WHO, WHAT, WHY

(and HOW you can make it better)

A MAGICAL ENTERTAINER’S GUIDE TO CHARACTER AND CREATIVITY

by
DAVID KAPLAN
T
hank you for purchasing this booklet. My motivation for this project
was to compile and analyze various ideas, points and practical wis-
dom I have accumulated during my 20 some years as a professional
entertainer. In these pages I share what I consider the most important
lessons I’ve learned about presenting a show. I hope you the reader can
learn from my experience, and progress in our art in a most positive and
enjoyable manner.

My act is unconventional in that it uses magic, juggling, music and special

effects to drive a comedy/variety show. My act is very character specific.
By this I mean that my routines are very much tailored to my stage per-
sona and often the tricks are devised to fill a certain role in the show.
Because of this, I can’t picture other people doing most of my effects and
routines. My material is generally native to my act. While some of my
techniques, and moves could be employed by another performer, the
world certainly doesn’t need another me.

My hope is that by sharing my theory and techniques, you will become

inspired and gain the wherewithal to come up with fresh ideas and rou-
tines to match your own personal performing persona.

I find the process of creating my act is a huge part of what makes per-
forming so compelling. I love the journey perhaps more than the end
product. If the reason you perform is only to become famous, or to get
rich, I think you will miss out on the most enjoyable and satisfying aspects
of your art.

I firmly believe that people are more interested in you (as a character) than
your props and tricks. You may have some very unique, and colorful
props, but they must never overshadow your personality. A colorful and
interesting stage persona is paramount. Ideally, you want to have a great
stage persona, and interesting and original props.

This is easier said than done, but it is not impossible, and I can point you
in this direction by showing you various roads that will take you toward
this goal.

I should mention that when I say “stage”, I generally mean any perform-
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ing venue, (ie. street, table side, theatre, club, parlor, etc.). Admittedly,
some performing arenas are less formal than others, but you are still doing
a performance, and it should be as effective, magical and theatrical as you
can possibly make it.

WHO ARE YOU, AND WHY ARE YOU DOING WHAT YOU ARE
DOING THE WAY YOU ARE DOING IT?

Crafting a successful and artistically

sound theatre presentation is a process
that involves more than simply getting
onstage and doing some tricks. Careful
consideration should be paid to every
aspect of the performance.

WHO... ARE YOU?

Your character, or stage persona, is the
single most important aspect of your
act.

Spend time thinking about this very

important element. Are you just being
yourself and doing tricks, or are you a
character? If you are being yourself, is “yourself” interesting? Be a char-
acter.

Tricks of course are important, but it is the person who presents the trick
that makes all of the difference. I’ve seen numerous presentations of the
“Jumbo Sidekick,” but I never realized it was a really great bit until I saw
it in the hands of Tim Wright, aka Skilldini. His patter, pacing, and general
comic guidance brings a stock bit to life. Anybody who thinks the “spot
card” is a lame bit of business, has never seen LA magician, Dave Cox per-
form it. Totally hilarious.

Magic can bring about an emotional response. A really great magical

moment, can take your audience away from the humdrum of life. It is
hard to put this into words, but it is something we all have felt at one time
or another. You sort of catch a fleeting glimpse of how you felt when you

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were young, and didn’t know magic wasn’t real. Being older, wiser and
more pragmatic, we feel this sensation in that short period between the
time a beautiful magic effect is witnessed until the time we start wonder-
ing how it was done. The magic moment. The split second where there is
something amazing happening, and not only do you not know how it is
done, you don’t care. You just enjoy it. The longer you can make this spe-
cial moment last, the more effective, and powerful your performance will
be.

By assuming a compelling character, you enable this wonderful moment

to be created. Your equipment doesn’t make this happen. You do.

Who are you onstage? Most successful performers tend to be stylized and
exaggerated versions of themselves. If you don’t have a lot of formal act-
ing training (like myself), this is probably your best bet, as you will have a
stage persona that is not too difficult to portray.

I tend to come off as a skilled, but somewhat absentminded inventor type,

who happens to have some delusions of grandeur. I tend to be easily dis-
tracted, and present myself in a somewhat deadpan style. Not only do I
exaggerate my strengths, but also my faults. This is basically how I am in
real life, but to a lesser degree.

