That magic moment

[Jonathan Townsend]

This is about the moment when someone figures out something in drama - the penney drops - understanding dawns.

In magic that tends to be avoided when the focus is on the clever performer who sets forth a claim up front or travels on the wings of caprice to go about their magical happenings.

But what if we let them enjoy that moment ... ?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog ... enny-drops

[Jim Maloney]

You mean like how Tommy Wonder ended his Ambitious Card routine?

I think Tamariz/Ascanio have written about this...

[Jonathan Townsend]

I don't have direct access to the wonder videos here at the moment - is this in his books of wonder or his lecture notes? - if so what page?

Probably easier to cite Aristotle on the notion, leading the horse to water before it knows it's thirsty - the audience in this case. :)

[Ted M]

Wonder places a ring box on the table, then begins his Ambitious Card routine. He lets the audience make the connection for themselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrApPgoWZqE

It's written up in Books of Wonder vol 1, p 141.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Thanks for both the link and the citation. Watching, it seems to me that he builds toward what could be that sort of moment - then at about 5:10 takes a turn for the "but now clever me..." when he explicitly states the claim (that specific card could not be in the deck from the start -lucky card in box) and after that, IMHO, there's no realization for the audience beyond verification of the claim (it was there all along).

Not a criticism of TW or his routine, just not convinced that routine makes use of the notion in question.