The Rising Kid
By Danny Orleans - Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Ever bring a very young, very short volunteer up to your performing space? Then you realize that many of the kids and adults in the back of your 100+ size audience can’t see them? Here’s an easy-to-implement solution that will increase visibility, audience attention, and turn that child into a star.
I recently performed in a room that was shaped like a spaghetti box: really long and very narrow. The audience of adults were very spread out to my left and right while the small group of 15 kids were plopped right in front of me. The sight lines for at least half of the adults was...well...pretty terrible.
And when I got a 4-year old up to help me, I knew that the loving adult relatives of that little boy were going to struggle to see him. After all, he was only three feet tall!
Solution: The Rising Kid. A simple audience helper hack you can do by placing a sturdy chair “center stage” and having him stand on it. I never use a folding chair or any type of chair that might break or collapse if the child shifts his or her weight. Using a chair to elevate the child accomplishes a bunch of things.
- It makes it easier for people in the back of your audience to see your young helper.
- It prevents the child from walking around the stage.
- It raises the kid to your eye level, so you can interact with your volunteer without stooping.
- It makes the magic wand, scarf or other prop that he or she is holding more visible.
- It creates better photos, because you and your helper are almost the same height!
Check out this pic! See what happens when the tot is higher?
When “chairing” kids, I always stay close--to guard against them falling off. An approach that’s even better is used by my friend, pro-magician, Robert Baxt. He comes prepared to his shows with a light-weight stool for the child to stand on. Super sturdy, it’s the perfect solution for The Rising Kid.
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