The Easy Sponge Ball Act

Magic Show

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Once again, nothing is ever where, or what, it should be.

THE EASY SPONGE BALL ACT By Richard Robinson Three small sponge balls appear and disappear in the magician's hands. The spectators are amused by their inability to believe what they're seeing. Even though they think they know where the sponge balls are, the magician shows them that they haven't really been paying attention. Just when the spectators finally think they've caught on, they are startled to see the magician slowly open his hand to show that the small balls have magically change to one giant sponge question mark. The Easy Sponge Ball Act has much the same surprise and mystery as The Cups and Balls, however the effect can be performed anywhere under almost any conditions. Props & Setup Four small sponge balls. One sponge cut into the shape of a question mark. Alternately, a large sponge ball can be used instead of the question mark sponge. Place the sponge balls and question mark in your right jacket pocket.

Routine & Handling Phase 1 Reach into the your right jacket pocket with your right hand. Take hold of one of the small sponge balls and hold it in the hand using the third and fourth fingers. This isn't really a sleight, just curl the third and fourth fingers towards the palm with the sponge ball beneath them. Once the sponge ball is held by the third and fourth fingers, use the thumb, first and second

The hand goes into the pocket and takes hold of one ball, concealing it

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fingers to gather up the other three small sponge balls.

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behind the curled third and fourth fingers.

Remove the hand from the pocket, the back of the hand toward the spectators. The three sponge balls are visible as they are held by the thumb, first and second fingers. Place the three balls down on the table in front of you or have a spectator hold out his or her hand and place them there. Phase 2

The three other balls are held at the finger tips and the hand brought out of the pocket.

Pick up one of the balls and place it on the palm of your left hand. Tell the spectators what you are doing as you do it: "I'll place one of the sponge balls in my left hand." Close your left hand. Say "I'll place a second ball in my left hand." With the back of the right hand toward the spectators, pick up the second ball with the thumb and first finger.

The ball is held at the tips of the thumb and first finger.

As the hand moves up from the table and back, press on the ball with the thumb which will cause the ball to roll down behind the first and second fingers. Keep pressing on the ball and it will come to rest on the ball that you have concealed in your hand. Press a bit more with the thumb and the two balls will be compressed together. The spectators do not see any of this happen as the action is hidden by the back of the hand.

As the hand moves the thumb pushes the visible ball down onto the finger palmed ball.

Open the left hand to receive the second ball. The right hand fingers are extended, the thumb is behind the right hand clipping the two balls to the palm. The right hand comes to rest across the open left palm, masking the ball already in the left palm and the palm from the spectators' view. Release the thumb pressure on the two balls in the right hand and let them rest on the left palm. Tilt the right fingers up and out of the left hand as the left fingers close over the three balls. The spectators now think there are two balls in

This pushing down continues as the right hand nears the open left hand.

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the closed left hand and one still on the table. Phase 3 With the right hand, pick up the third and last ball from the table, holding it between the right thumb and first finger with the right palm toward the audience. Without drawing attention to it, this quick display of the inside of the right hand tells the spectators your hand is empty except for the one ball held by the thumb and first finger.

The two pressed together balls go into the left hand, the back of the right hand blocking the spectators' view.

Say, "I'll put the third ball in my pocket." Put the right hand into the jacket pocket. As soon as it is in the pocket, roll the ball so it is held concealed by the third and fourth fingers as described above, and bring the hand out of the pocket. Let the hand hang relaxed at your right side, the back of the hand toward the spectators.

The left hand closes around the balls, the right hand opens and moves away.

Look at the spectator, then down at your left hand as you say, "Now I hope you've been paying attention. How many balls are there in my left hand?" Before the spectator has a chance to answer, open the left hand to show that there are three balls in the hand. Say, "That's right, three." Place the three balls on the table.

Loading the question mark sponge begins with it concealed in the right hand.

Phase 4 You now repeat phases two and three. Placing first one and then another (plus the concealed ball) into your left hand. Pick up the third ball from the table and again place it in your pocket. But this time leave the ball in your right jacket pocket and bring the hand out empty. Again ask a spectator how many balls are in your left hand, keeping ahead of the answer by saying, "That's right, three," and opening your left hand to reveal that that is the case. Place the three balls in the left hand back onto

The right hand moves over the left hand. The question mark sponge is released into the left hand, the ball at the right thumb and first finger tips is pushed down, as if it is being placed into the left hand.

