Dear Friends in Magic,
Every two months, I write to share news and notes from my world as a performer, teacher, and philosopher of magic. No “AI” used here! And I always start with…
A BIG IDEA
Last issue, I uncovered the “deeper level of deception” that maestros of magic regularly achieve, and I gave some pointers to help us get there. I realized I have another big pointer, so think of this installment as “Deeper Deception, Part 2.”
In Henning Nelms’s terrific locked-room mystery The Rim of the Pit, the magician-character states a simple rule for solving any magic trick: “Look for the Unnecessary.” To paraphrase the character’s explanation: since every part of a performance is important, if an onlooker experiences something that occurs for no reason, it almost surely happens to disguise the secret.
BOOM! When I first read this, I just stopped in my tracks. I thought, “Is it true? Is the ‘cost’ of any magic effect an unnecessary action that draws a big red circle around the method?” My next thought was, “Oh no! Don’t tell them!”
Then I realized it was too late; attentive spectators are already aware of it:
—Gee, why is the magician holding those cards in a tight packet while showing the four twisting Aces?
—Why did the manipulator bring her hands together before vanishing the ball?
—Why did the illusionist strike a pose in front of the Sawing box as the assistant was crawling inside?
—Why did I have to deal out the cards into two even piles?
—Why did the mentalist put that envelope in his pocket rather than just tossing it on the table?
—Why did the card magician just square up the deck when it was already squared?
The answer to all these questions (and countless others like them) is either consciously perceived by audience members or sub-consciously felt: because the secret method required it.
But here’s the good news: once we understand this vulnerability—that hiding our methods often yields apparently unnecessary moments or actions—we now have a pathway for Deeper Deceptions. Because now we can examine our routines to root out those moments and fix them.
For example, instead of squaring an already squared deck before performing Dai Vernon’s Double Lift, we can train ourselves to leave the deck unsquared prior to it. Or we might create a subtler way to split attention for our Sawing illusion. Or a plausible reason might be added for going to the pocket. Even better: we might suddenly realize the cards don’t need to be dealt into even piles—a breakthrough in method! (For example, see “The Friendship Game” in Life Magic.)
One other thing that might happen is we realize there is no way to fix an unnecessary moment—that large red circle around the method—and it’s time to retire the piece. That’s hard to do, especially with a routine we love, or have been performing for a long time, or even (gulp) published. But from my own (painful) experiences with this, the result is a repertoire I feel so much better about because it has leveled up in quality.
Better performances, subtler devices, new methods, pruning for growth, avoiding the junk: that’s what awaits as we train ourselves to “Look for the Unnecessary.”
IN THE STUDIO
Many readers expressed deep interest last issue after learning about my current book project, The Ross Johnson Legacy: Hard-Hitting Mentalism for the Real World. I am writing on it nearly every day, and I believe I’ll have a solid draft of the entire manuscript by the time I leave for FISM on July 13. It is going to be a big book!
Speaking of FISM, I am thrilled to be attending with Marjorie, and to see good friends and outstanding magic from around the world. I am happy, too, to not be working FISM this time. In 2022, our Magic & Mystery School team delivered six days of magic performances, main-stage lectures, and teaching content—over thirty hours with no repetition. (I slept for a week afterward.) I can’t wait for FISM and to bring my insights home for next issue.
A last thing to mention: on November 21-23, 2025, Jeff McBride and I will deliver a full 3-Day Master Class experience in Brussels, Belgium. This is the only international Master Class we plan to teach—certainly this year, but also, perhaps, beyond. So, to our European friends and fans—no hype: this might be the last chance to attend one of our Master Classes outside of Las Vegas. For complete information and to register, go here. |
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