the Tearing a Two into Two Ones kicker shortly after the publication of Workers 1. Instead I opted for an ending that allowed me to restore the card if a spectator suggested it. This kicker is explained on Workers - The Video, which is now on the Michael Close Signature Routines video, and on the Ultimate Workers Volume 1 DVD. To be honest, in my current work I never use this kicker. I use Dr. Strangetrick in walk-around situations, and my audience rarely gives enough thought to the trick to suggest the restoration.]

47

Workers One

The Workers Seri

T

THE POTHOLE TRICK

he magician shows a business card on which is drawn a crude map of the street on which he lives. He then asks a spectator to describe the layout of his own street and sketches a map according to the spectator’s directions. A hole is punched in front of the magician’s house. This represents a pothole. The pothole is then moved to another location on the business card and is then taken completely off the first business card and is put in front of the spectator’s house on the second business card. It is amazing to me the length of time it sometimes takes to work out a trick, especially when the eventual solution turns out to be an obvious one. This routine is a case in point. The method is based on Michael Weber’s One Two Punch routine. Michael performed this routine for me in Indianapolis in 1984 as we were both en route to the Norfolk IBM convention. It fooled me completely, and the next day I decided to do the routine, but with a presentation based on potholes (which in Indiana are the official state road decoration). During the next four years I searched in vain for business card stock which would successfully hide the preparation which must be put into the cards. It was not until the morning of June 13, 1988 (the day illusions opened) that I realized that all I had to do was shade in the streets on the business cards and the “work” would be totally hidden (an obvious solution that eluded me for four years). As the trick now stands it is one of the strongest effects I have ever performed and is one the most requested tricks at Illusions. You will want to personalize this routine when you are ready to perform it for a lay audience. However, to make it easier to follow the explanation of the handling I suggest that you draw up cards exactly as they are shown below. After you understand the working of the trick you can change the layout to fit your own situation.

The Props To prepare for the routine you will need about a dozen of your business cards, a Flair or Rollerball type pen, a small wallet to hold the cards, and a paper punch. The paper punch must be of a specific type: it should have an attached container to catch the small circles of paper that have been punched, 49

The Workers Seri and it should have a spring in the handle (see Figure 1). This spring will produce a “punching” sound. The business card wallet should have an opaque compartment and a clear compartment (this is pretty standard).

Figure 1

Preparing the Busin Cards Take six business cards and punch a hole in the middle of each. As each hole is punched, retrieve the small circle and carefully replace it back into the hole. Then with another six cards, punch a hole near one end of the card. Again replace each circle as it is punched. Should your business card have writing on one side (and if it didn’t, how would we know it’s your business card?), and if the hole you punch goes through some of the writing, it is a good idea to make sure that the writing lines up when you replace the circle back into the card. As you will read later on, this card is tossed to the table quite nonchalantly, and it is possible that a spectator may pick it up and turn it over. With the writing aligned it is much more difficult to notice the preparation in the card. Now, hold the end-punched cards in your left hand, with the writing side of the cards up. Pick up the center-punched cards (writing side up) with your right hand and flip them face down onto the lefthand cards. Now place all twelve cards into the opaque side of the business card wallet.

Preparing the Flap Card

Workers One

On another business card draw a map exactly as in Figure 2. This card is prepared with the “Weber” flaps; that is you punch holes in the card, but the holes do not go all the way through; a small portion of paper is still attached. This makes the small circles of paper into flaps which can be swung to the back side of the card (in which case they appear to be holes) or pushed back flush with the card (in which case the card appears to be whole). Flaps are punched in the street in front of the box marked “Mike” and the box marked “Chris.”

