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11:lIliii"li1'IL~.tl:llilti~.i~
by
Building the Commercial Seance

by
Lee Earle
 I
..

Dedicated to the memory of

Jack W. Sutherland

Thirty years a friend; forever an influence.

.,

II>

...
II"

!Ii

'4\'

Lee Earle

.
 Making Manifestations

...
Copyright @ 1989, 1991 Binary Star Publications

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be ..

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any fonn or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior
pennission of Binary Star Publications
Printed and Bound in the United States of America
Typesetting by Macintosh and Qume
Layout by Design Studio

r- ...
---- -T"

Table of Contents
FOREWORD 7

.. MANIFESTATIONS...TIlEULTIMATESEANCE 9

. THE BEGINNING 12

SEATING AND TIlE CmCLE 14

MNEMONICS IN ACTION 15

THE MAJOR CmCLE 17

THE MINOR CIRCLE 18

CONFEDERATES AT TIlE TABLE 19

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 19

GO WITII THE FLOW 21

THE HOST /BUTLER 22

THE PIECES - CRITERIA FOR REJECTION 23

'"' THAT'S TIlE SPmIT - HOUDINI! 24

KEEP IT CLEAN (TIlE ROOM) 25

PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION 27

TEN REASONS 31

THE MUSING BOX 32

 Making Manifestations

FOREWORD

I am often asked, "If your seance was such a successful event,

why did you close the show?"

That question deserves an answer in detail.

1) In May of 1989, the seance had been running almost two

years, and I was getting a little tired of the grind. I had
squeezed all of the experience and personal growth possible
out of the show.

2) Phoenix is a winter resort city; much of our business came

from referrals by hotel activities directors and concierges.
We learned during our first two summers that we could, at
best, only break even without that resort income. To "make
the nut" required an infusion of capital for advertising.
Faced with our third Phoenix summer season, a decision was
necessary.

3) If we closed the show for the summer, it would take

extensive rehearsal to get it back "on the boards" for the fall,
IF we hadn't obligated ourselves to other enterprises. A
drop in the quality of the show was inevitable.

4) Candidly, my percentage of a three-partner split after the

Butler's salary, advertising, repairs, printing, etc., was less
than I could make doing my standard after dinner and party
mentalism.

Faced with the above considerations, only one decision could

be made. It was made with no regrets. Well, one.

It was a helluva show!

7
 Making Manifestations

MANIFEST ATIONS...THE ULTIMATE SEANCE

Let me describe the evening which each group of 12

guests experienced.
Our guests' first glimpse of the encounter to come was
of a wrought-iron gate set into an ivy-covered brick wall.
They leave their cars in our newly-paved, well-lighted
parking lot. Once through the gate they are, literally, led
down the garden path, their way eventually blocked by a
large door. Mounted upon the door is a brass knocker in the
shape of a gnarled hand.
A tuxedoed butler attends the knock and greets the
guests, taking their wraps, and escorting them to their places
at the seance table. The table is a specially constructed (no
gaffs, just difficult to find in real furniture) 6 1/2 foot
diameter table set in the center of a smallish room.
The room is decorated in the Victorian style with
blood-red walls, ivory curtains and ceiling, dark oak
hardwood floor and appointments, and an abundance of
brass and crystal and lace. Centered above the table is an
electric chandelier, hung all over with crystal ornaments.
After all the guests have been welcomed and
comfortably seated, the butler pours a glass of white wine (or
sparkling cider, if requested) for each guest and delivers a
little background information concerning the expected
events of the evening. Acting upon the Medium's
instructions, he requests each guest to deposit a personal
item in a small basket fetched from a shelf of knick-knacks.
Following the butler's reading of an interesting
background document, a pounding at the door announces
the Medium's arrival. He is framed in the backlit doorway
as in a scene from "The Exorcist." He enters and greets those
seated at the table, delivers a light disclaimer, and then
proceeds with the seance.

. --
 Making Manifestations

The first event is the Light Seance; light in both

illumination and content, providing an opportunity for the
guests to adjust to the mood. Opening with a toast to the
"spirit of the greatest name in magic ever to grace the
American stage...", this segment includes such effects as .
Anneman's Pseudo-Psychometry, Burger's Voodoo, a classic
Living & Dead (disclosure via pendulum), and a vivid
psychological autopsy of the character of Harry Houdini. At
the conclusion of this segment the guests have been treated
to a series of credulity-stretching exercises so that what
follows is now, seemingly, within reason.
The Dark Seance is the classic
hands-clasped-in-a-circle, total-darkness encounter which
the guests have been expecting all along. They are warned
of esoteric dangers, intrigued with the placement of
mysterious items about the table, and given the rules of
conduct. They are then plunged into blackness; hearts
pounding, pulses racing, and senses on alert from the
fight-or-flight reaction generated by a surprising occurrence
during the Medium's initial incantations.
Having jump-started their imaginations in this
disorienting total darkness, we begin a full, frontal assault.
Tambourines and bells fly about the sealed room. The
Medium's voice changes in power and timbre, speaking now
the words of the tormented spirit of Houdini. The unvoiced
questions of the guests within the circle are answered; often
with humor, always with candor. '''I''
Various visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile
sensations are stimulated. Each guest ~
sees / hears / smells / feels something different. Some claim to
see detailed visions. Some see nothing. (Can you believe it?
They spring for twenty-five bucks a seat and then CLOSE
THEIR EYES!)

