A white serviette to be used in place of a table cloth.
An ordinary pocket handkerchief.
In place of the five-eighth inch cork balls, some performers use cork or
parti-colored cloth balls 1 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter. These, however,
cannot be used, on account of their size, for the pretty passes where balls
appear and disappear from between cups placed one over the other.
This goes to show that :
The exact number and variety of the balls (or other objects employed)
will of course vary according to the effects the performer may elect to
produce.
A table with a servante (secret shelf) at rear will also be required for
special display. This may be a special conjuring table, or a very excellent
servante may be improvised by pinning up that portion of the table cloth
that hangs at the rear into the form of a bag or gibeciere.
The bag or gibeciere of the old-time performers was tied around the waist
like an apron or saleman’s pocket, and was further provided on the inside
with smaller pocket’s for keeping separate the objects it contained. Under
cover of openly taking one ball from this bag, the performer might take
two, palming the one for secret disposal as required; and other and similar
subtleties could be readily made with the arrangement. This method
would certainly make a novelty for the present day performer.
A special cup, which may be shown empty, but which, upon pressure being
applied to a stud on the outside, will let fall a number of balls previously
concealed behind a flap on the inside which is of course painted black.
A special cup, the inside of which is covered with needle points projecting
downwards, for the purpose of causing the disappearance of several cork
balls over which the cup may be placed.
ARRANGEMENT OF PROPERTIES
The passes may be performed on any cloth-covered table, or on any small
polished top table by first spreading the serviette over the same, otherwise
a ball secretly passed under a cap would talk on the table top and so reveal
its presence : it would also roll too freely.
The three ordinary cups are then arranged in line on the cloth in front
of the performer, who will, of course, be standing behind the table; for
convenient reference, we will designate the cups so placed, reading from
left to right, as —– “A” —– “B” —– “C” —– The wand should be laid
on the table in readiness, to the left of “A”.
The four small cork balls are concealed at the outset, two in the right hand
pochette (a small cloth pocket sewn on the trouser leg, on a level with
the knuckles and hidden by the coat.), and two in the right hand trouser
pocket. This is my own arrangement for a special pass, introduced for
the purpose of secretly bringing into play the third and fourth balls as
required. If the 1 1/4 inch balls be employed they may be placed in the
same manner.
The four large cloth balls (or other objects) may be concealed in the
profonde (large pocket sewn on the inside of the coat) on the left hand side
– one or more may be vested (concealed under the waistcoat) or otherwise
disposed that they may secretly be gotten into the left hand as required.
The table with servante at rear will only be necessary when a continued
production be made from the cups of large and bulky objects; the necessity
for this, or otherwise, will be made clear in the explanations.
The two trick cups (one to produce and one to vanish balls) when employed,
will be arranged on the table, one to the extreme left and the other to the
extreme right, so as to be out of the way of ordinary manipulations.
PERSONAL ADDRESS – MISDIRECTION
In addition to the properties, their advantageous disposal and skill in
their manipulation, considerable address is necessary on the part of the
performer to divert attention away from certain movements of his hands;
this is of even more importance with the Cups and Balls than in conjuring
generally.
A running accompaniment of talk should be indulged in, each Pass having
its own boniment or “patter” carefully rehearsed. A good opening address
is also essential, and this should be arranged to produce as much merriment
as possible, thus putting the spectators on good terms with the performer –
making them feel at home so to speak. A performer with an animated face
will invariably succeed in attracting all attention in that direction and will
thus be able to do anything at all with his hands, practically without the
movements being observed.
You may have noticed that when a person addresses you in a serious, spirited
or argumentative manner, you are compelled, more or less unconsciously,
to look him straight in the face – your eyes become fixed, gazing right into
his own, so much so that you forget for the moment he has such things as
hands. You relax the gaze occasionally so as not to appear rude, but, in the
case of a conjuror, he has held your attention long enough to have placed
the object in position. This is the art of misdirection – elocution, gesture,
in a word, dramatic deportment – and which the beginner must study just
as much as he does the ordinary manipulations, that is, if he would meet
with any particular success. Specimens of opening speech and “patter”
will be given in due course.
(To be continued)