First: Entertaining
Children is more important than
fooling them.
Second: I love
children. And you should too if
you want to entertain them. (If
you don't like children, why
waste your time trying to
entertain them).
Third: I love
performing Kid's Shows. Have
FUN with it - kid shows are fun to
perform.
Forth:
"Entertaining Children with
Magic". Entertaining comes
first and Magic comes second.
Fifth:
Do not... make your child helper
look foolish... unless you look
foolish with them.
Sixth:
Do not stop in the middle of a
trick and tell a funny story...
Apart from the fact that
children cannot
understand
the average funny story, the
humor should be a part of the
trick itself,
to
amuse children.
Seven:
Do not... waste time between
items... this is where so many
children's entertainers go wrong
and
subsequently lose their hold on
the audience. Give them time to
laugh and applaud and
then
GET ON WITH THE NEXT ITEM.
Eight:
Do not try to "play" to the few
adults in the audience, when you
are engaged to amuse the
children
... a common failing with many
performers. Entertain the
children and you will
automatically
amuse the grownups.
Nine:
NO NOT... if you are engaged for
30 minutes.. give a hour -
give 30 minutes! This not only
"cuts"
your program but you make it bad
for the entertainer who may
follow you another year.
In
addition, if it's a birthday
party, the person who hired you
for 30 minutes may have the cake
and
ice-cream
ready. Stick to the schedule.
Ten:
Remember... that it pays to keep
your apparatus clean and smart.
Silks regularly ironed not only
look
nice, but they will last much
longer. In fact, keep the whole
show clean (the apparatus and
the
presentation),
then you can show anywhere.
From the pages of MUMbo
Jumbo, the official Newsletter of
the S-Y-M, Assembly Y134,
Pensacola, Florida ~ By Harley
Day.
NOTE: These ten
suggestions are from the David
Ginn "Magic Workshop" and/or his
books.
