Arquitectura de los procesos

Figure 1

Permanently affix the metal piece into the lid as in Figure 2. The open side of the metal is at the center of the lid. It is important that the back of the metal flange is not against the inside wall of the lid, since that would prevent the lid from being put on the box. This is also the reason that the metal piece was less than 3" along two sides. Leaving this space around the edges of the lid ensures that it fits the body of the box properly.

That’s all the preparation needed. To set up for the routine, set the lid upside down on your table and place three balls in the metal shelf. The other three balls fit next to these in the remaining space in the lid (Figure 3). Slide the body of the box down into the lid, trapping the balls in place. Because you’ve inset the metal from the edges of the lid, you should find that placing the body of the box within it will trap the balls snugly, preventing them from falling into the body of the box when you turn it upright.

Sit at a table when you’re performing. Although you can use the time-honored idea of “lapping” in this rou-tine, John uses a servante, which is a device made of two connected halves, the first of which is a flat, rigid piece of plastic or wood (covered with cloth), the second be-ing a soft fabric with pockets. The rigid flange is placed on the top of the table, beneath your close-up mat or other performing surface, and the pockets hang behind the table, ready to receive whatever objects you secretly drop in them. Many variations are available on the magical market, one of the most impressive being Peter Kane’s, which allows you to set your performing area openly, while secretly (yet automatically) putting the servante in place. Using a servante will allow you to use a particu-larly gratifying ploy later.

Set the box topside up on the table to your extreme right, the metal shelf inside being closest to the audience.

The design on the lid or a marking of your own inven-tion will cue you as to its orientainven-tion. Say, “You know, a lot of people think that magicians make things disappear. Well, I’ve found this is not true. What they actually do is make things invisible. That’s when they’re really there, but you just can’t see them. To demonstrate this, I’d like to show you ‘The Mystery of the Little Orange Jawbreakers.’”

Pick up the box with your right hand and place it in your left. Tilting the top of the box toward your audience, remove the lid, which will allow three of the balls to fall inside the box. The shelf holds the other three balls securely in the lid (Figure 4). Dump the balls from the box onto the table, allowing your audience to

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

see there is nothing else within. Replace the lid onto the box and set it in its former position, turning it end for end as you do to put the metal insert nearest your side now. Move the balls on the table into a line, one on your left, one at center, and the remaining one on your right.

Say, “Here we have three little balls, two hands, and a lot of nerve.

We’ll do them one at a time. Here’s ball number one . . .” Pick up the ball on your right with your right hand as you form a loose fist with your left (Figure 5). Put the ball on top of your left fist and relax your fingers to allow the ball to fall deep inside your hand. Continue, saying, “. . . and here’s ball number two . . .”

Pick up the second ball (the one directly in front of you) with your right hand and place it on top of your left fist, like you did the first. Relax your left fingers again, allowing the ball to fall inside the hand on top of the other ball there. The second ball, however, should not fall far enough to leave your sight.

Saying, “. . . and here’s ball number three,” take the remain-ing ball on the table with your right hand. As you reach across your body, giving your other hand shade, pull your left hand back to the edge of the table (ostensibly to make room for your right arm’s reach). At the same moment you pick up the tabled ball with your right hand, drop your left hand’s lower ball into your servante.

Say, “Have you ever seen this done before? Say no. Very good.

I’ll do it for you, one at a time.” Bring your left hand forward again and place the last ball on top of the fist. Allow the ball to fall inside your hand.

Hold your left hand above your right and openly drop the lower ball within into your right hand. Since this is supposedly the first ball you placed in your hand, set the ball to your right in its original position. Next, drop the remaining ball from your left hand into your right and place it on the table in front of you.

You still apparently hold a ball in your left hand. Say, “Watch. The first ball goes like this.” Squeeze your imaginary ball and make a gesture, as if you tried to drop a ball cleverly yet secretly into your right hand. Using your best acting ability, shift the invisible ball to your left fingertips and display “it” as in Figure 6. Your audi-ence will believe that you’re trying to hide the ball in your other hand.

“You see,” you say, “it’s actually there, but you can’t see it. We’ll place it right there.” Take the invisible ball between your right fingers and thumb, and turn your full palm to the audience to display it. During this, they will see that your right hand is totally empty and react accordingly. Pretend to table the ball to your left.

Say, “Ball number two goes like this . . .” Pick up the ball on your right with your right hand. Form a loose fist with this hand around the ball and squeeze it to the top until you display it in the same way that your left hand held it previously.