50

Figure 2

The Pothole Trick These flaps are not punched in an arbitrary way. When punching the flaps hold the business card so that the name on the house faces you. This insures that each flap will fold back away from the house it is front of. Incidentally, you may have to purchase several paper punches until you find one that will make the flaps properly. It is a matter of not squeezing too hard and then slightly moving the card back and forth to produce as small an attached portion as possible. Important: Shade in the streets before you punch the holes. If the card is prepared properly the work in the card is invisible from less than a foot away. Place this card into the clear compartment of the wallet with the drawing side up. Now take a look at the paper punch you have been using. In all probability there is a small metal guide at the hole punching end. This guide can be shifted so that the metal plug that makes the hole can no longer pass through. Move the guide to this position. In addition, lift the spring up and “cock” it so it rests on the edge of the lower punch handle. This spring will provide the sound of a hole being punched. You are now ready to perform. As I remove the wallet and open it to display the map (visible through the clear side) I patter as follows: “Before I vanish mysteriously, I would like to show you one more little trick and I must warn you that what you are about to see is extremely odd. In fact, Pat Baker, who owns Illusions, says this is the strangest trick he has ever seen. He also says I’m the strangest magician he’s ever seen, so it all comes together in this trick. As is the case with many extraordinary things, this takes place in an commonplace location: the street on which I live. “My house is on the corner of a three-way intersection; down the street from me and around the corner is the home of our general manager Chris Moore. His house is one away from a four-way intersection. I would like to make a little map of where you live, but as is painfully obvious, I am a terrible artist, so you’ll have to keep it simple to stay within my limited ability. Is your home in the middle of a block, or on the corner, or near a corner, or in a cul-de-sac? Remember, keep it simple.” The actions that accompany the above lines are obvious. As each house is mentioned, I point out its location on the map. As I ask the spectator where he lives, I remove the pen from my pocket and uncap it. I pick up the wallet and hold it in my left hand.

Drawing the Speator’s Map The next actions depend on where the spectator lives, for it will be necessary to draw a logical looking map on either a center-punched card or an end-punched card. The card you use depends on where the spectator lives; the goal being to draw a logical looking map. Rather than impede the flow of this explanation let us assume that the spectator’s name is Bob, and that his house is in the middle of a block with a four-way intersection on one end and a three-way intersection on the other end. 51

The Workers Seri After I’ve gone through the routine I will explain other possible layouts for maps, and how to bring the end punched cards into play. “You live in the middle of the block? OK, what kind of intersection occurs at either end of your street? I mean, are they four-way intersections, three-way intersections or maybe one of each? You have a three-way at one end and a four-way at the other. Fine. One more question and I can draw my little map. If you are in front of your house facing the street, do you look right or left to see the three-way intersection? Left? Fine. I’m going to shade in the street, I apologize for having to do this, but if I don’t, there isn’t a human being alive that understands that this is supposed to be a street. Here’s your house in the middle of the block with a three-way at one end and a four-way at the other. Is this a residential block with houses on both sides? Fine, I’ll let these little boxes represent your neighbors. Now before anyone gets bent out of shape, let me be the first to admit that this is not to scale, this is not accurate, in fact, this isn’t even good. I am not Rembrant — then again, neither was Picasso, so you never know what this drawing may be worth.”

Workers One

The wallet is picked up from the table and held open in the left hand, opaque compartment to the left. The hand tilts slightly so the contents of the wallet are obscured from the spectator’s sight. Since the spectator has indicated that his home is in the middle of the block, I remove the pre-punched cards by sliding them out to the right and then sliding them back onto the left side of the wallet. I pick up the pen and draw two parallel lines that straddle the hole in the middle, then I draw one of the two end intersections (in this case I would draw the three-way intersection). I know which side of the street to put the spectator’s house on because of his response to the last question above. I draw a box to represent the spectator’s house, and then I begin to crosshatch in the street (Figure 3). As soon as I have crosshatched past the pre-punched hole I lower the wallet to the table and complete the rest of the drawing in view of the spectators (Figure 4). (Remember that up until now I have kept the card tilted away.) As rapidly as I can I draw in the other intersection, other houses, and I shade in the rest of the streets as well as adding more crosshatch to the street which contains the pre-punched hole (Figure 5 shows a completed drawing). Because of this crosshatching the work is undetectable.

Figure 3

Figure 4 52

The Pothole Trick Once the drawing is completed it is held up for all to see and then is tossed casually onto the table. The remainder of the punched cards is replaced into the opaque side of the wallet. (Yes, for a moment there is a card in view in which the work is visible. But if you pay no attention to it neither will the spectators.) The card with the map of your house is removed from the clear side of the wallet. The wallet remains on the table.

Figure 5

Since the preliminary actions of the trick take a few moments to perform, the pace of the trick picks up considerably at this point and the rest of the trick is performed quite briskly.

