Performing for magicians

I frequently hear magicians complain they don't like to perform for other magicians. They're worried that the technical aspects won't be up to snuff, or that "everyone has seen it before." They then rush through the trick, skipping the presentation and just showing the mechanics. There are a couple of things wrong with this attitude.

First, if you're worried about your technique for magicians but not for lay people, you're shortchanging your lay audiences. If you're worried about your technique at all you shouldn't be performing the piece, period. Lay audiences notice more than we know. (Note: this doesn't mean you shouldn't show the piece to people with the express purpose of improving it. This just better be prior to it being a 'performance piece.')

Second, in my experience most magical gatherings are composed mostly of magic fans, not really magicians. They are there to see good magic.

Third, by rushing through or eliminating the presentation, you are eliminating the one piece of the construct they're guaranteed never to have seen before: your unique point of view.

When I think back to the magical performances I've really enjoyed, they've all been the ones that were fully fleshed out, from Jeff McBride's mask routine to Bill Malone's "Sam the Bellhop" to local performer John Jolley's cut and restored rope routine.

When you perform for magicians, treat them like a lay audience and give them the best show you possibly can.