HOW TO WIN THE DRAGON AWARD
as printed in MUM magazine Jan. 1993

By Marjorie L. Stuart, Co-chair of Award Committee

Winning the Dragon Award and the $ 1,000 cash award that goes with it isn't easy, but you can do it. Here's how. First,you must be part of a team. Like Fred and Ginger, you can both be married to somebody else, but you must have a partner, who may be tall or short, young or old, so long as you work well together. Then take the six requirements seriously; all the judges do. The first and foremost requirement is DRAMA. This requirement can best be met with a magic skit that tells a story. Good examples are the many illusion skits that Mark Wilson and Nani Darnell presented on television. Duo Absolom present an exciting skit of a beautiful witch and a sadistic jailer. Chuck Jones presented magical fairy tales in shopping centers. Tina Lenert has a truly romantic scene with just a mop. Of course, the skit doesn't need big illusions to make it dramatic. Mike Caveney breathes drama into a bunch of coat hangers. What could be a more unlikely subject? In "Make Me Disappear," we had a romantic scene in which the blindfolded magician restored the heroine's handkerchief as a test of true love. Glenn Falkenstein and Frances Willard not only have a full evening magical play, they also present a brief act of telepathy in a most dramatic manner. The "Miser's Dream" could be part of a skit wherein a fairy tale princess produces money for a poor boy. The second requirement is an element of ROMANCE. This does not mean that your skill has to be a love story. Properly presented, there is romance in all magic. Cardini's production of cigarettes was one of the most romantic routines ever presented. Petrick and Mia do the same thing with the production of balls. ARTISTRY is the third requirement. Marvyn and Carol Roy are a great example. Currently they are performing three entirely different acts, each in an artistic manner. A director can help you. Personally we have used professional directors who knew nothing of conjuring, but a lot about true magic. The requirement of glamour may confuse some hopefuls. It does not mean you must perform in evening dress. Again, remember Tina and her mop. GLAMOUR means enchantment. You must enchant your audience in the tradition of Adelaide and Alexander Herrmann. Even today, when people picture a magician, it is usually Alexander Herrmann although they have never heard his name. ORIGINALITY does not mean a new method. The Dragon Award is more concerned with presentation than technique. The Blackstones have even added a touch of originality to one of magic's most overdone illusions, the zig-zag girl. They present it as a two-part effect. The zig-zag is sort of an afterthought. The final requirement must be emphasized so that you do not neglect it because of the first requirement of drama. It is NECROMANCY. Put more simply, your performance must baffle the judges. If we know how it's done, you won't win. Too many comedy magic acts aren't really magical. It can be done. Let the most recent Dragon Award winners, Pam and John Thompson, serve as a model. Of course, their act is funny, but where do those doves come from? Good luck!