Merging with drama is a trend of magic innovation

【Discussion of Performing Arts】

Taking the path of theatrical integration will effectively broaden the boundaries of magic performances. As a performing art, magic already has the basic dramatic elements of "actors, scripts, and audiences", and it belongs to the category of drama. With the philosophical thinking of "carrying the Tao with instruments, promoting the Tao with instruments", it is imperative to put old wine into new bottles and carry out a new aesthetic expression of traditional magic.

Magic is a performing art with a heavy historical accumulation, which has been constantly integrated and innovated, forming an artistic style rich in personality and popular with the masses. In the era of diversification of stage arts, the audience's curiosity threshold and aesthetic demand for magic continue to increase, and the creation and market of magic programs have seen an unprecedented prosperity. The thinking about the innovative integration of magic has triggered the creative practice of seeking innovation, change and difference in the magic world.

Dominic, the former president of the International Federation of Magic (FISM), divided magic into two categories: technical and emotional. Nowadays, traditional magic shows such as simple umbrella changing, poker changing, human clone, fire nail box escape, etc., which are presented through personal pure technology and prop mechanisms, can no longer fully satisfy the curiosity of the audience. On the one hand, such programs are easy to stimulate the audience's motivation to reveal magic mechanisms or technologies, and on the other hand, because the invention and innovation of magic technology and props cannot fundamentally satisfy the audience's never-ending curiosity, magic programs are difficult to avoid falling into the whirlpool of devaluation. Therefore, technocracy also needs artistic expression, and if they insist on "technology for technology's sake", even if they practice a set of extraordinary kung fu, they will also mislead the audience to have the illusion of "acrobatics" or "stunts" of magic, and thus lose the original meaning of magic.

A good magic show should focus on social life, have a theme and exchange of ideas, have room for imagination and emotional resonance, and also need to have entertainment value. As a performing art, magic already has the basic dramatic elements of "actors, scripts, and audiences", and it belongs to the category of drama. Looking at the development of magic in the world, it has become a trend to take the road of drama integration. With the philosophical thinking of "carrying the Tao with instruments, promoting the Tao with instruments", it is imperative to put old wine into new bottles and carry out a new aesthetic expression of traditional magic.

Taking the path of theatrical integration will effectively broaden the boundaries of magic performances. In a theatrical context, the same magic effect can be given different themes, or it can present a variety of expressive styles and styles. The 2015 FISM tournament champion Hectert's magic trick "The Greedy" uses paper money instead of traditional poker, and vividly depicts the evolution of the "Greedy" from the fear of greed to the pleasure of sacrifice through poker techniques and body language changes. Another world-famous magician, Voronin's double comedy magic, embodies the idea of "performing rather than showing off": the work uses the form of burlesque to make a metaphorical and interesting critique of human weakness, arousing emotional resonance, and in the use of magic ontology, in order to better highlight the comedy effect, deliberately choose simple, appropriate rather than complex and shocking magic effects.

To use the concept of drama creation to improve the artistry of magic, it is necessary to follow the rules of drama creation.

The creation of a magic show should start with the selection of topics. The theme can give a deeper meaning and connotation to the magic itself, and it is also a bridge connecting the audience and the program. A complete program should be composed of three elements: theme, plot, and magic effect, the theme is the key, the plot serves the theme, and the magic effect follows the progress of the plot.

It is necessary to firmly grasp the principle of "script first" rather than "props (or skills) first" in the order of creation. Props should be subordinated to the needs of the theme and plot, and the script not only guides the logic, rationality and appropriateness of the magic effect, provides innovative thinking and space for the selection or development of props, but also reinterprets traditional or inherent props. If "props go first", it is likely to narrow the creative thinking, including the theme and plot setting, weaken the role of props in supporting the script, and limit the divergent way of thinking and imagination required for prop innovation.

It is necessary to pay attention to the personification of the role. The role is the core of the performance, and the performance is the actor playing the role for the audience to see. The characters in the show must stand, and the shaping of their images needs to be combined with the magician's own characteristics and specialties, so that the performance can have a sense of reality and naturalness.

There should be a complete dramatic structure of beginning and development, climax and transition, fall and ending. With the basic "pyramid" drama structure, the plot unfolds logically and rationally. Even if it is a technical magic, the effect of the technique (prop mechanism) can be artistically presented on the basis of a complete structure.

It is also necessary to correctly understand the extension of the concept of magic. "Incredible" is the basic concept of magic, which means that the principle of the magic effect itself cannot be solved and is magical. From the perspective of audience psychology, the concept of magic can be extended to "there are mountains outside the mountain", "unexpected" and "unexpected", which needs to be supported by the script and presented in the set time, place and plot to be reflected. The extension of the concept of magic greatly expands the range or scope of magic props (or techniques), including the use of effects such as repetition, superposition, and turning, and even the appropriate and comfortable use of magic effects that have been widely revealed, and is interesting and dramatic.

It is gratifying that the majority of magicians in China have made useful practical explorations in dramatization, integration and innovation. For example, the program "Moonlight White Dove" by Ding Yang, a magician of the Nantong Acrobatic Troupe, skillfully uses acrobatic handstand skills to conjure pigeons with toes, which completely exceeds the audience's "expected" prediction, bringing the audience into a quiet and warm, beautiful and poetic moonlight tree, which makes people have infinite reverie and establishes an emotional connection between the picture and the audience. This work won the second place in the FISM competition and the original award.

Magic, three points of skill, seven points of performance, technology is the core, performance is the soul. The diversity of the content and style of magic programs requires the support of theatrical concepts, and the creation of comedy programs is inseparable from the use of theatrical techniques. Taking the road of drama integration is the future of magic innovation and integration. We are looking forward to embarking on the road of drama and the emergence of the mainland's first comedy magic work in the true sense.

Source: Guangming Daily

Statement: The content is transferred from the Internet, the copyright belongs to the original author, if there is any infringement, please contact to delete.