10
 Making Manifestations

The finale of the Dark seance is a Hollywood-style

climax with invading demons wrestling the Medium for
control of the Circle. Flashes of light snap, attracting
attention around the room; objects are in motion and
ff(
self-destruction in all directions. The walls creak and groan.
The table dances under thirteen pairs of sweating palms. A
window flings itself open, glass crashing, light streaming in
over the collapsed body of the Medium. In a quieting
denouement, additional surprises from the spirit world are
discovered and the seeds of wonder are sown within the
minds of all present.
The Medium thanks the guests for their attendance
and bids them "pleasant dreams", Then he makes an abrupt
exit, leaving the butler to extend the final courtesies to the
puzzled guests.
Total running time: about two hours.

""

11
 Making Manifestations

THE BEGINNING

It all began in March of 1987. Eugene Burger had just

visited our fair city for a lecture and book promotion,
therefore spirit effects were the topic of conversation. .
Jack Sutherland, owner of Sun Magic (of Phoenix,
Arizona) suggested that he would like to present a seance in .
the unused room at the rear of his new shop.
I responded that he need look no further for someone
to take on the task. After all, I had presented casual and
impromptu seances several times in the past 20 years and
felt (I thought then) fully qualified to put together a
permanent seance room. Thus the adventure began.
We had several ideas in mind about what we wanted
to do and, more importantly, what we wanted to avoid.
We wanted an elegant evening which people would
rem~mber for a long time, avoiding the "magic show in the
dark" type of seance so often presented by magicians.
We wanted a show which would appeal to a broad
spectrum of potential clients, powerful enough to challenge
the skepticism of the most hardened but gentle enough
avoid criticism by the most conservative churchgoers.
We envisioned a show which would begin modestly
then slowly change in temper and tone until we managed to
wall out every last scrap of disbelief, rattling the reserve of
the most determined skeptic. Technical excellence was
determined to be a MUST. Moreover, the room had to be ..
clean before and after the presentation.
Our goal was to create an entire evening of ..
entertainment beginning with the arrival of the guests and
climaxing with a strong finale at the seance table.
To our advantage was the fact that the seance room
(formerly the master bedroom of the converted home) had
its own entrance at the rear of the building. It would not be

12
 Making Manifestations

necessary to walk guests through the bowels of the magic

shop to access the seance. In addition, our address was
smack in the middle of the prestigious Phoenix "yuppie
corridor", a 3 mile strip of boutiques, nightclubs, and stereo
., stores.
Jack and I soon discovered that the investment
necessary to carry off the Victorian decor we wanted was
heavier than either of us was willing to underwrite, so an
"angel" was secured to produce the seance. Our producer
was Craig Nichols, a young man who had not only more
money than good sense, but also a need to generate a
business loss to offset his earnings for tax purposes. As the
production developed, he became the perfect foil for my
outrageous ideas, whims, and desires, injecting reason
where none existed; counseling moderation when I cried for
excess; becoming the Watson to my Holmes. (To his eternal
surprise, the business went "black" and he'll have to find his
tax losses elsewhere.)
The idea of a Victorian setting kind of grew with us. I
can't honestly tell you where the idea came from; I can tell
you that, in the early stages, substantial input was gathered
from a lot of folks. We have this agreement among us that
says basically, "No idea is too outrageous to be thoughtfully
considered." An open, uncritical atmosphere must be
maintained as a fertile field upon which ideas might be
sown.
..,. Perhaps it was the need for a theatrical decor, perhaps
an intrigue with the era, perhaps because it was during that
time that seances became drawing room entertainment, but
for whatever reason we chose Victorian decor. Having
decided in favor of that turn-of-the-century motif we turned
to the actual details. We installed a hardwood floor; we
painted the walls a rich, deep red; we hung ivory drapes, a
crystal chandelier, and lots of framed prints on the walls.

13
 Making Manifestations

An opening day of April 15th was:set. The spirit of

Murphy and the Ides of April were to be reckoned with,
however - we opened June 3rd!

SEATING AND THE CIRCLE

We seat twelve people for our seance and number

their seats by the clock; the person at the Medium's left is
one o'clock, the one at his right is twelve o'clock. We have
seven "safe" chairs, those where one needn't depend upon a
skeptic's sense of fair play to prevent his grabbing or
snagging any of our darkroom apparitions.
Of the five remaining seats, twelve and one o'clock
are critical. The occupants of those chairs are the most
important spectators at the table: When everyone is looking
at the Medium during the experiments, they also see the
reactions of those at his sides.
If these two are reactive, engaged, involved, then the
rest of the table will follow suit. Conversely, if they are
distant, withdrawn, skeptical, then their mood will infect the
others.
Every now and then, I find one of these disbelieving
types seated next to me. It doesn't happen often, because
one of the butler's prime duties is to spot potential trouble
and steer it to harmless seats. But if a hard-nosed skeptic (or
potential troublemaker - count most magicians, sadly,
among this category) is unavoidably at either side, I wait
until after the psychometric readings and then shift the
positions of several sitters so the "circle might be better
balanced", relocating the duds across the table.
In other words, it is my show and I am the one who is
in control. Who can deny the mysterious expert in the
supernatural who has been commissioned to produce the
strange proceedings? They move when I ask.

