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I'm in the process of developing a 2 person silent act, to music (ironic that a silent act is done to music )

It follows the "story" of a girl, lost in love, and along comes the hot magician (that's me ) and chemistry appears, e.t.c.

I have about the first 50 seconds, but could do with a few ideas from other people?

Thus far, the girl walks on with some heart shaped paper, all sad and alone, rips it up and places it on the floor, stands to the side all upset (looks better in person )

Magician comes on with a flaming torch, looks at her, then at the ripped heart. Picks up heart, puts it in the flame and in a flash turns to rose petals. He then, on route to the girl, turns the flame into a rose (torch to rose, anyone? )

From then, im stuck as to where to go in the story.

The girl is an expert dancer - so she can certainly move well.

Any ideas?

I would start a little different. And again just an idea. The girl standing alone in the rain, looking lost and forelorn in one hand she holds an umbrella which is open but in ruins. 'mutilated parasol' (yes a metaphore as to what is to come) Hot magician (you) notices this girl in such distress and fixes the umbrella, while she is happy to have her umbrella fixed she still looks sad and looks at the ruggedly handsome magician (still you) with perhaps a hint of hope in her eye as the magician looks at her questioningly, she pats her heart with her hand and reaches into a pocket and pulls out a paper heart and to dramatically make her point rips the heart in two.

Fast forward to the very end of the routine. At some point the sun had come out and the parasol was put off open on the floor. Magician, (still you) offers his arm which the lady happily takes and the lovely pair happily skip...YES I SAID SKIP! off the stage. But just as they are leaving the lovely lady picks up her huge parasol and from underneath there is a bevy of children which looks suspicially like a magician...and one small dog, just because I like dogs better then people. Okay this last paragraph was a joke but it would tie things together nicely...and I do like dogs better then people.

Blapsing_Beard wrote:He then, on route to the girl, turns the flame into a rose (torch to rose, anyone? )

From then, im stuck as to where to go in the story.

The girl is an expert dancer - so she can certainly move well.

Any ideas?

How about the magician puts the rose in his mouth and the magician and the girl do a little tango and with a miraculous quick-change costume change in the middle of the dance?

monker59 wrote:

Blapsing_Beard wrote:He then, on route to the girl, turns the flame into a rose (torch to rose, anyone? )

From then, im stuck as to where to go in the story.

The girl is an expert dancer - so she can certainly move well.

Any ideas?

How about the magician puts the rose in his mouth and the magician and the girl do a little tango and with a miraculous quick-change costume change in the middle of the dance?

oh i do like that! I can see it looking good as well!

Although i cant dance for toffee

Plus - anybody know an easy quick-change for the girl? I have no experience in that area!

Are there any time restrictions? Do you have a length of time to fill or stay under?

i didnt know you could dance beardykins...

who's the magician going to be?

i say have the girl dancing clutching a rose....picking the petals and throwing them around...she spends the last petal, and is upset...

magician walks on, notices her upset, showing clean hands, picks up one petal, shows it to the audience, motions to the girl to spin around and around...and he rubs one hand over her head, to show a plethora of petals rain down on her...

awww...

I'm not doing all the work for you sunshine...that'll do....

no time restrictions really - even if it begins at 2 minutes, it can keep evolving.

and abraxus...you sure you dont wanna do everything?

I can't help but feel that this story needs an antagonist, or at least some problem to overcome. Without something extra to it you just have: Girl is sad, magician sweeps girl off her feet, the end. Would a third character be plausible? I'm thinking disapproving father figure or something similar, which would give you a lot of options.

third character wouldn't really be possible unfortunately - good idea though!

I don't know how you're gonna make the rose appear and if you use flash paper i don't know if this will work, but you could drop it and make it float into the girls hand? Just throwing ideas out there, then from there... a plot twist and... I haven't gotten that far. But could be turn into a good act I'll keep thinking just because I love to help.

Rather than a third character, you can introduce failure to add drama.



The magician takes the different pieces of the torn heart (assuming it's been mutilated into many pieces) and restores them, but a single (large) piece falls off again, leaving the paper disfigured.

Offended, the girl leaves the magician who is confused and holding a not-completely-restored-piece-of-paper-shaped-somewhat-like-a-heart. The girl can actually just go to the other side of the stage (up stage right, is the term for the image I have, I think), still visible to the audience, but apparently distant to the magician.

Alone, the magician takes the last piece of paper and restores it completely, but he's too late; the girl is gone.

They take similar, sad poses on opposite sides of the stage, possibly mirroring each other. Forlorn, the magician takes a lighter and burns the (flash paper) heart. Instantly, the heart and a rose appear before the girl. She looks happier, and picks up the rose and heart. As she does, she pricks her finger on a thorn. Seeing her injury, the magician walks behind her and offers (without any magic, just taken out of his pocket) a band aid. Lights dim.


You get the idea...

No idea how you'd do this without a proper show budget, but I'm reminded of a very nice silent routine Benny Hill did in about 1980. He plays a tramp clown, and the dancing girl from an advertising poster comes to life. Of course, it was only a dream (or was it?).

Heartbroken girl finds a poster of a handsome magician, perhaps unrolling it and placing it on a wall. She blows him a kiss (maybe it flutters across the stage to him). The magician steps out of the poster. Bit of romance, with appearing roses, wine bottles, floating glass, torn and restored heart. The magician covers them both with a big cloth and they vanish. Now the poster shows the magician and his new assistant.

Just an idea comming from an actor who can do magic since you can't talk use facial expression and body movments. (think charlie chaplin) do the mutilated parasol then do Kevin James' floating rose. some dancing and as a fanaly produce a second parasal with hearts of something romantic. then as you and the girl walk away, vanish. (black art method)

Needs a railway sequence and an escape with the girl tied to the rails while the antagonist twirls his over the top handle bar mustache, smokes a pipe and produces objects from his top hat..

this is all a bit "copperfield" isnt it?.

might i suggest that you first write the story down, including all the back story. This is the stuff that is Illustrated by magic.

and then think about the magic.

have the girl in her apartment.

the first thing you see is her at her front door.

she slams the door, and goes over to a table.

on it, is a heart shaped picture of her, and the person who has just been thrown out . her ex.

she takes the picture, and rips it right down the middle.

separating the two figures.

she throws the two pieces to the ground, and slumps in a chair sobbing.

the dorball rings, and in walks a stranger dressed in a smart suit, carrying a suit case.

on the case is written

" the acme glue company."

this stranger, seeing the state of the girl decided to cheer her up. the case is opened, and he proceeds to perform magic, with items taken from his case.

eventually he cheers her up.

he picks up the tewo pieces of the heart, and restores them, a-la torn and restored paper..( not flames thats daft)

and it now has the girl, and the salesman on it, rather than the jilted lover.
this is then turned into a flurry of confetti.

and as the two walk off together, the case is shown, and it now reads.....
just married.

Ahhhhhh.

the end.