Stage Magic Glossary

A list of all stage magic terms for parts of the process or act

Stage magic involves a variety of terms that describe the different parts of the process or act. These terms help define specific techniques, moments, and components that contribute to the overall magic performance.

The People and Participants in Stage Magic

Stage Magic Glossary: Terms Referring to Persons Involved in Magic

• Assistant: A person who helps the magician perform tricks, often playing a key role in creating illusions.
• Assistant Magician: A performer who helps the primary magician, often performing minor tricks or helping with major illusions.
• Audience: The group of people watching the magic performance.
• Audience Volunteer: A member of the audience selected to participate in a trick.
• Confederate: An individual secretly assisting the magician by pretending to be an audience member.
• Confederate Volunteer: An audience member who is secretly assisting the magician but appears to be a volunteer.
• Dupes: The people who are being tricked or fooled by the magician’s illusions.
• Interlocutor: A person who interacts with the magician during the performance, often asking questions or providing commentary.
• Mark: A person targeted by a magician for a trick, especially in street magic or cons.
• Onlooker: An individual watching the magic performance, not directly involved but part of the audience.
• Participant: A person from the audience involved in the magic trick.
• Plant: An audience member who is secretly in on the trick and helps the magician.
• Ringer: A participant who appears to be a regular audience member but is actually in on the trick.
• Shill: A person who helps the magician by pretending to be a regular audience member but is in on the performance.
• Spectator: Any member of the audience observing the magic performance.
• Spectator Assistant: An audience member brought on stage to help with a trick.
• Stooge: Another term for a confederate or plant, assisting the magician covertly.
• Subject or Client: The person on whom the magic trick is performed.
• Target: The specific person chosen by the magician for a trick or illusion.
• Volunteer: An audience member who participates in the performance, often chosen by the magician.

These terms highlight the various roles individuals can play in a magic performance, either as participants or observers, contributing to the creation and experience of magical illusions.

Common Stage Magic Terms

Here’s a list of common stage magic terms related to the parts of the process or act:

• Ambitious Card: A card routine where a selected card repeatedly rises to the top of the deck.
• Back Palm: A technique where a card is concealed behind the hand.
• Biddle Grip: A way of holding a small packet of cards between the thumb and fingers.
• Bill Switch: Changing a bill into another denomination or object.
• Black Art: A stage technique using black velvet and lighting to conceal objects.
• Bottom Deal: Dealing the bottom card of the deck while appearing to deal from the top.
• The Build-Up: The part of the routine where the magician builds anticipation and interest, typically leading up to a major trick or climax.
• Card Force: Any method used to make a spectator choose a predetermined card.
• Center Tear: A technique used to secretly read information written by a spectator.
• Charlier Cut: A one-handed cut of the deck.
• Classic Force: Forcing a card by timing the offer of the forced card.
• Classic Palm: A method of holding a coin in the palm invisibly.
• Color Change: Changing one card into another with a sleight.
• Control: Manipulating the position of a card or object within a stack or group without the audience’s knowledge.
• Cups and Balls: A classic magic trick involving balls appearing, disappearing, and reappearing under cups.
• Cut and Restored Rope: A trick where a rope is cut and then magically restored.
• Double Lift: A common card trick technique where the magician lifts two cards as one, usually to disguise the identity of the top card.
• Downs Palm: A method of palming a coin using the bottom of the palm.
• Effect: The outcome of a magic trick as perceived by the audience, such as an object disappearing or transforming.
• Elmsley Count: A false count used to hide certain cards in a packet.
• Escape: A type of performance involving the magician escaping from restraints or traps.
• False Shuffle: A shuffle that maintains the order of the cards.
• Finger Palm: A method of concealing a small object in the fingers.
• Flash Paper: Special paper that burns quickly and leaves no ash.
• Floating: A trick where an object appears to defy gravity and float.
• Force: Making a spectator choose a predetermined object.
• Forcing: A technique where the magician gives the audience the illusion of choice (e.g., choosing a card), but the outcome is pre-determined by the magician.
• French Drop: A coin vanish technique.
• Gaff: A special card or prop used to achieve a magic effect.
• Glide: A technique to secretly switch a card while dealing.
• Illusion: A large-scale trick often performed on stage.
• Invisible Deck: A special deck of cards used to perform an incredible effect.
• Kicker: An unexpected ending to a trick.
• Lapping: Dropping an object into your lap secretly.
• Levitation: Creating the illusion that an object or person is floating unsupported.
• Load: Secretly adding an object to a location before its revelation in the performance.
• Loading: Secretly placing an object in a specific location for later revelation.
• Matrix: A coin trick where coins magically move under cards.
• Misdirection: The technique of diverting the audience’s attention away from the method being used to perform the trick.
• One Ahead Principle: A method where the magician is always one step ahead.
• Out of This World: A card trick where the spectator sorts the deck by color.
• Pass: A secret cut of the deck.
• Palm: Holding an object in the hand in such a way that it appears empty.
• Patter: The dialogue a magician uses during the performance to engage the audience, provide explanations, and distract from the sleights being performed.
• The Prestige: The final part of a magic trick where the effect is revealed to the audience, often bringing resolution and amazement.
• Pre-Show Work: Preparations done before the audience arrives.
• Production: Magically causing an object to appear from nowhere.
• Reel: A device used to retract or pull objects secretly.
• The Reveal: Similar to the prestige, where the outcome of the trick is shown to the audience, culminating in the trick’s climax.
• Riffle Shuffle: A common method of shuffling cards.
• Rising Card: A trick where a selected card rises from the deck.
• Routine: A series of magic tricks performed in sequence, often themed or linked by storytelling.
• Restoration: Appearing to destroy an object, then restoring it to its original state.
• Servante: A secret compartment on the magician’s table.
• The Setup or Pre-Show Work: Preparations made before the show begins, which might involve pre-arranging props or interacting with the audience to set up aspects of the performance.
• Shell: A hollow coin or cup used in magic tricks.
• Sleight of Hand: Skillful manipulation of objects like cards or coins, essential for performing close-up magic tricks without detection.
• Snap Change: A quick card change performed with a snapping motion.
• Stage Illusion: A large-scale trick performed on stage.
• Svengali Deck: A trick deck where certain cards appear more frequently.
• The Switch: A secretive exchange of one item for another, performed in a way that the audience is unaware of the switch.
• Thumb Tip: A fake thumb used to conceal small objects.
• Top Change: A card switch performed at the top of the deck.
• Torn and Restored: A trick where a torn object is magically restored.
• Transformation: Changing one object into another or altering its appearance.
• Triumph: A card trick where mixed cards right themselves except for the chosen card.
• The Turn: The middle part of a magic act where the magician executes the main maneuvers of the trick but hasn’t yet revealed the effect to the audience.
• Ultimate Transposition: A trick where two objects switch places.
• Vanish: Making an object disappear from view.
• Visual Magic: Tricks that rely heavily on visual impact.
• Wand Spin: Spinning a magic wand for effect.
• You Do As I Do: A trick where the spectator seemingly performs the same actions as the magician.
• Zarrow Shuffle: A false shuffle that looks genuine but keeps the deck’s order.