14
 Making Manifestations

Extra benefit: Splitting up couples or pairs adds to

their sense of insecurity in the dark, later.
Sometimes I will use a skeptic at my elbow to good
effect. After all, if I can blow a declared skeptic's mind (and
get a dynamite facial reaction in the process...) then the rest
of the evening is guaranteed to be super smooth. Much the
same effect as doing a sucker trick early in a kid show.
Make believers out of the doubtful (or at least shake their
skepticism) and your bona fides are more easily established.
The other three seats I noted are critical because many
of the darkroom apparitions take place (or transit) over these
seats. We don't want these chairs filled by folks who sit too
tall in the saddle!

MNEMONICS IN ACTION

Mnemonics, the technique used to easily memorize

data for precise recall, plays a very important role in the
seance. Each of our guests is "clipboarded"; requested to ask
a question of the spirit to be contacted. The butler explains
that each guest should sign the slip of paper, keep it safe
upon his person, and tender it to the Medium when
requested. Of course we never get around to collecting the
written slips, which makes the mystery even deeper. In a
sense, those folded slips of paper, discovered still in pockets
(or tucked within brassieres - yes, it has happened) when the
guests are at home, become little "mind bombs". The
questions were answered by the spirit, but the Medium
didn't collect the papers. Hmmm.
We use the Micro-Thin Message Boards (conveniently
manufactured by Yours Truly) in "Manifestations". There
are enough boards ready to have one for each guest plus a
couple of spares. .Each is loaded with a slip of paper and
plenty of fine tip ball point pens are at hand. In reality, we

15
 Making, Manifestations

could use only 3 boards to' service all 12 guests (and without
resorting to the perforate~ paper dodge, I might add) but
why complicate matters?
When the butler ha§ collected a few of the boards, he
leaves the room to refill the wine decanter and takes the
boards with him. (LESSO:rN:DON'T LEAVE FOLKS ALONE
TOO LONG - ESPECI1ALLY IF THERE ARE ANY
MAGICIANS PRESENT!) The butler returns to the seance
room with fresh wine aI1d the Medium is opening fresh
questions, taking advant;jtge of his time alone with the
material to mnemonicize it. After a few shows, the questions
asked began to fall into ceIftain categories and I proceeded to
formulate stock answers for most of them. Often the
questions demanded improyisation of a new, suitable
answer. Since our spirit is Houdini, and since our butler
advises the participants tD address their questions in the
spirit's direction, most of tl1e questions we get are related to
the how and why of escapes, contact with Bess, descriptions
of the "summerland", anp "Did you enjoy Tony Curtis's
portrayal of your life?" (R~ally!)
Each question is mttemonicized as it is read from the
clipboard, associating the question with the person's name.
Later, after I have made IPY entrance and have introduced
myself to each of the guests, I learn which face goes with
each question. The nature of the questions often betrays the
attitude of the guest. Confrontational, "trick" questions will
put those guests on my lookout list. If the "circle needs to be
balanced" then those persans are moved to the "safe" seats.
If, on the other hand, the question implies acceptance, belief,
or gullibility the Mediumls readings and answers from the
spirit (not to mention that person's position at the table) can
be adjusted accordingly.
So I enter the seance room armed with a great deal of
information - the questions each of the guests asked of the

,.. 16
 Making Manifestations

spirit, whatever inside information we have, and a clue to

the attitude of each guest.
Mnemonics plays another part as well. Before the
Medium's entrance, the butler informs the guests that the
Medium has requested each person to deposit a personal
item (jewelry, keys, etc.) in a basket on the table. These
items are to be used as the basis for readings per Anneman's
Pseudo-psychometry. The butler notes who deposits each
item and memorizes (via mnemonics) the clock position at
the table to which the item must be returned. (WARNING:
NEVER "BALANCE THE CIRCLE" BEFORE DOING THE
READINGS, IT CAN CONFUSE EVERYONE.)
Using a clever signaling system built into the room,
the butler informs the Medium of the ownership of each
item. The Medium then delivers a stock reading, tempering
that delivery with the knowledge gained from the written
questions and from any other inside information we might
have garnered about the guest. At the conclusion of each
reading, the item is returned to the proper person. No
envelopes, no clues, no kidding!

THE MAJOR CIRCLE

One of my major considerations in setting up the

circumstances of the seance was the potential modus
operandi of the various pieces. After all, we wouldn't want
to trust only the good nature of those "across the veil" for our
program, thus most of our scenarios depended upon other
than spiritual intervention.
In the true old-time seances, the Medium (and
perhaps an assistant - read: stooge) would free himself to
cause havoc around the table. Not wanting to slow things
up with a rope tie or Medium's cabinet (after this is
ENTERTAINMENT), and preferring to avoid depending
upon confederates at the table, I decided to use a variation of
17
 Making Manifestations

the old seance grip. I wanted a better rationale for the

hand-to-wrist sequence than just "that's the way we do it",
So I invented the Minor Circle.

