Magic Shows in Drag! Educational Assembly Programs that Aren't!
Posted by Geoff Beauchamp on Fri, Jun 11, 2010 @ 03:10 PM
Magic Shows in Drag
No, this is not the x-rated section!
We wanted to point out that though we continue to mention “entertainers" interchangeably with the word performer or presenter, a variety of educational assembly programs do not come from “entertainers” at all, while some “educational assemblies” do come from entertainers but are not really educational at all.
An example of the former would be a Science Museum providing outreach programs. These programs are often really great as they are produced by in house science “geeks” rather than entertainers. The science and educational content is great. However, the entertainment skill of the presenter is not always on the same level as that found with the more entertainment based companies.
On the other side of the equation we find entertainers who will happily provide you with a show about any educational topic you choose, but in performance you find they are really just “doing their act” with a thin veneer of code words layered on top so that they can call it “educational”. Beware! In the trade we term these “magic shows in drag”. It might be a magician, a ventriloquist, a juggler or a clown but it’s still “a magic show in drag”. What you are getting is an entertainment package very lightly modified so as to justify (thinly... sometimes almost imperceptibly) the term educational.
Now understand, we have nothing against any of these entertainment forms, and enjoy them mightily. Moreover, many times these skills can be used to bolster a fine program of educational content. And, in point of fact, our company, Mobile Ed Productions, was founded by a well known television magician, so we have great affection for magicians! Where we have been disappointed is when a program advertised as educational is, in fact, nothing more than an entertainment act pretending to be educational. We prefer honesty. You may feel differently. Either way, at least you should know the difference.
Signs that should tip you off include lots of pictures of the particular entertainment skill (ventriloquist dummy, sparkly “magic” equipment etc.), or a distinct lack of descriptive content regarding the educational nature of the program, or just the particular skill itself. If it seems a stretch to think that someone can do, say a chemistry program, when their skill is in, say rope twirling, it probably is a “magic show in drag”.
Geoff Beauchamp is the Regional Manager of Mobile Ed Productions where "Education Through Entertainment" has been the guiding principal since 1979. Mobile Ed Productions produces and markets quality educational school assembly programs in the fields of science, history, writing, astronomy, natural science, mathematics, character issues and a variety of other curriculum based areas. In addition, Mr. Beauchamp is a professional actor with 30 years of experience in film, television and on stage. He created and still performs occasionally in Mobile Ed's THE LIVING LINCOLN