My dear friend Jorge García "The Jack" was a master Mystery Performer. You dont need to know Spanish to get his fantastic proactive connection with the participant, his pace and his wonderful sense of metaphoric performance.
His favorite word in performance was "Mystery". He communicated this constantly in his performances, and more than a Mentalist, he wanted to be seen as a "Mystery Man".
From this wonderful performance, we can learn several different ideas that we can now offer to out audiences.
I add subtitles at the top portion of the video so you can see the visual experience of the movement from the key, so now you can learn a brief translation of his words. Notice how he was so comfortable just talking with his participant, creating real interest and the needed ambiance for the basic premise of his approach for the "Haunted Key", which deals with something very personal and intimate, such as a personal present issue.
This is a type of Mentalism that I call "Metaphoric Mentalism", in which the credible reality of the phenomena (moving the key with the mind) is placed in a pressuposition-level, to bring at conscious level the powerful metaphor of the movement, particularly in finding a new path and perspective in dealing with a personal issue.
This is not therapy, but each performance can have a beautiful therapeutic factor, as any good conversation or interaction in life.
You can see that the performance is 3 minutes long, and the first minute was only about the previous conversation with the participant (not patter, but conversation, really listening). After the first minute the actual key appeared in performance. This is something beautiful that communicates the real important aspects of performance.
Not props, but people.
I knew Jorge, and I knew that this piece and the premise was very personal for him. His introduction and path to Magic and Mentalism was really a change for his life, so you can feel his passion and devotion in this performance.
You can feel also his authenticity in his verbals and non-verbals, which tend people to open in a true manner, so I am sure that the participant was really focusing in a personal issue and not just pretending.
(0:47) "I will not reveal it, I promise"
Such a beautiful line, congruent with his approach. We dont need to know, but create the reality and from that reality also create a deeper rapport with our participant and audience. If you care about them, they will care about you and your performance.
You can notice also the ambigious language that he is using, which allows for better psychological projection from the participant´s perspective, understanding the words as she feels.
(1:18) "This key doesnt have a great story, it is not haunted or something like that..."
How wonderful is to realize that you dont need to "fool" your audiences, or to tell valid stories that you as performer dont really feel as authentic. For Jorge, this key was about the metaphor, not about a story of haunted events.
(1:33) "this key belongs..."
How mysterious this sounds!? The idea that the key comes from a place that helped Jorge, at least for me, open several questions and ideas as audience member...
Where that key comes from?
How much experience this person has?
How he became so interesting?
Wow...he is really someone that has something to say
I saw this key thing before, but never like him is performing it...
Asking the participant to take your wrist doesnt only cancels the method of moving your hand in a subtle manner, but also allows the participant to really be connectes with yourself in a kinestesic manner. Try it out in your next performance with your key.
What... you dont have a key? Well.. at Arkanosophy we have the perfect one for you! (CLICK HERE)
You can get is a "Haunted Key Pendulum" or as a single item
From the moment that Jorge asks the participant to focus in the key, again, notice the ambiguos language, which is essential to create this type of metaphoric performances.
Notice the beautiful moment of silence that he creates at 2:28. 10 seconds of realism and psychic poetry.
Finally, observe how he takes away the key after the movement, he gently touches her and asks "do you feel good?"
Again, it is all about people, not about the key. The key offers part of the beauty, the other (more important) aspect is your pro-active rapport with your participant.
Truly, a beautiful example of the work of my friend.
And remember, people dont die, just are forgotten.
And I dont forget you my dear Jorge.
CONVERSATION