THE MINOR CIRCLE

,
"You see, the hand-to-hand, flesh-to-flesh contact we
often see depicted in films is the Major Circle, wherein the
J
energy of all within the circle is channeled in order to control
a spirit. Our purpose here this evening, rather, is
communication. Thus we will employ the Minor Circle.
Please reach out with your left hand (the psychic hand) and
place it upon the circle of chain which has been laid out
upon the table. Now to complete the circle (and to account
for all hands), place your right hand lightly upon the wrist of
the person to your right."
A little imagination will show that, in effect, the
Medium is now in position for the seance grip. When he
reaches over his right shoulder to kill the lights he removes
his hand from the wrist of the person to his right. In the
dark his LEFT fingers come to rest lightly upon the wrist of
the person to the right. In that person's mind, the Medium
removed his hand to extinguish the illumination and then
returned it to reform the Minor Circle. In reality, the right
hand is now free to perform its ghostly duty.
An added bonus when using this dodge is the chain
itself. At "Manifestations" we lay the chain out on the table
in a five pointed star. It is a pretty design, some give it
mystic connotations, and it adds to the mystique of the table. t

18
 Making Manifestations

CONFEDERA TES-AT THE TABLE

More often than you might imagine, a. well

intentioned magician/guest would try to "help" with the
effects. Most often this occurred during the psychometry
\ phase of the "light seance". I would find flash paper, spirit
J keys, and other magical paraphernalia deposited in our
basket.
The Medium's dilemma is this: Should he take
advantage of this boon or ignore it? My policy has been to
ignore it. If I were to use the device, then someone else
could claim credit and be in a position for polite blackmail.
Worse, if one of the lay guests happened to notice the bent
key before I did, then the cry of "foul" might ruin the mood.
We hadn't anticipated any "help" and thus were
unprepared when it occurred. It turns out that one evening,
on instinct, I made the right decision. UnknoV\1J1to me,
when the butler collected the personal items one evening, a
bent key was placed in the basket by a friend who was in
attendance. The butler had made a habit of commenting on
each item deposited in the basket in order to help "burn" the
item into his mnemonic key table. Had I attempted to make
anything of this machina ex Deus, the willing suspension of
disbelief would have suffered.

occuP ATIONAL HAZARDS

, Yes, even running a weekly seance has them.

J During the "blow-off" (finale) of "Manifestations" the
table begins to jump and cavort about in the dark. The
modus operandi behind such activity is the raised left knee
of the Medium under one of the table's supporting beams.
Simple but non-technical (read: more dependable).
On those evenings when we had multiple
presentations, during the Halloween madness in the last two
19
 Making Manifestations

weeks of October, I noticed a slight stiffness in my left leg.

Upon examination of that area I noticed a tremendous
bruised area about 3 inches across! It seems that the human
knee has precious little padding on top, and the constant
thumping under the table (with the weight of 13 sets of
hands & arms & et cetera upon it) caused the contusions.
Shortly after one show, I felt a little trickle of moisture ,.
on my lower leg and discovered not only a torn trouser leg
(my best suit, too!) but a 1 1/2" open cut. A corner of a piece
of the bracing hardware had become uncovered and
managed to rip not only trousers but flesh as well. I still
bear the proverbial "scar on the left knee!"
Another possibility to be aware of is that you'll be
tak~n too seriously. We had a young girl, 15 or 16 years old,
who attended with friends who did not bother to explain
that "Manifestations" was a show. Add to this set of
circumstances the fact that she was the product of a rather
fundamentalist religious upbringing and the scene is set.
When the lights carne on after the dark portion of the
seance, this guest was speechless in her seat, pale, and
whimpering as she continued to impress her fingerprints
into the edge of the table. She was certain she had seen
Satan's hordes. It took over an hour's worth of gentle efforts
and several cups of coffee to talk the young lady back to
earth and to convince her that all she had seen was a
splendid performance. Some folks take this stuff seriously!
One group of 12 was a charter of the room for an t
evening. All present were employees and associates of a
prominent evangelical illusionist. The fellow at my right '.
would, at regular intervals during the performance, quietly
lower his head, close his eyes, and move his lips in what I
can only assume was silent prayer. Whether he was praying
for my soul, his, or the success of the show I can only guess!
The puckish imp within me is delighted at the
response, however!
20
 Making Manifestations

GO WITH THE FLOW

When the all Christian group was attending

"Manifestations" I sensed, during the opening remarks and
initial effects, that the mysterious, semi-obsessed character of
the Medium simply wasn't playing.
.,. What would you do in this circumstance? Put even
more effort into projecting the character as planned? Or
resign to fate and lighten up the proceedings a little?
Remember that an intimate presentation such as this
requires that ALL of the guests be "on the same page" so to
speak. If one or two of the guests are inattentive or
distracted then it is likely that the performance as a whole
will suffer. Secondly, all those attending deserve the
entertaining evening for which they have paid, even if they
are making it difficult for you.
By maintaining the pretense that I believed in spirits,
demons, apparitions and the like, I was serving a dish which
that particular group simply couldn't digest. I decided to
ease up just a bit on the histrionics and began to shift the
presentation toward "tongue-in-cheek."
The opposite situation has occurred even more
often...a table full of believers in psychic phenomena who
make the Medium's life easy. In this situation, my personal
ethics demand that I introduce an attitude of (pseudo)
scientific examination into the proceedings, encouraging
t those present to examine their blind acceptance; to question
their assumptions. This has the added benefit of making the
't Medium appear to go the extra mile, seeming overly fair and
trustworthy. (Hee, hee.)
The message here is to learn to recognize when
"serious" won't play and when "enough is enough" when
among the naive or innocent.

