Spent some time explaining (to my new assistant) in more detail exactly what is needed. She joked that she was kind of glad I wouldn’t be sawing her in half. Set some practice times, and we’re in business!
I also need to construct the gimmick that she will be using. In my imagination, I’d made it much more complex than it needed to be. After turning it over in my mind a few times, I realized that only one moving part is required. I’ll get it built into something innocuous looking, and that’s an afternoon’s work.
I’d love to leave my guests with a souvenir, something to hang on to, something to remember the evening, SOMETHING WITH MY CONTACT NUMBER ON IT…
There will be a pencil in each “goody bag”, and it just makes sense that it should be embossed with my name. Shopping around the internet, the cheapest price for something that looks halfway decent is $225 per thousand. At thirty guests per show that’ll last for several months.
Even at that, it not really much of a souvenir. Still looking at promotional items, but don’t want to eat up too much of my budget on this. It occurs to me that a simple brain teaser would be in keeping with the theme, and if it were printed on good card stock…well, maybe we just need to keep thinking…
I don’t want to monopolize the Café, but I might just poll some of the other Magi for ideas on this. Some very bright guys there, many with MUCH more experience than me.
Also, budget will not be QUITE as tight after the SECOND show. I’ve decided that the first “show” will be a dress rehearsal. I want to invite the cast and crew from the stage team I’ve been working with (many of them for years). They understand theatre (which this is) and will be able to tell me whether I’m effectively “selling” the act.
They won’t figure out any of the secrets (that’s still my domain), but will be able to critique in a way that will be helpful to future shows.
Thinking about a date, I’ve been aiming for the end of February. Looking at a calendar now, the last weekend nights are 25 & 26. Much will depend on whether I can get everything constructed, but that looks like a target date to me. The only hold-up now is…ME!