talkmagic.co.uk

Okay, first off let me say that I am a theatre teacher first and trying to learn magic as a hobby with no intentions to perform professionally, I just don't have enough manual dexterity to be good at it. WHat I do have is a love for it. So much so that I have written a script set in a sideshow that has one effect that is baffling me (I guess I shoulda planned the trick before I wrote but I can't fight the muse) Anyways, here's what it boils down to (BTW, anyone who can point me in the right direction gets a free, first edition copy of the script, a picture DVD and testimonial for marketing purposes in order to aid further sales of the gimmick, and my eternal thanks. Also I will pay for plans that work, but only in US dollars and via paypal):

I need to make a man appear as if he only has an upper body. A half man in effect. He can be on a platform/table but the table must be moveable somewhat on the stage. I can have other characters move his "table" as part of the course of action.

I thought about using the Sphinx table setup, but imagine that there MUST be a more reliable way.

I am at a loss. The gimmicked tricks I have looked at aren't very promising.

I thank you for any reply.

tbh I'm at a loss how to do this but certain thought patterns suggest this is easier to achieve than it first seems. Can you be more specific about how it must appear.

I have an Idea, but it will cost you.

Looking in the region of £10 to £15 pounds, might not work tho'.

first let em apologize for posting this question all over...I was just trying to maximize the chances of getting an answer. I have been researching Sideshow and human oddities for several months now. It all started when I watched Todd Browning's "Freaks" and I got really interested. I read biographical info about Johnny Eck and Randian, but wondered about gaffed versions of these and have been looking on the internet (even some of the sites you found, although a few are new to me) for a while. I guess I hoped someone here had seen a gaffed version that marks might buy from 40' away. Really what I hoped for was a little bit of a shortcut to creating the effect...I found plans for the sphinx effect in an old magic book I bought in a used book store in Atlanta, but it is not very clear and I am not sure it would work for this setup. The play I am writing is set in your standard 10 in 1 and the blowoff is this particular freak. I can rewrite the part, but really would like to take a swing at something like this.

Just so youn know I am not a method thief I am putting a link to my first play here. Buy 50 copies...it's not very good but I need the royalties...

http://www.playscripts.com/author.php3?authorid=236

Here's the setup:

Play is set in a sideshow 10 in 1 with a variety of freaks. Freaks are arranged Upstage on a raked platform on podiums of varying heights. Each podium will travel from Upstage to Downstage to be viewed, so instead of a walkthrough setup, the marks (meaning the marks in the play, not the audience in the theatre) have the freaks brought to them. I will attach a not so good drawing of the set design and hope it helps.

Either way the audience (in the theatre) will be at least 30 to 40 feet from the effect, the effect can be covered after revealed to facilitate later movement

the effect I need is of a half man (think johnny eck or some variation thereof)

what else can I add that will help explain?

thanks again for even taking time to answer!

Illusionist Kevin James has an effect which uses the principle you speak of...His half man illusion looks great!

Your best bet for what you need, is to contact Don Drake or Doug Higley. Either of these two gentlemen may have ideas to assist you. Both can be found through your favorite Search engine.