21
 Makin~ Manifestations

THE BUTLER

From the start we planned to make "Manifestations" a

two-man show; one is the Medium at the table and the other
is the operator of the backstage machinations. It became
clear that the distant and mysterious character of the
Medium was not consistent with the personality necessary
of a good and effective host. Thus the character of the butler
.
was created, forcing the second person (Craig) to wear two
hats.
Later it became obvious that, while Craig wore his
financial chapeau quite well, the butler's hat just didn't fit.
As it turned out, the solution to our personnel dilemma was
right under our noses...Barry Schor, an employee of Sun
Magic, was not only available and interested, but also had
extensive experience in the food & beverage industry.
Serendipity strikes again. Barry became our butler and, for
the first six months, was the only person to get a regular
paycheck.
One way we take advantage of the butler is simple -
servants and people in uniform are basically "invisible";
their presence is almost never remarked upon. Thus the
butler makes a perfect spy, gleaning tidbits of information
while pouring wine, filing away comments the guests make
as the seance groundwork is laid. This data is delivered to
the Medium whenever possible, enabling some dynamite
revelations during psychometry or the Dark Seance.
When the Medium takes over, the butler retires to his
"backstage" position, ever ready to fetch more wine or to "
direct guests to the restroom should the occasion arise. He is
the "safety man" for the performance, keeping an eye on
things, guarding the telephone, alert for cues from the
Medium that improvisation is necessary.
Of course, the butler has at least one other duty - that

22
 Makin~ Manifestations

of manipulating many of the manifestations orchestrated

into the programme.
"Pay no attention to the man behind that curtain!"

THE PIECES - CRITERIA FOR REJECTION

Remember when I said that one of the things we

wanted to avoid was a "mental magic show in the dark"
presentation? Of course that pl~ces severe limits on the
choice of effects and methods. Add the additional
constraints of Victorian decor and the Medium's character
(bizarre rituals, blood, flashes, and smoke were ruled out
early!) you find precious few items left around which to
build a performance.
At the start, only two pieces were guaranteed
inclusion in our program: Anneman's Pseudo Psychometry
(ala William Larson), and some sort of revelation via Ouija
board. Eugene Burger's "Voodoo" variation of the ashes
business was soon found to be too good to exclude.
We knew that the length of the show was important.
Too short and the performance would be unable to compete
for the entertainment dollar. Too long and it would
overwhelm (and potentially, bore) those present. A
compromise total time of two hours was reached, with 15
minutes of that in the room with the butler before the
Medium's arrival. Only an hour and 45 minutes to fill.
We analyzed that the dark, blackout portion of the
seance would be the draw, but under the old adage of
\' "always leave your audience wanting more", decided to save
the spooky part for the climax and limit it to no more than 20
minutes. Answering 12 questions and manifesting various
visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile occurrences would
more than fill that time. Our timetable allowed a generous
hour and 25 minutes for the "light" seance.

23
 Making Manifestations

Let's see, 12 to 15 minutes for psychometry,S minutes

for "Voodoo", and 10 minutes for the Ouija to speak left just
under an hour to script.
Early trials showed us that the Ouija was just too
darned slow to hold a group which paid for
entertainment...other ideas needed to bloom.
Dr. Juris (a local performer and one of my mentors)
made a few suggestions and from them blossomed my
presentation of the Music Box, all wrapped up in the
maudlin fabric of a pathos-filled story revealing a dark part
of the Medium's past. An early bit with "Mental Heat" and a
newly-devised living and dead test developed into tasty
treats and were duly inserted into the menu.
We assume the spectators possess all different
convictions and beliefs, thus we must first get their attention
so we can later shift the focus as desired. So we open with
the "Mental Heat", go into psychometry, living & dead,
"Voodoo", and end the light seance with the music box. Still
over 25 minutes were awaiting material.

THAT'S THE SPIRIT - HOUDINI!

Ohmygosh! How to fill those gaping voids between

effects? Telling ghost stories?
As a matter of fact, that's just what we eventually did!
The ghost in this case is the spirit of Houdini. And we
perform what amounts to a psychological autopsy on the
character of Harry Houdini, weaving the fabric of the story
to fit snugly around those pieces we chose to use. Some
antique handcuffs and unpublished promotional photos of
H.H. himself added more hooks upon which to hang
elements of the story. We tell of the "metamorphosis" of
young skeptic into international superstar; of the struggle to
attain the summit; of the determination to remain at the

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 Making Manifestations

pinnacle; of new technology's slow erosion of that mountain

known as Vaudeville. As the table is plunged into the
darkness, each within the circle has a new understanding of
the character of the man known as Houdini.
The Houdini angle has other benefits to offer: First,
the name Houdini is instantly recognizable; it gets us some
friendly press. Second, a great deal is "known" about his
feats, attitudes, & accomplishments, so we have a lot of great
"hooks" for presentations and exposition. Third, by limiting
questions to those addressed to Houdini, we avoid the
potential embarrassment (not to mention liability!) due to
putting a guest in contact with dear Great Aunt Sarah.
Besides, the crusty old vaudevillian can provide very
interesting conversation in the dark. Occasionally he lapses
into yiddish idiom (thank goodness for Craig and Barry -
both of whom have Jewish mothers - for those little insights
into character which this goy could never otherwise
achieve); other times he waxes reminiscent over "the good
old days." And woe unto the guest who asks the modus
operandi of a favorite trick!

