This is a trick that has been around a long time in various forms and with various methods for vanishing the elephant. Basically, you have a number of cards (the usual number is three but there is no reason why you can't begin with more than three). Typically, the cards show various circus acts and one of the cards shows an elephant. The audience is told that the elephant will vanish. The cards are usually put into an envelope, a folder, or a mat and removed one by one. The elephant card, as promised, has vanished and in its place is a card that says "Gone!" or something similar. The audience is suspicious of the card because of the way it was handled and ask to have the card turned around, with the usual comedy by-play. Finally the other side of the card is shown and it has something unexpected on it, like "Fooled Again" or a picture of a clown, etc.
In The Wizards' Journal #28, which I call my "Silent Lecture", I show my version of this old trick first with the usual plot of the vanishing elephant, but then explaining how it can be restructured for adults using other themes besides the circus theme. My primary emphasis in the lecture is that everything gets handled by a spectator (or two or three) from the audience. Instead of a trick envelope or folder doing the vanishing work, the cards are hidden by a cloth, which can also be held by a spectator before and after the vanish. The vanish of the elephant (or whatever) is performed by a spectator who holds the cards while they are hidden by the cloth and it is the spectator who removes them one by one and hands them to another member of the audience.
There is a video on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/118506366
Discuss the art of Children's Entertainment with your fellow performers.
1 post • Page 1 of 1