Magic Case Study - Steve Shepard's Production of a Large Punch Bowl

Consider Steve Shepard's production of a large punchbowl from the table and holds it beneath the foulard.
bowl. The bowl itself is on a stand. On top of the bowlThe magician seems to change his mind, looks about
is a round wood disc that is about the same diameterhim for a better place but finally plunks down the bowl,
as the bowl. The "table" drape is attached to this disc,water spilling and plopping on the floor pulling away the
and, to the spectator, the stand looks like an ordinaryfoulard.
draped one. All of this is quite similar to the usual largeSince the "loaded" table has the same appearance
bowl production except that the stand is telescopic.with or without the bowl, the use of the table for the
The weight of the bowl of liquid pushes the real tablenecessary secret hiding place is valid. This idea may
top, also equipped with a duplicate drape, downwardsbe varied for the production of many other objects,
a distance equal to the height of the bowl. If the filledeven a small radio, or a clock, or a lunch box. Another
bowl should be lifted from the table momentarily, thevariation in the use of this idea is exemplified when a
real top would spring up into place and lock itself in thisdetachable or attachable portion of the object to be
position. Then the tabletop would support the weight ofproduced is revealed in lieu of the entire thing, after
the bowl of liquid. Of course, the appearance of thewhich the remainder of the object, constituting its
table, with top depressed and bowl "loaded" is themajor portion, is secured from a secret hiding place
same as the aspect of the table after the bowl iswhen the spectators' vigilance has been relaxed.
removed, except that the real table top is somewhatAll magic tricks are achieved with misdirection. This
less in diameter than the outside dimension of the bowl.kind of "off-beat" misdirection is produced by
In operation, however, the magician pretends to catchconvincing the spectator with the situation that the
the bowl beneath the foulard. His uplifted and curvedeffect has been achieved and timing for any dirty
left forearm simulates the bowl. The performer lookswork has passed. At this moment, the alertness is
about him for a place to deposit the bowl. He sees thedown and the real dirty work can been done safely
"table," which is loaded with the bowl, rushes to it andunder less or no attention.
starts to put down the bowl. Meanwhile he lifts the real