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the table. Phase 5 Explaining that the whole thing "really isn't that complicated," pick up one of the balls with the right hand and place it on the left palm. Pick up a second ball and place it on the left palm. Close the left hand. Pick up the third ball and display it so that the right hand is seen to be empty, then place the right hand into the right jacket pocket.

The right hand moves away as the left hand supposedly closes over the ball. The right hand is holding back the ball with the curled fingers, the left hand actually contains the question mark sponge.

As soon as the right hand enters the pocket, let go of the small ball and take hold of the question mark, compressing it into the hand and holding it against the right palm with the second, third and fourth fingers.

The left hand opens to reveal that the balls have somehow become a question mark.

Bring the hand out of the pocket. Let the right hand hang at the side in a relaxed manner, the right fingers curled around the large ball. At the same time you're loading the question mark into your right hand, move your left arm toward the spectators and ask them how many balls are in the hand. No matter what the answer, say, "That's right, you're catching on, there are two balls in my hand." Open the left hand to display the two balls as you say this. Put the two balls down on the table. Phase 6 Say, "I'm going to make this really easy to follow by only putting one of the balls in my left hand this time." As you are saying this, reach for one of the balls on the table with the right hand, back of the right hand toward the spectators. As the right hand reaches the balls on the table, two things happen at once. The left hand rises and opens out to receive the ball. The right hand picks up one ball between the thumb and first finger. The ball of the thumb should be on one side of the ball, the ball of the first finger on the other side of the ball.

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The right hand moves toward the left, at the same time rotating at the wrist to that the back of the right hand is toward the spectators. The right index finger curls in toward the right thumb as the right hand is moving toward the left. This allows the right thumb to press down on the ball and slide it so that it rests against the right first and second fingers between the second and third joints of the fingers. The right first and second fingers curl in slightly to hold the ball. This is the same hold as has been used previously by the right third and fourth fingers to hold the ball concealed. As the little finger edge of the right hand comes to rest on the left palm, curl the left fingers up slightly. The right hand releases its hold on the question mark and raises slightly on the little finger side so the left finger tips can curl under the right hand onto the question mark and compress it into the left hand. The left fingers literally drag across the right palm so that the left palm is never visible to the spectators as the question mark is compressed into the closed left hand. Say, "I'll put the other ball back in my pocket." Keep all the fingers of the right hand curled in slightly to match the way the first and second fingers have to curl in to hold the small ball concealed. With the back of the right hand up and the knuckles of the right hand pointing at the spectators, swing the right hand toward the ball on the table, pick up the ball with the tip of the right thumb and first finger, pull the ball into the hand as you close the right fingers even tighter and move the right hand toward the right jacket pocket. Put the right hand into the jacket pocket and leave the two balls there. Say, "Now. How many balls do I have in my left hand?" As you say this, bring the right hand out of the jacket pocket and gesture toward the left hand. No matter what the spectators are about to say, or do say, you remark, "That's right! You're absolutely correct. I only have only one in my left hand." As you are saying "only one in my left hand," open the left hand slowly, raising the fingers so that the question mark seems to spring out of the left palm. Once the left fingers are opened to reveal the question mark, pause completely, not moving your body or the left hand to increase the focus on it. Performance Notes Practice the sequence of moves several times each day for a week. You should be able to move through the routine without having to stop to think where you are. Only when the moves and the routine sequence become second nature should you begin performing the routine in public. It is important that you do not rush the moves. The audience is not aware of a fourth ball, so they will not suspect you have it hidden in your hand. Move through the routine at a steady pace, making sure that each appearance, transposition and vanish registers with those watching by pausing for a beat or two after the left hand is opened to reveal its contents.

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The concealment of the balls in the right hand is not really a sleight and should not be treated as such. Just hold the balls in place with the appropriate fingers as described. Keep the hand relaxed, the fingers curled slightly. Don't think about the right hand and what it is doing. The appearance of the question mark in the left hand removes the focus from the right hand and from the pocket. Use this to your advantage. After the performance do not immediately put the question mark back in the right jacket pocket. Leave it on the table.

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