Punching the Hole “Here’s why I’m wasting your time talking about streets. In Indiana the streets take a terrible pounding during February and March, because they freeze and they thaw and the heavy trucks rumble over them. This device represents the ravaging forces of nature. Under no circumstances should you try this at home. I am a trained professional, and yet the first time I did this I punched myself out!” The left hand picks up the card with the flaps. It oriented so the house with my name on it is toward the right. The right hand removes the paper punch. It is displayed to the spectators (“ravaging forces”) and then a hole is apparently punched in the street in front of my house. In actuality, the following occurs: the left hand turns clockwise in toward the body while the right hand turn counterclockwise in toward the body. The left thumb should be directly over the flap in front of my house. As the left hand turns, the left thumb presses down and pops the flap out the bottom. The left middle finger pulls the flap back against the bottom of the card. The back of the left hand obscures this. This is why the left hand turns in toward the body. The left thumb performs its action just an instant before the right hand places the jaws of the paper punch over the hole (Figure 6). The right hand makes a squeezing action as the right fingers push the cocked spring off the handle. This makes a “punching” noise. The punch is removed revealing the hole. 53

Figure 6

The Workers Seri The punching of the hole occurs out of the spectators line of vision. In addition the bad pun (“punched myself out”) serves a valuable purpose: I punch the hole while people are laughing/groaning at the joke. The action of punching is not emphasized. It occurs, it sounds fairly realistic, and the audience is peripherally aware of it occurring. I feel it is extremely poor management to draw attention to the punching of the hole.

Moving the Hole “I have a good old Indiana pothole in front of my house, and it is really deep. Can you see the little Australian guy waving at you? — G’Day! I’m a good citizen so I called the Department of Transportation and I asked them to repair this hole. They asked, ‘Did you contribute to the Evan Bayh campaign?’ (He’s our Governor.) I said, ‘No,’ and the hole never got fixed. But I thought to myself, ‘I’m a magician, I can deal with this.’ So, in the middle of the night, when no one could see me, I grabbed the pothole and dragged it down the street. Then I pushed it around the corner, and as a practical joke I left it in front of Chris’ house. Can you see the little Australian guy? — G’ Day!”

Workers One

The right hand returns the paper punch to the pocket. The left hand is holding the card with the middle finger pressing the flap flat against the underside of the card. The right hand grasps the upper right hand corner of the card and pulls it diagonally to the right for a very small distance. This moves the hole out from under the left thumb so the hole is visible to the spectators. At the same time, control of the flap shifts from the middle finger to the first finger, which continues to press it flat against the bottom of the card. Tilt the face of the card toward the spectators so the hole is clearly visible and wiggle the tip of the right forefinger under the card beneath the hole (“See the little Australian guy?”). This proves that there really is a hole in the card (Figure 7).

Figure 7

The card is shifted from the left hand to the right hand. The right takes the card with the thumb above and the fingers below. The right thumb covers the hole and the middle finger contacts the flap. As you say “I’m a magician,” the left hand makes a gesture of emphasis by pointing up in the air. The left hand moves up toward the head as it does this. During this gesture the right middle finger pushes the flap closed. 54

The Pothole Trick The hole is now moved. The left hand grasps the card at the lower left corner. It pulls the card in toward the body. The right thumb and middle fingers appear to have a grip on the hole. The card is slid back toward the body until the four-way intersection is reached (Figure 8). Then the left hand moves to the left side of the card and pushes the card to the right. This continues until the right thumb and middle fingers are over the second flap. The right thumb pushes down on the flap and simultaneously the right hand moves back toward the body. This will automatically bring the right first finger in contact with the flap. The first finger folds the flap back flush with the bottom of the card. The hole in front of Chris’ house is now visible and the left first finger wiggles under the hole to prove it is real (Figure 9).

Figure 8

Figure 9

There are a couple of details that enhance the illusion of the hole being moved. First, it must not appear that the right hand is just sliding along the card. Try to achieve a tension in the right hand as if something is actually being physically pulled along the card. As soon as I have cleared the flap in front of my house, I actually grip the card with my thumb and forefinger so that the card does not move easily. Also the arms and body do not remain stationary during the pull. Assuming that I begin by facing slightly to the right, as I pull, I turn my upper body and arms to the left so that I am facing slightly to the left by the time my thumb and middle finger reach the four way intersection. Then, as I move the hole toward Chris’ house I move my arms and body back to the right. I am facing right by the time my thumb and middle finger cover the flap in front of Chris’ house. Then I move my arms and body rather quickly back to the left. It is during this body shift that I open up the flap. The larger movement of the body hides the smaller move of the fingers. Then as I wiggle my left forefinger under the card I move slowly from side to side so everyone can see the new hole.