Performers need an outside eye to help them know what their character is
about. There is no way you can have a total grasp of your character,
because you are simply just too close to see the big picture. A director can
point things out about your onstage persona that you would never think
of.

I’ve found through years of trial and a great bit of error while performing,
the audience helps dictate how I act onstage. If you pay close attention to
audience response, they will point out what does and doesn’t work. The
great jazz man Count Basie once said, “If you play a tune and a person
don’t tap their feet, don’t play the tune.”

From audience response, I have learned (and continue to learn) quite a

few things about myself and how people perceive me. When I started out,
I used to work in comedy clubs, and noticed other performers got big
laughs by using cynical, smart-aleck remarks. I emulated this, and it

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worked for me, but as I became more comfortable onstage, my true per-
forming style -- the gentler, innocent, sort of bewildered guy persona
started to surface. I noticed that the smart-aleck remarks began to clash
with this more honest style that was emerging.

While the smart-aleck remarks still got laughs, those laughs became small-
er and smaller and eventually, these lines hurt the show more than they
helped. There were still laughs, but not quality laughs. I was forced to
replace these lines with jokes and gags that were more in keeping with my
genuine character. For instance, I’m better off unintentionally saying
something funny. When the audience laughs, I look at them as if I’m won-
dering why they are laughing, not realizing I made a joke, and they laugh
again. Buster Keaton said, “People like the slow thinker.” The audience
can identify with this more human approach, and may think to them-
selves,“Hey, he’s one of us”.

I used to do a routine where I would invite a volunteer onstage, ask them

a couple of questions to get to know them, and then announce, “This is
the portion of the show where I make a little small talk in hopes of coming
up with a spontaneous, witty remark.” Then I turn to the volunteer and
confidently ask, “So, what do you do for a living?” No matter what they
say, I pause and think for a moment (presumably to come up with a comic
gem of a retort). I then look at them and simply say, “that’s great“, and go
on with the show. Not doing a joke here actually is the joke. Not only does
this generate a laugh, but people can identify with me. Most people can’t
come up with the perfect comic line on the fly. I’m presenting a moment
we all can relate to, and more importantly, I give the audience some infor-
mation about my personality in the process. This deepens my character.

Modifying my presentation, not only brought my show to a higher level,

but also brought more respect from the audience. When I was doing the
smart-aleck lines, I would get heckled sometimes. This would force me to
use more of these lines, and the more I would do these lines, the farther
away I got from presenting a consistent character. It became a vicious
cycle, and my shows would sometimes fail because of this. Welcome to the
“School of hard knocks.” The way I currently present my show, I rarely
get heckled. When I do, the hecklers tend to take their shots in a playful,
teasing sort of way, the way you might crack on your best friend. This
actually tends to help the show thrive. It demonstrates that the audience
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members are on my side, and are in the spirit of the show. Their lines usu-
ally result in a laugh, and I welcome this. It is a comedy show, and as long
as the audience is laughing, I don’t really care who is responsible for gen-
erating the comedy. I suppose you could think of yourself as the comedy
conductor who is in charge of directing the proceedings onstage and off.
The goal is to coax as much entertainment out of the room as possible. I
once saw a wonderful comedian named Buzz Sutherland end his show by
assuming the role of an irritated Jr. high school teacher and dismiss a com-
edy club audience table by table. Hilarious.

RECORD YOUR ACT

Video or even audio recording your act as much as possible, will give you
a chance to analyze the performance. The tape does not lie. Years ago,
master ventriloquist Ken Groves told me of a fantastic way to improve the
act via recording. Audio record the show, then afterwards, transcribe the
entire thing word for word, noting where the laughs and applause hap-
pen. Every stammer, stutter, etc. should be written down. Make a note of
every effect, skill and gag. I like to call effects, skills and gags, “Events”.
Then, edit the entire thing. Make a streamlined version of the same act, as
you would want it to be. Take out any unnecessary lines and bits that
don’t move the show forward. Make sure to keep as many effects, skills
and gags as you can, as you want the show to be as, “Eventful” as possi-
ble, without seeming rushed.

