How many times have you seen
close up shows at magic functions where performers
leave behind a pile of salt, a wet table cloth,
a table covered with cut up playing cards, or
any other similar mess? Should the succeeding
performer work with spectators seated at the
table these spectators are often forced to avoid
wet spots and trash on the table, not to mention
the problem the debris creates in performing
the act.
Recently the magic journals
have devoted a great deal of space to the subject
of "Ethics in Magic." Most of this discussion
has dealt with the lifting of performing material
or the unauthorized marketing of commercial
effects belonging to another. I'm now going
to relate a different form of ethics in magic
that I have not seen in print, and that is the
respect, or lack of it, that one performer extends
to another. Much of what I have to say relates
to magic functions; however, it also exists
to some degree in the real world of performing
arts.
To set the scene I'll tell
of a personal incident from the real world.
Years ago I worked with Jerry Jordan, an old
time comic in a sleazy bar down in Florida.
Though the venue was little more than an upholstered
sewer Jerry Jordon was a professional in every
regard. He had done it all and there was little
he didn't know about the performing arts, including
the respect one entertainer must show for another
when appearing together on the same program.
I was probably about 21 years old and thought
I knew it all. How wrong I was, for Jerry Jordan
leveled me to the ground our first night together,
and rightly so. It went like this.
I was Jerry's opening act.
Back then my act consisted of such things as
Rice Bowls, Hat Coil spinning, Torn Paper, Card
Cascade, and Cut Rope among others. At the end
of the act the stage was quite a mess being
covered with spilled rice, bits of torn paper,
playing cards, and sections of cotton rope.
To me this was not a problem. What the Hell,
no one threw rotten tomatoes. It was a good
act and I was rather proud. That is, it was
a good act until Jerry Jordon came on to follow
me. He absolutely refused to appear with the
performing area in such a disgusting state of
appearance. Keep in mind this was a seedy bar
and there was no such thing as a stage manager
or stage hands to clean up the rubbish. As seedy
as it was Jerry Jordon had professional pride
and would not perform with a background of rubbish
from the previous act. There were three choices.
Either I would do it, Jerry would do it, or
the program for the evening was over. Now he
was a seasoned pro with enough material to absolutely
crucify me. He could have ridiculed me right
into the ground and gotten a laugh with every
breath, but he didn't. He simply picked up a
large push broom and silently swept the trash
to one side. No comments were made, no laughs
were had, and my lesson was learned. He didn't
have to make jokes or say anything. I silently
got the message, and so did everyone in the
audience. Since that day more than 35 years
ago I have never left the stage or performing
area in a mess for another performer.
These things extend beyond
the performing area. Quite often performers
are expected to share the same dressing room
and the area where one prepares for his act.
Frequently the house (client) Will provide meals
to the performers and it is not uncommon for
these meals to be eaten in areas other than
the dining room. The common thing is to simply
take the meal to the backstage or dressing room
area. All performers have done this and it is
simply accepted as part of the business. The
problem arises when the dirty dishes remain.
All too often the one enjoying the meal fails
to return the dishes to the kitchen. Hence,
other performers are forced to live over the
top of this mess in the course of the evening,
and quite frequently on into the next evening.
I once worked a club where
the act ahead of me, a comic who also did one
trick, The Bill in Lemon, prepared his lemons
in advance on the one table we had in the dressing
area. This advance preparation left behind quite
a lake of lemon juice on the table, which didn't
bother the comic at all. However, have you ever
tried to set a magic act using a work bench
covered with sticky lemon juice?
Years ago I was the house compeer
(emcee) for a NATO Officers Club in Europe.
We had cabaret entertainment nightly with the
acts changing each week. In the course of a
couple years I had the opportunity to work with
hundreds of different acts and several house
bands. For the most part these were all full
time professional entertainers. Acts such as
these, know the value and the need to respect
the rights of fellow entertainers.
Sadly, much of poor behavior
I've mentioned relates to magicians.