Removing the Hole “What I forgot was that Chris is a very fine magician, so the next night, he grabbed the pothole, dragged it to the corner, past my house (because I had all my lights on) got in his car and drove to this four-way intersection. He turned left, and was going to leave the hole in front of the house on the corner. But there in the middle of the block was a house with Bob on the roof. So he went to the middle and stopped. Now Bob, I have to ask you, are you a magician? No? Then you have a whole lot of trouble right in front of your house. If you can get that to move, call me. I book all the magicians here, and I’ll put you on staff.” 55

The Workers Seri The right hand holds the card near the upper left corner, the first finger is controlling the flap. The left hand grasps the card at the lower left corner (Figure 10) and swings it clockwise 180 degrees. The right thumb and first finger are the pivot points. As the card pivots, it moves slightly so that the right thumb and first finger cover the hole. As the forefinger moves, it pushes the flap closed. This closing of the flap is a consequence of the left hand pivoting action. The larger movement of the card hides the small movement of the flap closing (Figure 11).

Figure 10

Figure 11

Workers One

The right thumb and finger cover the closed flap. The left hand re-grips the card at the left edge and moves the card to the right. The hole is apparently slid back toward the corner (Figure 12). When the right thumb and forefinger reach the intersection the left hand shifts to the upper left-hand corner and pivots the card 180 degrees counterclockwise. The pivot point is again the right thumb and forefinger. The card is now oriented the way it was at the beginning. The left hand grips the edge of the card nearest the body and pushes the card away (i.e., toward the spectators). This moves the right thumb and forefinger back down the street (Figure 13) to the other intersection (“he moved it past my house”). When the right thumb and forefinger arrive at this intersection, the left fingers pivot the card counterclockwise 90 degrees. The right hand moves toward the body, apparently dragging the hole off the card (Figure 14).

Figure 12

Figure 13

56

The Pothole Trick

Figure 14 As in the previous moving of the hole, acting and mime will greatly add to the illusion. In fact, when I apparently pull the hole off the card I make it appear as if there is some difficulty in doing this. It should look as if some force is necessary to remove the hole.

Moving the Hole to the Other Card Now, a neat bit of spectator management comes into play. As I say, “He got in his car,” the hole is tugged off the card. It is apparently grasped between the right thumb and first finger. The right hand moves up toward my face as I look at my clenched thumb and forefinger. As I’m doing this, the left hand turns over the card it holds, to flash the back. The work in the card can be seen if observed carefully. However, all eyes will follow the right hand in its gesture, consequently the card will only be seen peripherally. The work will not be seen. After flashing the back, the left hand tosses the card (drawing side up) on the table and picks up the card with the spectator’s map. I slide my clenched thumb and forefinger onto the card (following a street, of course) and I move my thumb and forefinger to an intersection and around the corner (Figure 15). I pause here while I mention that Chris was going to leave the hole on the corner but then saw a house with Bob on the roof. (There are two reasons for this pause: first, it lets the spectators see that there is no hole in front of Bob’s house, and secondly, as the spectators think back on the trick they will wonder what would have happened had Bob’s house actually been on the corner.)

Figure 15

57

The Workers Seri I then slide my thumb and forefinger so they are directly over the pre-punched hole. During the above actions my body has been slightly bent in order to afford the spectators the best possible view of the card. Now I stand up straight and look right at Bob and ask him if he is a magician. At the moment I stand and talk, I press with the right thumb, which will pop the circle of paper out of the hole. It falls onto the tip of the forefinger. As I say “you’ve got a whole lot of trouble” the left hand grasps the card and pulls it forward, which reveals the hole in the card. The right thumb and forefinger remain in contact with the card until they reach the near end (Figure 16). I offer the card to the spectator with my right hand.

Figure 16

When the spectator takes the card from my grasp the right remains motionless for just a second and then drops naturally to the side. Make no attempt to ditch the circle of paper yet. The presence of the hole in the card will attract the attention of all at the table. I watch the spectators’ eyes and when all are looking at the card, I casually place both hands in my trouser pockets and I stroll around the table so I am looking over the spectator’s shoulder at the card he is holding. It is then that I say, “If you can move that hole I’ll hire you.”

