What I Will (And Won't) Do.

As I write these words, I have just about a month before my first Summer Reading Program library show in Pleasantville, Iowa on May 23rd. Once that floodgate opens, I'm going to be pushing myself to the limit by doing 107 Summer Reading Program shows, plus several other non-library performances before wrapping up my SRP season on August 8th in Elgin, Nebraska.

I think one of the reasons for my popularity is that I go to great lengths to make sure that my show is 100% clean, non-offensive and safe for my audience. There are certain things you will NEVER see in my shows. That list includes political humor; sexual humor; innuendos; put-down humor; tricks with guns, knives, razor blades, etc. Tricks with fire. Tricks that put volunteers into uncomfortable situations.

Unfortunately, I've seen fellow magicians who use children as "props". They use put-down humor where the child is the butt of the joke. Amazingly enough, these are the same magicians who ask me how I get so many shows.

If you watch my shows closely, you'll see that I try to connect with the children in my audience. I may do a trick that (gasp) goes wrong. This helps me connect with the children and gets them on my side. It helps build a bond where both of us can have fun. When children volunteer, they know that they won't be made fun of or put in uncomfortable situation. They also get the applause for being the ones who make the trick work.

I think it's important to treat an audience with respect, no matter what the age of the audience is.