When I did this, my show went from 14 pages to 9, taking a 50 minute

show down to about 40 minutes. Not only was it shorter and tighter, I
managed to keep almost all of the events! More substance in less time.
This process bought me more time to add new material, which made my
act even more eventful.

My friend Glenn Singer thinks of his act as a jewel that can be polished
again and again. Keep polishing your jewel!

TRUST
As the comedy conductor, I try to make it apparent that everyone in the
room feels like they have some sort of role in the lunacy. As we saw with
Buzz, this can be done in creative way.

There is a trend lately where many performers begin their show by asking

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the audience how they are “doing”, and after not getting an enthusiastic
(loud) enough response (almost every time), tell them they can do better
than that, and again, in a more urgent tone, ask how they are DOING?
Basically, the performer is trying generate enthusiasm, and get the audi-
ence involved in the show, which is not a bad thing. My problem with
this, is the performer basically becomes a cheerleader, and hasn’t yet given
us any actual substance to cheer about. I realize this sort of thing does
work, and many people in the audience will play along, but I trust I’m not
alone in feeling a bit uncomfortable, not to mention somewhat “trained
seal-like” in these situations. The performer is generating applause, and
gets the audience a bit revved up, but not in a very interesting or enter-
taining way. If you look at any really great, established performer, you will
rarely see this sort of approach. Think about it. If you are getting wild
applause only because you have asked for it, how do you know later in
the show that the applause for your act is genuine? Are you getting
applause just because you have conditioned the audience? If you ask for a
standing ovation, (then get one), how do you know it is truly earned? I’ve
seen performers who shamelessly manipulate the audience into standing
ovations for mediocre performances. I’ve even heard of acts who hire
audience members to start standing ovations. I personally prefer to get the
audience reaction that I truly deserve. Not only is this a more honest
approach, it lets me know where the weak spots in my show are, and
what I need to work on.

If you really want standing ovations, you can structure your act in such a
way to get people to stand. You have a better chance of getting one when
you finish with a high energy bang. You will definitely get one if you close
with the national anthem. I tend to get less standing ovations because I
end my show with a ballad, but I can still sense, as can the audience,
when I’ve had a killer show -- standing ovation or not.

If you want to get the audience to play a truly active role in the show, it is
best to give them something interesting to do. Glenn Singer starts by lead-
ing the group in a series of humorous audience warmup exercises. I feel
this gets people into the spirit of things in a much more colorful way than
just asking them to “make some noise”. Challenging them with interesting
material and scenarios lets them know that you respect and trust them. As
a result, audience members, as supporting players, feel somewhat respon-

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sible for making the show a success. Of course, this scenario works to dif-
fering degrees on any given night, but it is ultimately what I strive for.
When it works best, it is because the people in the room trust me. They
know I’m not going to make them feel uncomfortable or give them some-
thing to do that will make them look bad, or worse, unfunny.

The key to unlocking this performer/audience dynamic is having a char-

acter, that is believable and consistent - not a hodgepodge of personae.

So who are you? Are you suave like Lance Burton? Funny? An average Joe
(or Jane)? Are you nuts like Tommy Cooper? Do you have the gift of gab?
If so, it would probably be a mistake to do a silent act. Get an idea of who
you are in your mind, and get out and perform. Go for it. Just make sure
your material is a good fit for you.

WHAT... ARE YOU DOING?

CREATING THE RIGHT ROUTINES FOR YOU
Often, magicians construct their act by purchasing certain effects, and
putting them in their show, using the patter that comes with the trick.
Designing an act this way can create a number of problems. I will
describe these problems, and suggest some better ways to go about creat-
ing a show.

Emulating top magicians is a natural way to get started in the business.

The industry even encourages this, as you can buy entire routines.
Because you’re getting a proven bit with professionally constructed props
and well written patter, it will likely be a success. This helps give much
needed confidence to the magician during the performance. Which is a
very good thing. Audiences will pick up on this, and trust that you know
what you are doing. They will be willing to go along for the ride without
much resistance. However, I believe the minuses that come with buying a
bit and performing it verbatim far outweigh the pluses.

When someone writes patter, it is generally done in their particular style.