These terms provide a framework for understanding and discussing the intricacies and techniques involved in the art of stage magic, each contributing to the wonder and mystique of a magician’s performance.

Continue the SCARS Institute Series on Scams & Magic

• Scams & Magic Part 1 – Understanding Financial Fraud Through The Lense Of Stage Magic Manipulation
• Scams & Magic Part 2 – How Relationship Scammers Use Techniques Similar To Magic Acts
• Scams & Magic Part 3 – The Prestige: The Ultimate Revelation
• Scams & Magic Part 4 – The Misdirection: A Key Element
• Scams & Magic Part 5 – The Backstory Setup: Crafting Believable Narratives
• Scams & Magic Part 6 – The Flourish: Adding Flair And Distraction
• Scams & Magic Part 7 – The Time Pressure: Urgency As A Tool
• Scams & Magic Part 8 – Other Stage Magic Techniques Used In Scams
• Scams & Magic Part 9 – The Setup And Anticipation
• Scams & Magic Part 10 – Patter And Rapport
• Scams & Magic Part 11 – Sleight Of Hand
• Scams & Magic Part 12 – The Misdirection Through Details
• Scams & Magic Part 13 – The Switch: Deception
• Scams & Magic Part 14 – The Controlled Reveal: Crafting Suspense
• Scams & Magic Part 15 – The Clean-Up: Final Acts
• Scams & Magic Part 16 – The Setup Or Pre-Show Work
• Scams & Magic Part 17 – The Build-Up: Crafting Suspense And Anticipation
• Scams & Magic Part 18 – The Turn: A Critical Moment
• Scams & Magic Part 19 – Forcing: Manipulating Choices
• Scams & Magic Part 20 – The Load: Strategic Placement
• Scams & Magic Part 21 – The Vanish: Disappearance Acts
• Scams & Magic Part 22 – Transformation: Shaping Realities
• Scams & Magic Part 23 – Restoration: Rebuilding
• Scams & Magic Part 24 – Stage Magic Glossary

More About Magic and Scams

• Equivocation – The Magician’s Choice – The Arts Of Manipulation
• Psychic Scams – Exploiting Scam Victims’ Cognitive Biases And Magical Thinking
• The Art Of Deception: The Fundamental Principals Of Successful Deceptions
• Paradoxical Persuasion – A Scammer Psychological Manipulation Technique
• Suggestibility – A Victim Vulnerability

More About The Psychology of Magic

• The Psychology Of Illusion: How Magicians Manipulate Your Mind And Perception | Alan Hudson
• Advanced Card Magic Techniques: The Ultimate Guide – Card Tricks
• 100 BEST Magic Tricks Revealed! (Video Tutorials) – Improve Magic
• The Magical Art of Manipulation
• Editorial: The Psychology of Magic and the Magic of Psychology – PMC (nih.gov)
• Psychology, stage magic, and demand characteristics — A.P. Grayson (apgrayson.com)