“Card tricks aren’t boring. Card trick presentations can be boring.” Jon Armstrong’s lecture on bringing your personality to card magic was the treat for Ring 216’s November meeting. In this well-attended and highly anticipated presentation, Jon displayed the professionalism and concern for the audience for which he is famous. Don’t have a predictable presentation, was his first piece of advice: go for originality in leading into an effect and “Get rid of the lack of surprise!”
His opening, a “lucky chip” handling, demonstrated how to stun by managing audience memory before it is formed. The spectators will recall one of them looking through the deck and selecting any card, and then another spectator dropping a chip on a face down spread deck and turning over the card it landed on – without the performer touching it. Jon similarly provided tips on the classic force, sandwich card effect, collectors, and the deck-to-block surprise. He ended with an in-depth study of his famous “Tiny Plunger,” including many detailed tips and hints for maximum performance.
Before the lecture, the annual elections were briskly held. The officers will be instated in January.
