"TEARable Sessions" booklet by Ben Williams
Suggested Retail USD$30.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 8 Out of 10

"TEARable Sessions", a booklet by Ben Williams, is a collection of three routines featuring a common theme that are easy to do and yet pack a punch due to some very surprising plot twists and turns.

As you can probably guess from the title, the three routines all involve tearing a playing card, specifically tearing the index corner off of a playing card. More than that, the theme is one that most consider way overdone: the impossible location plot. Me, I never get tired of it and find audiences don't either. One thing's for sure, though: even the jaded audiences won't forget Williams' routines.

Let's hit the three routines before we get into all the details.

First up is "TEAR-ific". This is the bare-bones of Williams' thinking and is the launch pad for some great ideas. In this one, a spectator selects a card and a corner torn off of it and the card also signed. The spectator retains his card while the performer eats the corner (okay, it doesn't have to be "eats": substitute "burns" or "vanishes" if you'd like). A magical gesture or two and the the corner piece is found under the performer's watch (or pretty much anyplace else you can think of). This is a basic routine and quite simple, a good introduction to Williams' thinking about the plot. This will probably end up being the version performed the most.

The next routine is "TEAR-ified". This proceeds much the same as "TEAR-ific", but in this one the corner is also signed by the spectator. With the corner chewed or otherwise gone, the chosen card is lifted up and blown on: the corner is restored back onto the card. This is a very quick, very powerful piece of work and oh-so-simple... It's great stuff. This is my personal favorite of the three just because of that restoration.

The last routine is "TEAR-ibble" and it's Williams' take on "card-through-window". A card is selected, signed, and held by the spectator. After some by-play, the performer mimes tearing off the corner of the card. When the spectator opens their hand, the signed card is missing a corner. The spectator is directed to the window where the corner is found, stuck on the outside of the window. Not my favorite because of the "magically torn" corner, but this is still a player; the reactions are very solid.

Now, let's look behind the curtain. These routines are almost sleight-free (there is one bit of work you'll need to do, a very common thing, that any one dabbling with cards can accomplish), allowing you to concentrate on whatever presentation you come up with. There are gimmicks and gaffs in play, but they are incredibly simple to make and handle (if you want to repeat these, you'll need to make up a batch of the things since in most cases you'll go through one every performance). Two of the routines are incredibly flexible -- you can make the corner go pretty much wherever you want, from mint boxes to glasses to pot roasts -- allowing you to really personalize the routine.

To sum it up, there's some genuinely neat thinking in Williams' little booklet, with enough applications just waiting to pop out of it to make it a worthwhile purchase for any card worker interested in the plot.

And that's really the deciding factor here: with little against it and a whole lot for it, "TEARable Sessions" boils down to the simple matter of personal interest. If the idea of doing an "impossible location" plot with a torn corner appeals to you, then you'll likely be happy with Williams' booklet. If not, you won't. Boy, does that make the decision to buy simple or what?

Seriously, I liked "TEARable Sessions" and the three routines in it. It's good thinking with some surprising turns of events that will keep spectators on their toes. In short, it's simple, commercial, entertaining magic.

"Tearable Sessions" booklet by Ben Williams
In a Blink: 8 Out of 10

Material: 10
Three routines revolving around a single, simple plot idea and all three powerful pieces of work. There is some set-up (and some gaff-making) but they are minor, making this a great walk-around effect or a formal piece. Williams has some very good thinking here.

Quality: 10
William's writing style is very clear and concise, with added sections of extra tips and advice. You'll have no problem learning the material or adapting it for your own use.

Illustrations: 5
The black-and-white photos are a bit too small for my taste and were washed out in printing. A bit hard to make out, but not a huge hindrance to learning the work.

Presentation: 10
Williams' presentations are lacking in a verbal component; he likes to let the surprise of things hit spectators where they live. His routines do just that, with plots that are as unexpected as you could as for.

Shane