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It's only appropriate to start my first column by discussing the end.

A common subject of intrigue, and therefore one which is addressed frequently in the literature, involves the issue of approaching a group of people to perform magic. What do you say? How do you say it? What is that smell? Quite simply; what's the best way to start a set?

This column will not address any of those issues. Rather, it will attempt to open fertile new fields to explore with regards to ending a set. Come along for the ride, I guarantee you'll never have so much fun telling people to get lost.

The typical practice for parting ways is to simply bid them adieu after your final Bounce No-Bounce Babies routine and walking away. If you're performing at a restaurant, thanking them for coming and informing them of the times when they can see you again are fairly standard as well. Although let's be honest, this is kind of boring. You've just spent a considerable amount of
time and energy convincing these people that you're a fun yet mysterious person, so why throw that away with a bland goodbye?

One solution I've developed to deal with how to end, is to simply not do it. That's right, don't end your performances. Tearing a page right out TV's beloved book (I guess that would be the TV Guide), use the infamous "To Be Continued" ruse to leave your audience on the edge of their seat. The cliffhanger is too wonderful a thing to waste on the tube.

Let me give you just one simple example of what I am talking about:

You say "I'll do one last thing, but I promise you this will be the single most amazing event you have ever witnessed. Pick a card." [I'm sorry, I just have to laugh out loud at how unbelievably out of place the words "Pick a card" look on paper after that first sentence.] Have the spectator pull out any card, show it around, and then as he's about to return it to the deck, put the cards back in the case, saying "To be continued..." Instruct him to keep the card until the next time he sees you perform, at which point you'll take it back from him and finish the single most amazing event he has ever witnessed.

I have just supplied some bare bones, I urge you to elaborate on the core idea. In the meantime, allow me to expand on a couple of the benefits to using this ploy:

- Following showbiz's old adage "Leave them wanting more," you leave them with unfinished business at hand, unfulfilled promises, and a physical reminder to seek you out to pick-up where you left off. Tyler's new adage "Leave them craving more."

- If you perform in a restaurant setting, you will be more than familiar with the sudden murder of your set based on food arriving or other such interruption. This scheme allows for a built-in method to end abruptly while still maintaining full control.

- When they come back with their card (and they will), you will be using a different deck by this point, meaning there will be a duplicate of their card in your current deck. There are a tonne of miracles which can be afforded by this situation, so it would be very very wrong not to use it to
your advantage. Just think about it, your spectator brings you a duplicate card so you can gaff up your deck right in front of them, does it get any better?

- Starting a routine with the spectator's card already in play completely eliminates the Achilles heel of card magic; the selection procedure. Wam bam, you're into the good stuff.

- Having a card handed to you is essentially a ticket saying "Hey, we've seen you before and we had a blast," so you know you've already got rapport with them and can plow straight into the sets you have planned for repeat audiences.

- The single most common response I receive after saying "To be continued..." (from grown adults, mind you) is for them to stare at their card and shoot out a huge smile, followed by "Cooooool!", it actually surprises me how often people use that exact word.

Now let's take off the rose coloured glasses and address problems with this
entire idea:

A) The main problem I found when first trying it out in performance, was that it was incredibly awkward. As with most performers, I have built my sets to end on an ultra strong high note, so it just didn't feel right tacking on an uneventful selection procedure to this. Again, the audience thought it was great, but I felt like something was completely amiss.

B) If you're performing a lot in one evening, your deck will deplete incredibly quickly by giving out one card per group on top of all the signed cards you already dispense. As well, if someone does bring back a card from a previous performance for the miracle you promised, and your deck doesn't have the duplicate to their card because you've already handed it out, you'd
better have a Plan B.

C) Inevitably, cards will occasionally come back to you in less than pristine condition. As with condoms, cards are not best stored in wallets.

Aaaaaaaaand some solutions to these problems:

a) Get the selection procedure out of the way early, really early. In fact, assuming you were performing two pick-a-card tricks, I would suggest having three people take out selections. Have the first person replace their card and proceed to complete the first trick. Have the second person replace their card into the deck, and again, complete the planned trick. It is for the third spectator that you announce the routine's indefinite extension.

If your usual closer is a non-card trick (how dare you?), perform it after the second spectator's card has been revealed in all its glory. Simply say to the third spectator "We'll get back to your card later," and bust into your usual finale. Afterwards, say "Well, we'll get back to your card much later..." and continue with the aforementioned cliffhanger idea.

b) It would be an easy suggestion to have a second deck on hand in order to replenish your main one. However, if you're going to have a second deck, it might as well be a one-way force deck. This way you can keep the rest of the deck intact, and only replace the one force card every time. It keeps things neat, it keeps things tidy, it keeps things predictable.

c) If the card is bent slightly, it would be a simple matter to use it as a crimp to your advantage. If it's more badly messed up, that could be part of the trick, restoring it back to its original pristine condition. Having a plan for this situation is a good idea indeed.

So consider the surface of this idea scratched. Refusing to officially end a performance is quite liberating and I suggest everyone try it out at least once. Granted, it's a lot more reliable to use this if you perform at a regular venue (i.e. restaurant, school, etc.), however don't quickly discount one-off gigs.

I'll leave you with a few more ideas along similar lines (I haven't used them all):

- As if it's a spontaneous idea, just as you're leaving offer to "make it easier for them to carry around" and rip the card into four pieces so it makes a nice bundle. When they bring the pieces back, restore them into a full card, with the creases still in them. Give the card back to them for next time. When they bring it back again, restore the creases, sending the card back to its glory days of crispness.

- Have the spectator select the card face up at the beginning of the set, and leave it on the table until your exit. At this point turn over the selection to see the words "To Be Continued..." on its back. Not only is it a minor magical effect, but it may help to strengthen any future tricks using it as long as you're using dupes which also have the writing on them (and really, why wouldn't they?). The writing could subtly prove that it's the same card, although I readily admit to not knowing what spectators are thinking or if it truly adds to their belief. Either way, it certainly would not do any harm.

- If you own an intercessor, use it. Use it!

- Get a plug in there why don't ya? Instead of letting them keep their selection, have them return it into the deck before you case the cards. This will alleviate the dwindling card scenario mentioned earlier, you will consistently have a complete deck. In this situation however, they have to remember their card for next time instead of keeping the actual article. What? You say they have a hard enough time remembering a card for 30 seconds let alone 30 days or years? You're right, so why not be a chum and offer your business card so they can write it down and not forget it. And since it's the same card every time, when they call you to book a show, you can read their mind over the phone by revealing their "thought of" card. Cha-Ching Aviles!

And remember, these are only a few ideas for using a card selection to keep the party going. Just imagine how much intrigue you can stir up using other items and situations. I guarantee they would be calling you up pretty quickly if you said "To Be Continued..." after a watch steal.

But by far, the single most amazing thing I've learne...

Tyler

Note: I'd like to thank my good friend Donovan Deschner for being there as a
sounding board when I first developed these ideas. If I remember correctly,
he was sounding bored.