September 2011

Dave Hale concluded the business part of our meeting by outlining the dates (November 19th) and location (Downingtown West High School) of our 2011 fundraiser show, “The Cavalcade of Magic”. Profits will be split between our club, the school’s music department, and the Houdini Museum in Scranton. Should be another great show!

Tonight members demonstrated favorite bits of magic that did not use standard props!  Most forbidden were ANY card effects. With this challenge, a number of us showed how to do some great magic, any time, any place.

Ralph Armstrong showed two long shoe strings, then he place them behind his head. When he lifted them around his head, they were linked! Very visual, and Ralph tipped the subtle method. Any string could also be used. Bill McElvenney next showed us an effect that he learned in eighth grade. He used a story about the Civil War and showed us a blue and a gray paper clip. He showed how US Grant capture Robert E. Lee after he linked the two clips using a dollar bill. His Rope around Arm was really visual. Bill wrapped his arm with a large nylon rope, then pulled the rope through his arm. He also showed how to do the effect with a spectator and make it a demonstration of a Houdini escape. He also did “Houdini’s Impossible Escape” as suggested by Daryl, which used a silk and a rope. Finally, another rope effect where he tied three loops into a rope, then cut the loops. He then snapped the rope to make the remaining knots jump off a full restored rope.

Master magician Dick Gustaffson used two cocktail napkins that he tore into small corners. He rolled seven pieces into small balls, and entertained with a story about Hobos and Chickens that all wound up in one hand. Simple magic without sleights, just careful counting.  He also shared an effect found in Tarbell: “Dissolvo”. Dick tied a silk hankie around a taught rope, and made the hankie slowly penetrate the rope. He also does this effect with a mic stand during many of his wonderful stage shows.

Steve Applebaum used his own dollar and a borrowed twenty dollar bill. He rolled the bills together, then had the bottom bill (the twenty) change places with the one. Steve then explained the effect with two large felt pieces so that everyone could learn the effect.

Reba Strong showed how to visually stretch a men’s hankie, then how to tied two knots at the same time.

New member Bob Fostok taped his finger and thumb together with plastic tape. He then had a small chain loop examined before he visually looped the chain onto his taped fingers!

I performed a version of Psyhic Surgery described in a book by Joshua Jay. The patient was a dollar bill, and I covered it with a small post-it note. Then I pushed a pen through  the bill and post-it.

Hunter Gaul performed last, with small pieces of paper affixed to his index fingers, and showed how to make them disappear and reappear. He does this when showing children how to do a magic trick, and has a nice rhyme to go with the effect.

Most of us tipped the methods, and gave the sources for people who wanted to perform them.

 

DAVE KELLY, Recording Secretary

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