If their style is much different than yours, it will clash with your character,
and detract from the impact of the trick in varying degrees. An extreme
example would be if you did David Williamson’s “Rocky Raccoon” bit,
then followed it with a romantic floating rose in the style of Lance Burton.

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These are both very solid magical routines. But to go from silly/wacky to
suave and debonair makes no sense, and the audience will be confused
about who you are. You are giving them conflicting signals. This tends to
make an audience a bit uneasy and they will sense that you are not coming
across as genuine. A consistent character is a believable character. If peo-
ple aren’t at ease with you, they won’t be as likely to believe your magic in
general (or whatever you’re selling, for that matter).

Another problem with doing a routine verbatim, is that other people buy
the same props, and a lot of acts end up looking the same. The performers
who stand out are the ones who present original ideas, or at least present
stock magic in an original way. Once you define your onstage persona,
your presentation style will become more apparent, and the material will be
easier to choose and create. It is far easier to come up with original routines
if you have a well defined character.

BETTER WAYS TO SKIN A SQUIRREL

There are many ways to come up with original ideas -- here are a few tech-
niques. Thinking backwards is one. When I work on inventing a new trick,
I often begin by thinking of an effect that I would like do, and then devise a
way to make it happen. Bear in mind, I am not usually just thinking of
ideas out of the blue. In my show, I use a series of props and I try to ani-
mate each prop as much as possible. I prefer to do numerous effects with
one prop, than to do one effect with many props. This not only brings the
props to life, and ties the show together thematically, but it also keeps me
from having to drag around tons of props.

A good example is my use of a bowling ball; Over the years, this prop has
been used in many ways during my shows, and currently is involved in
about eight things during the act. I didn’t start out by saying “how can I do
eight different things with a bowling ball?” It just evolved naturally. In my
early shows, I only juggled it. From there, I added the forehead balance.
Realizing I had to carry the thing onstage, I figured I might as well produce
it from a briefcase (ala Howard Flint). This was a much more interesting
way to introduce the ball, and in keeping with my character, I would not
make a big deal of it. I simply remove it from the briefcase, as this is “just
where I happen to keep it”. In my little skewed world, (where laws of
physics are regularly broken), this is a natural container for it.

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Treating gags as throwaways are sometimes the best way to present
them.

One time when I pulled the ball from the briefcase, and put it on my table,
the ball accidentally rolled toward the edge of table, as if the table were
not plumb. For some reason, this made the audience laugh. So, the next
day I lengthened the legs of my table a tiny bit on one side, so that this
rolling thing would happen every time. (Why not give the audience what
they want?) I found the laugh would get even bigger if I became a little
perplexed when it rolled. At this point the bowling ball was starting to
develop a personality of it’s own. An ornery personality at that. So much
the better. Like Wilson, the soccer ball in “Castaway,” My bowling ball is
a character!

After doing my act this way for a while, I then decided it would be cool to
get the ball to stop rolling and stay still on the table, and then when I start
to walk away it would roll off onto the floor. So I gimmicked the table to
make this happen.

The next step was this. After the ball rolls off
and hits the floor, I (my character) decides that
I can’t have the bowling ball falling to the floor
again, so I put the briefcase onto the table, open
it up, and put the bowling ball back into it,
then set the case on the floor. The only problem
is after I do this the ball remains on table! Of
course, until the audience reacts, “The Great
Kaplan” just goes about his business and does-
n’t notice this has happened. For this gag, I
concocted a modified briefcase that would not
only allow me to produce the ball from it, but when I put the ball back
inside, close the case and walk away with the case, the ball magically
remains on the table. Solid through solid. Mr. Brunswick has won a bat-
tle, but has yet to win the war so to speak. Now, I’ve done multiple illu-
sions with the briefcase as well as the bowling ball. And so on and so
forth.

