greg
09-24-2007, 10:40 PM
Hecklers all the credict to somebady not me
A problem many people encounter in school is the heckler. The "bully" of magicians, if you will. A heckler is basically someone who disrupts your performance. Whether it is screaming out the method, not shutting up, or just being rude to you and your spectators, they're a pain in the butt. Hopefully some of these tips will help you out with hecklers.
There are numerous methods of getting rid of a heckler, but these 5 steps I picked up from Tyas Frantz tend to work really, really well.
Step 1: Acknowledge the heckler.
This means when the heckler spots a method and points it out, just say something along the lines of, "Good eye." But do it in a nonchalant kind of way, and just keep moving along. Odds are they will keep their mouth shut for the rest or your performances.
Step 2: Ignore the heckler.
This step is, I feel, very self-explanatory. Just ignore them, and either the crowd will hush them up, or they will decide that it's not worth it and either be quiet or leave.
Step 3: Out-heckle.
If there was one step here that I would recommend skipping for a school-age magician, this would be it. Trust me, I've tried it, odds are it won't end pretty.
Step 4: Educate the audience.
If at this point Mr. Heckler is still bothering you, just stop wherever you're at and tell the audience that you cannot perform with Mr. Heckler in the audience. Like Step 2, either the audience will shoo the heckler away, or the heckler will leave on his own.
Step 5: Have heckler removed.
If it really comes to the point where you have to have the spectator leave, you're in trouble. Because in school, people don't pay to "get in" to your show, they just stop and watch... therefore, without the audience's help, odds are you will never get the heckler to leave.
A problem many people encounter in school is the heckler. The "bully" of magicians, if you will. A heckler is basically someone who disrupts your performance. Whether it is screaming out the method, not shutting up, or just being rude to you and your spectators, they're a pain in the butt. Hopefully some of these tips will help you out with hecklers.
There are numerous methods of getting rid of a heckler, but these 5 steps I picked up from Tyas Frantz tend to work really, really well.
Step 1: Acknowledge the heckler.
This means when the heckler spots a method and points it out, just say something along the lines of, "Good eye." But do it in a nonchalant kind of way, and just keep moving along. Odds are they will keep their mouth shut for the rest or your performances.
Step 2: Ignore the heckler.
This step is, I feel, very self-explanatory. Just ignore them, and either the crowd will hush them up, or they will decide that it's not worth it and either be quiet or leave.
Step 3: Out-heckle.
If there was one step here that I would recommend skipping for a school-age magician, this would be it. Trust me, I've tried it, odds are it won't end pretty.
Step 4: Educate the audience.
If at this point Mr. Heckler is still bothering you, just stop wherever you're at and tell the audience that you cannot perform with Mr. Heckler in the audience. Like Step 2, either the audience will shoo the heckler away, or the heckler will leave on his own.
Step 5: Have heckler removed.
If it really comes to the point where you have to have the spectator leave, you're in trouble. Because in school, people don't pay to "get in" to your show, they just stop and watch... therefore, without the audience's help, odds are you will never get the heckler to leave.