Holding your open left hand palm up, bring your right hand over it. You are going

Figure 5

Figure 6

to open your right fingers, apparently allowing the ball to fall through your right hand onto your left below. What really happens, though, is that you trap the ball with your right thumb. Figure 7 shows the positions of the hands and ball as you make the supposed drop. The ball remains securely in thumb-palm position. Notice that your left fingers curl a little and they cover the space between the hands so the audience is unable to see that no ball really fell. Also, breaking the wrists at the moment of the supposed transfer, giving the illusion of weight, will further the effect. Close your left hand imme-diately upon “catching” the ball, holding your hand as if you had an object within.

Keeping your attention focused on your left hand, pull your right hand toward yourself and to your right, pre-paring to snap your fingers. On the way, however, bring the hand near the edge of the table, where you release the ball into the servante. With no pause in the action, raise your right hand, snap your fingers, and make a magical gesture (this very Slydini-like sequence of movements appears in Figures 8, 9, and 10).

Finish your sentence, saying, “. . . just a squeeze and a snap, and the second ball becomes invisible. As you can see, it’s actually there, but you can’t see it there, actually.” Open your left hand and hold the invisible ball at your left fingertips as before, then pretend to set it on the table to your right.

Say, “The third ball goes like this . . .”. Pick up the remain-ing ball from the table. If you’ve been usremain-ing the servante to catch the balls, then you can now use a bit of business to throw the discerning spectators off track. Start to do the next vanish, then suddenly stop, apparently realizing that those in the back may be having difficulty seeing the effect. “What?” you say, “you can’t see? Here, I’ll do it for you.

How about if I get up?” Stand up behind the table. Those who have suspected lapping at this point find themselves

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9 Figure 10

perplexed. (If you’ve actually been lapping all this time, it’s probably best not to stand up right now. Just make the third ball vanish in the same way that you did the previous.)

Now hold the ball on top of your right hand as you did before and use the same technique to cause the ball to become invisible (where you keep the ball in right thumb palm as you pretend to place it in your left). “Now,” you say, “the third ball goes just like this. Just a squeeze and it’s invisible. We’ll place it right here.” Again show the invisible ball at your left fingertips and, taking it with your right hand, place it on the table in front of you. Then as your right hand reposes, bring it to the edge of the table as you move your left hand forward to pick up the invisible ball on your left. As you pretend to pick up this ball, release the ball in your right hand into the servante. Immediately move your right hand forward to pick up the two “remain-ing” balls.

Bring your hands together, apparently touching the balls to each other as you say, “Now, you don’t want to let the balls touch, because if you do that, they disappear altogether.”

If you own a F.I.S.M. Flash (a wonderful device still available from John, built to release a flash of light any time you desire), set it off the moment you apparently touch the balls. The explosion of light will astound your spectators. Gesture with both empty hands and drop your arms to a relaxed, reposed position. Say, “Would you like to see that again?” Pick up the box with your right hand, tilting the top to-ward the audience (which helps the balls inside fall off their shelf into the box).

Set the box in your left hand and remove the cover, showing the three balls within.

Dump them out and replace the lid, setting the box aside, as you say, “Okay, this is the Mystery of the Three Little Orange Jawbreakers . . . .” Wave your hand over the balls and stop suddenly. Say, “Naw, you’ve already seen that trick.” Put all your props away to end.

At the Magic Castle awards with Michael Cole (“The Mod Squad”) and David Roth.

John and wife Linda Cornelius with Michael Cole (circa late 1970’s/early 1980’s).

lthough the effect predates him, Roger Klause started something when he began sharing his thoughts on the “Bill Switch” concept.

Mike Kozlowski also landed a foothold in the history of the effect when he published his handling—and

both approaches have their individual merits. A refined approach appeared in Roger Klause: In Concert under the more accurate title of “The $100.00 Bill Change.” There, Roger (ever the critical artist) revealed that his work on the technique was not yet done. At the same time, he gave several different routines using the prin-ciple, proving just how flexible it really is.

Like many others years ago, John became enamored with the possibilities of the effect and built a highly com-mercial routine around it, which immediately follows this.

It has since become a staple of his professional act and honored by other performers as well.

First, though, you must become familiar with Roger’s handling of the “Bill Change.” Of course, his book is highly recommended, but to learn John’s routine, we offer a brief description of the technique here:

THE $100 BILL CHANGE

To set up the effect, take a bill (oh, let’s say a $100 bill) and hold it between your hands, the face away from you (Figure 1). You are going to make four folds, each toward your audience. Fold the left half of the bill to the right (Figure 2). Next, fold the top half of the bill