KEEP IT CLEAN (THE ROOM)

Because of our backgrounds as magicians, we were

often overly concerned about tipping the gaff. More
accurately, we wanted to make sure the room was "jealous
magician proof." Perhaps we were running when we
weren't being chaste, but it was one of our early priorities.
" Later that requirement became a matter of pride. The room
is clean from top to bottom when the seance is concluded.
Thump the walls, lift the tablecloth, or inspect the hat rack-
there is nothing to find. Our obsession with keeping the
room clean would sometimes come into conflict with our
parallel desire to keep the operation low-tech. Clean always
won.
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 Making Manifestations

That's not to say we abandoned threads in favor of

reels. When threads would serve, then threads we used But
you'd not find the spool in the room or on the Medium's
person.
So part of the joy of creation was the constant effort to
get the various paraphernalia and accoutrements in and out
of the seance room, during pitch blackness. Small noises
were no problem; after all, Houdini is constantly speaking to
the Circle - larger noises could be masked with a cavorting
tambourine. Simple? Try floating a brass bell, improvising
an entertaining answer to a guest's question, and lifting a
heavy table with a sore knee - simultaneously! Now reach
out for the transfer of another secret gaffus. CarefuL.don't
let the bell ring. Now do it in the dark when you mustn't
risk bashing a paying customer in the snoot.
'Tain't as easy as it sounds. As a matter of fact, being
the Medium for a 2-hour seance pushed me to the limit of
my technical knowledge, acting skills, and performing
expertise. Nice work if you can get it! I am, by training and
experience, a comedy performer. Upon undertaking the task
of creating the character of the Medium, many who
know me well warned of the danger of lapsing into
pun-ishment or going for the easy laugh and spoiling the
mysterious mood we wanted to establish.
As a result, my early efforts produced a cold,
humorless, lecturer devoid of emotion and supercilious to a
fault. As I wore the character every week a line would
develop here, a wry crumb of humor would appear
there...until I realized that the Medium and I were merging.
He was taking on facets of my personality and I, if not
careful, would absorb some of his.
. Taking a lead from Burger's "Spirit Theater", I began
to allow more dry humor to emerge. Now, I even go to the
trouble to set up some bits for the small enjoyment they

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provide at the proper time. After all, we cannot expect the

audience to maintain a constant state of intense interest. To
build those dramatic peaks and valleys, to relieve those
pent-up tensions a little relief is prescribed. Here's an
important note: I always make the effort to point the humor
at myself or at the process - never at a guest.
The Medium is played as if he were an outside
expert/consultant commissioned to preside at the ceremony.
His arrival is eagerly anticipated; his uncharacteristic
departure at the finish is unsettling. The butler is unable to
reveal any details, should the guests request. The Medium is
a "strange cat."

PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION

"Manifestations" was lucky to have succeeded at all.

The serendipitous combination of Craig's media contacts
and my promotional experience unlocked a few doors for us,
but on the whole only tenacity and single minded
perseverance could open those doors wide enough for useful
access.
We harbored no illusions about the public clamoring
to get in once we opened. It was a given that the vast
majority of potential attendees might, if setting priorities,
put visiting a seance room just after root canal work. We
were left with the hard, cold facts of selling a show to the
public at large.
One of the ugly realities one must face when putting a
project like this together is public apathy. Realistically, the
majority of the vast ticket-buying public doesn't give a hoot
in hell about attending a seance, and the remaining minority
of that potential audience is broke! I hope you weren't
counting on the magic/mental community to keep your
operation afloat...were you?

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 Making Manifestations

Here is a stunner - you must decide early on whether

you intend to make your seance an ego-building adventure
or operate it as a business venture. If you can afford to
sponsor a seance with no guarantee of success beyond
family and friend support, please call me yesterday - I have
a heck of a proposition for you.
But if you intend to keep your seance on a
pay-as-you-go basis, assuming you get it jump-started to
begin with, then you must consider how to "package" your
product in order to successfully market it. In order to keep
even a small show like "Manifestations" running (12 seats X
2 shows X 50 weeks a year = 1200 pairs of shoes parked
under the circular table), you need to sell tickets. And to
peddle tickets, you must have something to offer.
In order to break the vicious cycle of zero inertia, an
infusion of cash is required. Here is the "price of the book":
Figure your start-up costs and multiply by five. It's a simple
piece of advice but one for which we paid dearly. If you are
serious about producing a successful seance you cannot
afford to underestimate your expenses. It would have
broken our hearts to abort our "baby" because we couldn't
afford to nurture it any longer.
I'll tell you how serious I am about "Manifestations" -
In our first 9 months, I drew exactly $100.00 from the books.
Every other penny of income was diverted to repaying
Craig's investment, paying operating costs, supplies,
advertising, printing, etc. We were open over 6 months
before we went "in the black." On more than a few of those
performance nights I had to refuse far more lucrative
engagements in order satisfy the commitment I had made to
the seance.

