My buddy, Scot Grassette, owns a performing arts venue up in Rumford, ME and has been performing for decades. 49 Franklin Reception Hall and Mystic Theater (http://www.49franklin.com/) was a former church and has been lovingly transformed into a cultural center with all manner of entertainment for its local community.
Scot has been heavily involved in promoting magic and magicians in Maine, and his SAM (Society of American Magicians) Assembly hired me for one of my first lectures almost fifteen years ago. Scot continues to give back to the magic community and recently posted a response to a prompt on SAMTalk (an email message list) for the five best things to teach young members. As a former leader/adviser of an SYM (Society of Young Magicians) Assembly (#1), I thought his response was perfect and he has graciously allowed me to reproduce it here (the information is valid for all the performing arts, not just for magicians):
* RESPECT OTHER MAGICIANS – Good, Bad or Indifferent. Treat other magicians they way you would like to be treated no matter what their experience is. Don’t embarrass, or call out another magician in public or in private. Don’t perform when another magician is performing, keep it at bay. Don’t chit chat while another magician is preforming and never reveal their secrets. It will make you look good if you maintain a positive attitude toward them.
* RESPECT YOUR AUDIENCE – They paid good money to see you/they took time out of their busy day to give you their attention, respect them by being organized and prepared. Give them a good show free of dead time, with a good script, free of umms and ahhs.
* RESPECT THOSE WHO INSPIRE YOU – Learn the history of the effects you do. Give credit to those who came before us. Be inspired by them and don’t be a copy cat of someones personality.
* RESPECT THOSE WHO HIRE YOU – Give the people who hired you a reason to hire you back. Return calls promptly, be polite and professional. Do what you say you will do. Be on time and ready to go. Be flexible and accommodating when possible. Give a good value, make them look good for hiring a magician and good chances are they will ask you back.
* RESPECT YOURSELF AND YOUR EQUIPMENT – Keep your props in good working order, replace ripped, stained or faded silks. Use clean rope. Clean your props. Iron your clothes, brush your teeth, bathe and be presentable. Be yourself. Be prepared. Be professional. Be amazing!
Thanks to Scot for letting us reproduce this. It is a great reminder for all performers.