I also use my drinking goblet for many effects during the show. At first, I
just wanted a glass for drinking water. Then I thought it would be funny

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to break my glass when I hit the high note in a song I was playing for my
finale. So, (after failing to find a suitable “glass breaking apparatus” on the
market) I invented a gizmo to accomplish this. One trick tends to point to
another. You just have to be open to letting these ideas come into focus.
Since the device to accomplish the glass breaking bit was part of my table,
why not build even more gimmickry into that same prop. Heck, I have to
haul it (the table) around anyway. Let it earn its’ keep. I later built into the
table a special servant to vanish the glass. Eventually, I added to the act a
floating glass bit and a water to wine routine with the same glass. I really
enjoy the idea of the glass being a running thread through the show, and
almost making it through the show intact. Almost.

CREATIVE THINKING
Sometimes an idea will come out of the blue, but more often, it is the
result of hearing or seeing something that reminds you of something else,
which perhaps reminds you of still something else, which may cause you
to have an idea for something else. I find ideas pop up when I least expect
them. New inventions don’t always come from seeing other magic. Look
to other disciplines - music, painting and drama, etc., for inspiration.
Being observant is the key to unlocking creativity, as you never know
where you will stumble across a great idea or concept.

I know it is difficult to invent totally new things. In the real world it is

often necessary to recycle older ideas. This can work nicely in magic, if
you take the idea and make it your own. Adapt it to your style, and try to
add your own unique touches. My briefcase is a good example of this
type of thinking.

I make most of my props and apparatus, so I tend to spend my “Magic”

budget at the hardware store. Not that I don’t enjoy the magic shops, I do
very much, but the hardware store is just where I seem to end up when I
need to find parts to cobble together new gimmicks and props with. In
fact, some of my happiest hours are spent tinkering with props in my
basement workshop. I think it is wise to be aware of what is new and old
on the shelves of the magic stores, but for a more unique set of props, the
hardware store is a great place to go.

I try to get as much mileage as I can out of all of my props. My act is con-
stantly changing, as one new bit will suggest another and so on and so
forth. This is what makes it interesting for me, and I think the audience
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senses that I am interested in what I’m doing. I studied with the great
silent clown, Avner the Eccentric, and he said, “You aren’t going to seem
interesting if you’re not interested.” New York magician Josh Rand
expands on this stating, “If you enjoy what you are doing, the audience
will enjoy watching you.’

A NOTE ABOUT PROPS

The more pedestrian your props are, the more magical they can seem. I
find objects that people are familiar with - ie., a hat, bowling ball, knives,
cards, drinking glasses, etc., are the strongest props. If you use a special
box or piece of apparatus that is only used for a magic trick, it will be per-
ceived as being gimmicked in some way. I think a paddle move with a
knife is far preferable to a paddle move with a “Paddle”. In other words,
if people have a preconceived notion what an item can do, and then you
make it do something different, the surprise and astonishment will be
greater than if the audience has no idea about an item in the first place.
This isn’t carved in stone, as I know there are many very interesting items
that haven’t been seen. I just prefer to make unusual things happen with
usual items. It seems to be a better fit for my character.

Perhaps Professor Hoffman said it best in the following quote. “The ten-
dency of conjuring, as an art, has for many years past been in the direction
of simplification... The leading performers.. give the preference to such
tricks as can be performed without visible apparatus only as represents to
the eye of the spectator merely the appliances of everyday life, and is not
obviously designed for conjuring purposes.”

CONCLUSION
I believe that character is the single most important factor in a perfor-
mance. To help you understand character development, try this exercise.
List several magicians and then write a brief description of the character
they portray on stage.

Amazing Johnathan
Norm Nielson
Jeff McBride
Paul Daniels
David Williamson
Tommy Cooper

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Cardini
Kevin James
Mac King
Lance Burton
Gazzo
The Great Ballantine
Aldo Columbini

These Magicians have all developed a well defined onstage character.

It is my hope that you will benefit from my experience and ideas. If you
are a magical performer,
I do believe this will
help you present better
programs. It takes time
to know what kind of
character you are. It
takes time to develop
skills, so the next time
you see someone who
can move you out of
your seat and take you
away for a moment or several moments, I recommend you give them a
hand. They have truly earned it.

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I would like to thank my wife Lauri for her support of my madness, (and her exquisite editing
prowess), and my friends Gene Anderson, Josh Rand and Skilldini (he makes me call him that)
for their help and valuable insight to the art of magic.

David Kaplan
February, 2002 - revised, Sept. 2008

Goodbye.