Workers One

[The movement of the right hand in the above paragraph will make or break this trick. It is imperative that the right hand stays motionless until the spectator moves his hand to examine the card with the hole in front of his house. The right hand waits until the spectator moves, and then moves on the offbeat, moving at the same speed as the spectator. This is one of those instances when you have to have the balls to leave a dirty hand out in plain view without fear or guilt.] I move back to my original location at the table, placing the other card back into the clear side of the wallet. I pocket the wallet, say my goodbyes, and I leave the table.

Concerning Audience Management The reader may have noticed that I leave a very “dirty” card lying out within grasp of any spectator while I move to look over the spectator’s shoulder. In over two years of performing this trick no one has ever made a grab for this card. [Actually, no one has asked in over 17 years of performance.] Nor 58

The Pothole Trick has anyone ever asked to look at it. The reasons for this provide a lesson in audience management. Before I ever get around to doing the Pothole Trick I have made a judgement about the nature of the people for whom I am performing. I know whether they are people who can get into the spirit of the performance or whether their own insecurities will force them to challenge me during the performance. If there are only people of a challenging nature at the table I simply do not perform the Pothole Trick. In fact, at such a table I generally give as brief a performance as can without being rude and I leave. Why waste a great effect on people who will not allow themselves to appreciate it? Often times there will be some “mellow” and some “challenging” people at a table. In this case I locate myself near the mellow people before doing the Pothole Trick. In this way I can be fairly sure that my props will be unmolested. Also, the appearance of the hole in front of the spectator’s home is absolutely unbelievable from the spectators’ point of view. It invariably evokes a great deal of laughter and expressions of surprise from the audience. To them the card with my house on it is not nearly as interesting as the card with the spectator’s house. Everything in my demeanor suggests this as well. And besides, if there was something “wrong” with the card with my house on it, would I just throw it out on the table where anyone could grab it? Of course not. If this part of the trick makes you nervous there is a solution. You can make a double compartment wallet as described in Dr. Strangetrick. The lower compartment would contain the gaffed card and the upper would contain an ungaffed duplicate. This would necessitate some small handling changes. At the end of the trick the gaffed card would go under the flap so you could remove the ungaffedcard should someone ask to examine it. I leave the details of this to the reader, because I have found absolutely no need to go to this trouble.

Concerning the End-punched Cards Now let’s talk about the use of the two sets of pre-punched cards. The idea is that any map drawn should appear logical depending on the location of the spectator’s house. Figures 17, 18 and 19 show possible maps using the center-punched card. Figures 20, 21 and 22 show maps using the endpunched card. Obviously, the map you draw must be based on the information the spectator gives you. This requires that you think on your feet. I’m sure these examples will get you started.

Figure 17

Figure 18 59

Figure 19

The Workers Seri

Figure 20

Figure 21

Figure 22

In the above description it was assumed that the spectator’s house was in the middle of the block, so the center-punched cards were used. Should the spectator inform you that his home is on the corner of two streets (or one of the other configurations in which it would look more logical to use the endpunched cards) then the cards are removed as follows: The right hand slides the cards out from the opaque side of the wallet. They are slid to the right until they rest on the right side of the wallet. The right hand reaches for the pen. As it does so the left hand closes the wallet. After the right hand gets the pen it opens the wallet, but in doing so holds the cards against the left hand side. This has the effect of turning the cards over so the end-punched cards are uppermost. The turnover, however, was done in a subtle way. Now the drawing of the spectators map can be done as suggested above. I hope you will find this routine to be a valuable addition to your performing repertoire. It is one of the strongest routines I have ever used.

Workers One

[The Pothole Trick has three important things going for it. First, the handling absolutely corresponds to the magical ideal; that is, if you had the power of a real magician, and you could move holes around at will, the result would look exactly the same as The Pothole Trick. There are no extraneous props, there are no extraneous moves, and there are no switches. Many people have published versions of the moving hole plot since Workers 1 appeared; none them have achieved this ideal. Second, the presentation provides a powerful hook; for most people, dealing with potholes is a fact of life. The trick has real meaning. Third, you are handing out your business card at the end of the effect. This is the main reason to do the trick. Believe me, the spectator will keep that card forever. I should mention that these days I rarely perform The Pothole Trick. The reason is that Nevada doesn’t have potholes. Consequently, the patter no longer feels as an expression of my life; it feels like patter. You can read more about this in Closely Guarded Secrets.]

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