My Spades & I
by @jin-out on Brave-Smoke's Corner
View my bio on Blurt.media: https://blurt.media/c/bravesmoke
This stems from the creation of Darwin Ortiz, from his book 'LESSONS IN CARD MASTERY'. This suit production comes from Darwin's routine called "12 The Hard Way".
In case you forgot what a suit production is, it has nothing to do with your local dry cleaners (xD), but with...https://blurt.blog/blurt-1787181/@brave-smoke/repost-thirteen-silences-1743986064070
This is another form of suit production, less flashy as "Thirteen Silences" and with a different purpose.
"Thirteen Silences" was designed to be used as a opener to my one man close up card storytelling stage shows, using silence to add to the dramatic effect of the suit production build up.
This one is actually not my own creation, but a creation as mentioned above, by the great Darwin Ortiz (youtube him). This is his "12 The Hard Way" routine from his book "Lessons In Card Mastery". The production Darwin uses is his own; the one i use is not as beautiful as Darwin's, or other more excellent card men out there (the Japanese, South Americans, Spanish have beautiful ways of handling cards/objects that i cannot emulate...artistry is in their cultural genes man).
I would often use this for more casual type close up shows (my close up shows are max 50 people in a theatre/restaurant/private house/cafe setting - DSLR camera hooked up to a wide screen for zoomed-in pleasure of the happenings on the card table). The routine itself goes like this:
<1> I give my interpreation of Johanne Nepomuk Hofziner's idea of "Card Magic being the poetry of conjuring".
<2> A Card is randomly selected, identity unknown by all excluding the one who selected the card; let's call this person "Yul B. Sorry". Card is left in full view on the side, untouched by all. Preferably card is placed inside a wine glass, backs facing the audience. Preferably Yul B the one who will place their card in the wine glass. A very photogenic moment!
<3> Since only Yul B. knows the identity of the card, they hold a vital piece of information, plus unwittingly they have entered into the role of being a hook for the drama of this routine. Explained below. This is a vital concept that i realized, rooted in my style of always being one step ahead, always creating hooks by using a specific phrase, or a specific audience member; think of hooks as a motif in a poem. An example would be...
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"Triggered by a long rain
this semblance still exists that i cannot keep...
Triggered by a wild rain
at the apex of my restless sleep,
on my finest hour where i'm supposed to be...
Triggered by an urgent rain
a message in my heartbeat quivers for a warm rice wine,
and a long lost friend...."
(my poem - "Triggered By A Long Rain")
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In this scenario YB will be my hook that i will refer back to.
<4> I then boast to the audience that i can find the identity of YB's card, by singling out cards that relate to YB's card. Since i don't know what YB's card identity is...i'll just have to wing it...
I then produce the 12 cards of one suit (say Hearts) as you see in the video.
Remember, one last card is missing, still backs facing the audience, in the wine glass, under the spotlight.
<5> By now the audience is astonished by the display of skill. I am impressed with my display of skill. YB is impressed at my display of skill. But there's a frown on their face...and this emotion naturally generated within YB, by design of Darwin's routine ("12 The Hard Way") bleeds onto the audience entire. Someting wong and they feels it!
This is a crucial moment to capitalise on...only with years of experience, excellent time keeping, and sticking to the emotion being played (that of cockiness, to surprise, to astonishment of the error, leading to the finale; wonderful buffet of emotions); this is where my routine and performance of Darwin's routine differs.
<6> YB then laments "J-man you fcked up!!!" The identity of the card in wine glass is asked. I am told that the value of the unknown card in wine glass matches with the one missing (that i didn't produce, since it was supposed to already have been in the wine glass...i just produced the 12 other cards related to that unknown card)...but the suit is wrong! It's not the one i produced on the table! It's an entirely different suit!
I don't believe a word YB says. I gather all of the 12 cards i produced and ribbon spread them face down on the table. I still don't believe YB.
The card in wine glass is revealed and i shit myself. Everyone shits themselves. Yul B. isn't sorry.
<7> I apologise to everyone in the room, lamenting that a good story must have a wide range of emotions to be experienced, in order for the story to come alive. The cards were my story but here now it is ours. In the last 10mins have experienced excitement of a new mystery, we have experienced suspense, we have experienced drama, and now i will end this with the "Poetry of Conjuring"...
I then flip the 12 ribbon spread face-down cards, using a ribbon spread flip flourish we've all seen before, and all 12 cards are now in perfect sequencial order, with the correct suit that matches the card in wine glass.
I have performed this routine many times, but never have i had the privilege of having it recorded. I can only tell you that this routine is an audience killer. I have had many standing ovatations just with this...and it's only my show opener!
That's it!