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 Making Manifestations

Where is the "target market" for such an

entertainment?

1. Resort hotels (lots of 'em around Phoenix)

and their guests

2. Theater-goers

3. The metaphysical community (we thought

of channelling Elvis, much greater
potential there, but couldn't do it with a
straight face!)

4. Company parties and client entertainment

5. The curious

Here's another economic reality: We were limited by

having only 12 seats to sell. The marketplace pretty well sets
the maximum price of any commodity, and tickets to
Manifestations were no exception. We compromised upon
$25.00 per as our tariff. Considering our maximum gross as
$300.00 per show (of course seats never go unsold, do they?)
then how cost effective is advertising?
. Our operating expenses run about 25% of the gross,
or about $75.00 per show. That buys the wine, pays the
butler, cleans the tablecloth, replaces the candle, purchases
the incense, and places a little aside for petty cash. Before
our startup investment was amortized the entire balance of
the gross went toward retiring that debt. Even now, a
significant percentage of our cash flow is diverted toward
capital investment. Have you any idea how expensive 13
antique chairs might be? I do.
But for example's sake, let's assume that the

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remaining $225.00 for the show (12 seats x $25.00 per, less
overhead) is free & clear. How much of that could we afford
to invest (waste?) on advertising? I have no idea what
advertising rates in your city are, but to get a 3 line listing on
the back page of the local trendy preppie news journal in my
town cost us over one hundred bucks per week.

HOUDINI - What's a nice ghoul like you doing

in a place like Manifestations? Ask him
yourself. Call 234-3887for reservations.
MANIFESTATlONS...the Ultimate Seance.
Experience an evening of spirit theatre.
Reservations required, 234-3887.

Little tickler ads like the above proved to be the most

effective advertising we bought. Of course they had to be in
the right publication, read by the right people. And that
doesn't guarantee that the seats will be filled. Certainly the
effort will fail if the ad is a one-shot affair. To be effective,
the ad must be seen by the public over and over again.
Those in the advertising business will be able to tell you the
threshold for number of impressions, etc. All I can tell you is
that those advertising expenses can really add up in a hurry.
Back during our first Hallowe'en season we recklessly
promoted Manifestations with every media outlet we could
imagine. We even set up a little event with one of the radio
stations which was carrying our commercials.
The idea was that the twelve seats would be occupied
by six "on air personalities" and their spouses. We further
reasoned that, when our commercials were played, the
announcer or D.J. would add a few live comments such as,
"We attended, and it's a gas!" or "My wife and I had a
fantastic time there!"

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 Making Manifestations

We reserved a prime show on a prime night (the 8:00

p.m. show, Friday before Hallowe'en, as I recall) and
awaited their attendance. Not a single one of the radio
people showed up! There were no last-minute telephone
calls and no apologies, not even after the fact. We lost a sure
$300.00 in seats we could have sold because the station's
advertising and sales department did not follow through
with our verbal agreement for the performance.
A lesson learned here; first, get it all in writing.
Second, confirm in advance and on the evening of the event
that all is going as planned.
As the Butler and I waited for the group to make its
appearance we entertained ourselves by making up a
top-ten list ala the David Letterman show. I thought you
might enjoy it.

TEN REASONS TO AVOID BROADCAST

PERSONALITIES
or
SPIRIT THEATRE MAKES LOUSY RADIO!

10. They French-tongue their wineglasses.

9. Houdini wasn't AFTRA.
8. They break in every hour to announce the
weather.
7. They insist on an all-Elvis format.
6. They're not comfortable sitting outside the booth.
5. Their voices don't match their faces.
4. They think theirs is the only medium.
3. They get nervous when they hear the word
"handcuffs" .
2. They think a manifestation is a male broadcasting
award.
1. They only hear spirit voices when they play the
seance backwards.
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Making Manifestations

THE MUSING BOX

The following is the presentation I used for the music

box effect. I have included some asides concerning
presentation & blocking. This is an extremely powerful
piece. Acted well, it brings tears to many around the seance
table.
The medium speaks:
"It is important, before we form the circleand summon
those from another plane, that you gain one more piece of
knowledge. I can relate it best in the form of a story...
"Once upon a time ... there was a man who had a child. He
had only the child in his life. His wife had died in childbirth,
delivering to him his son. While another might have become
embittered at the loss of the love and transfer that anger to the
child, this man took the love he had felt for his wife and redoubled
it upon the son.
"In fact he spoiled the child and bought him anything he
desired. 'You'd like a bicycle son? How about this ten-speed
racer?', he would suggest. '''You want to join the school band?
Play the trombone? And the clarinet? Fine. I'll buy you both!'
'''What's that in the window of that antique store? It's a music
box, son, do you want it?'
"The child joined the Little League. The father purchased
the very best Micky Mantle bat and glove. There was nothing he
would not do for his son.
"Of all the things the little boy owned, the music box was
his favorite. Perhaps because father and son would wind the
spring and then listen to the melody, singing along and laughing
and tickling and roughhousing. The tune it played was, 'Puff, the
Magic Dragon.' That will give you some reference to the time
when all this took place.
"The little boy took that music box everywhere he went; to
the swimming hole, to band practice, to the ball games. It was his

