This conversation has been on my mind for a number of years.
Prestige, Respect & Venue.
Would you believe, in my opinion, subjective as it may be, I truly believe all three relate to one another.
The Prestige of the Magican, the Respect he or she will get can take years to cultivate. It’s a trial and error process.
No matter the Venue, Prestige and Respect come first.
Let’s deal with each matter separately and see how they all fit together perfectly.
Firstly, Prestige.
I must confess, Prestige did not occur to me until I read about it in Strong Magic.
In fact, Darwin Ortiz goes into great detail to impress upon us the important, significance and value of projecting an attitude of Prestige in our work, presence and marketing.
Prestige is the Foundation for everything that follows.
It sets the context and expectation for our audience.
Without it, we will be fumbling in the dark wondering what on Earth do we have to do to make our magic powerful with with dignity and respect.
As beginners in magic, we are not thinking beyond performing for family and friends. Once we step out into the arena of professional presentation, Prestige becomes a big conversation and one which will become critical to our success.
When I first started performing, I worked in venues that were counterproductive when it came to a power play of Prestige – and rightly so. Experience is required, regular performance, learning our craft, dealing with tough audiences, winning the crowed, really LEARNING how to entertain an audience.
This is what Prestige is all about.
It takes years of practice in front of different types of audiences to really learn what it means to entertain and win the crowed.
It is my firmly held belief that I can perform in a Pub, a Hotel, Buckingham Palace, The Magic Castle and my personal power, my Prestige comes with me…NOW.
My Prestige is the inner sense of knowing, confidence, power, presence and purpose that creates the possibility that my show will win the crowed, no matter what the venue.
If I had to choose, I would always choose a classy joint over a dive of a venue and trust me, I have performed in some real shit holes.
Excuse my language, I couldn’t think of a better description.
Let’s think about Respect for a moment.
I can only speak for myself.
Lay people will Respect our craft the minute they feel they are in the presence of someone who brings purpose, power and passion to them. The performer brings respect to the venue, the performer brings his respect for his craft, you can smell it on him or her.
This is a serious individual, you can feel it in their being.
Last week, I had the pleasure of seeing my friend and mentor Darwin Ortiz present his Lecture. He was fantastic. He still continues to present himself with class, power and a presence of personal dignity.
Darwin was presenting his Lecture at The Holiday Inn in Alexandria, he may as well have been at The White House, such was his command of the situation.
I recently enjoyed two back to back performances at The Smoke & Mirrors Theatre of Magic. This is a wonderful Venue for any Magician.
Which brings me to my final point, VENUE.
The Venue where we work is the final piece of the puzzle. Right now, in this time, it is the big piece of the puzzle we are all trying to solve.
Where can we perform and show off our finest work?
For some of us, the Trade Show Hall is your stage, for others, it could be a restaurant, a pub or a swanky Hotel.
All of these environments are just a space to work nothing more nothing less.
The question is;
What are you bringing to this context?
What is your message?
What will you leave behind?
Prestige and Resepct should come with time, you cannot force the process. Just do your work with purpose and intention.
As for venue, guess what, where ever you find yourself. Play BIG.
Use your power, energy and passion to shift the energy of the place. This can transform a dive into a palace of mystery. When the time comes and you find yourself in an environment conducive for artistic self expression, you will feel right at home.
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