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prized possession. One day, while riding his bicycle to one of those
extra-curricular events, the music boxfell out of the boy's backpack
onto the street. The little boy ran back to retrieve it, heedlessof the
traffic. He didn't see the truck bearing down upon him. The
driver had no chanceto stop...
"Both the boy and the music box were smashed.
"Needlessto say, the father was devastated. First the lossof
his wife and now the senselessloss of his son. It was more than he
could bear. He allowed himself to be consumedby self-pity.
"His healthfailed, his businesswas ignored. Ever deeperhe
fell into a bottomlesspit of dispair. The man recognized his mental
condition. He tried to cheerhimself. He even returned to the store
where he and the boy had found the music box and bought a
duplicate box in which to keep the remaining momentos of that
short relationship. But there was no recovery.
"At wit's end, hefelt there was only one way of ending his
melancholy. So hegathered.about him all thoseprecious reminders
of his departedfamily and then took to hand that one, sure method
of ending his suffering." (Pantomime taking a gun in hand,
cocking it, and holding it to your temple.)
"Just as he was about to take that final, irrevocable
step...thebox beganto play." (Music comes from box.) "The
box beganto play!
"He took that as a sign. A messagefrom the wife and child,
'Don't do it, darling', 'I love you, Daddy, please don't...'
(Pantomime placing the gun aside, then slowly open the lid
of the box a crack - the music grows louder.)
"He found strength in that music. He found hope in that
message. And the faith that there is a silver lining to the darkest
cloud. That there is a greater destiny for us all." (Snap the box
lid closed, music stops.) (Pause until you can't stand it.)
"I've kept that box. All theseyears I've kept that box as a
reminder that when you reach the end of your rope you tie a knot
and hang on. You turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones.
You searchfor a purpose. You chooselife!
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Making Manifestations

"I was a skeptic once. I would hi1ve said that the

mechi1nism triggered by some small vibration or that the
mechi1nism wqs wound and activated, but was jammed by the
coagulation of)lubricants. Thi1tthe warmth of my body as Iheld it
close caused the oil to flow and allowed the gears to turn.
"But, you see, that can't be the case. When I bought the
duplicatemusic box, it was only a box." (Begin to slowly open
the lid to the box.)
"There was no mechanism inside" (Open the box
completely and slowly show the interior to each guest.)
"And now you know why I am no longerthe skeptic."

The modus operandi behind The Musing Box is a

concealed music box mechanism. Unlike previous variations
upon this theme, the gimmick is employed in such a manner
as to cause the music to actually comefrom the box on the table.
The gimmick, a modified music box movement, is
concealed under the table, on the performer's knee. Raised
into contact with the underside of the table top, the sound
vibrations are conducted through the solid table and
reverberate within the empty box which is atop the table,
directly above the gimmick. The best box to use is one which
has a hole on the top, as does a guitar, providing superior
acoustic properties. The music actually comes from the box!
You can place a microphone near the box and pick the
sounds up quite clearly.
Also, because sound travels more quickly and more
efficiently through dense wood than through air, the ears of
the spectators "tune in" to the stronger (and immeasurably
earlier) sound from the box, ignoring any airborne sounQs. If
a tablecloth is in use, it will serve to further muffle the
airborne music. Avoid using a thick or lined tablecloth; it
will insulate the conduction of vibrations from the table.

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 Making Manifestations

Pressing the box firmly against the table will help

offset a thicker cloth. Of course, the thinner the table the
better, but surprising results can be obtained when using a
thick oak or mahogany dining table.
The music movement is placed upon the performer's
knee and raised into position. The release lever actuates the
movement when it touches the underside of the table. To
prevent the movement slipping off the knee, use a bit of duct
tape or masking tape folded back upon itself as a stick
surface to anchor the mechanism.
To modify the mechanism (all the parts you need can
be found in a well stocked hobby or crafts store), bend a
piece of high tensile strength piano wire (NOT a paper clip,
please!) so that it is held in place by the longer pan-head
screws and extends within the enclosure to stop the little
butterfly governor. When the lever is depressed due to
contact with the underside of the table, the butterfly is
released to turn freely and the music begins to play.
When all three screw heads are in firm contact with
the bottom of the table (thus more efficiently conducting the
sound vibrations-<iirectly from the metal frame which holds
the vibrating comb-through the table and into the box) the
resulting sound illusion is magnificent. Time this for when
you crack open the box on the table.
On the next page is an illustration of how to rig the
piano wire into a contact lever. It may be necessary to
remove one of the mounting screws which holds the
mechanism to the floor of the enclosure. You might even
have to drill through both the wooden floor and the metal
frame in order to thread the piano wire through.

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 Making Manifestations

KEPT FROM SPINNING

FREE TO SPIN

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