Opsis by Craig Logan

"I really like Craig's thinking. Everything in this book works in the real world (which isn't a given these days) and his presentation for the CT is phenomenal and extremely creative!"- Nico Heinrich

"This really is a great collection. These are not ideas for the book shelf officianado. The routines and thoughts in this book are things that every mentalist should be utilizing. Inside Opsis are routines that directly aid in audience interaction, which is the most crucial element of our performances." - Steve Wachner

Breathing new life into classic methods, Craig’s debut work focuses on turning mere spectator’s into active participants. By creating engaging presentations, the participants don’t simply witness something incredible, they are a part of it. Contained in this book are some of Craig’s musings on the art of mentalism as well as a couple of highly interactive routines.

Opsis – an essay bearing the book’s namesake, Craig brings concepts of theater and storytelling into the realm of close up mentalism with tips on how to make presentations more memorable, as well as how to make the audience care about what you’re doing.

Hearsay – A frighteningly simple liar/truth teller that will get your audience talking (in a good way). You’re always able to determine who is lying. This is a perfect opener!

Radio Radio – In an experiment of “second sound,” you are able to hear what a participant hears in their mind. You are then able to reveal their thought of song. You will love the subtle touches that make this a believable demonstration.

Review:

I got hold of craig's book about a week ago and I really like the material, I think a bit of an issue now days is performers who strive for very complicated meathods that can damage a good performance craig has done the opposite and in this book has created two really nice routines using very simple meathods, I will defiantly be using the first one that is a liar and truth teller plot (a performance I love) that focuses 100 on presentation with no questions asked (a problem iv found with other meathods) the second being a thought of song again completely focusing on presentation! 

now I know there are some performers out there who will disagree who think the meathod should be gold and shiny and wrapped in a decretive leather case but I disagree, from reading this book I can tell craig is a worker and creates material for other people just like him! if your interested in taking simple ideas and creating very strong routines then give it a read! 

I look forward to seeing a few more of craig's ideas 

Radio Radio is a beautiful routine that is simple yet elegant. It is precisely a piece that would be performed on the red brick road that leads to the Garden of the Strange. 

Is not propless like I thought it might be but it doesn't need to be either because the language that is deliberately used paints a hypnotic picture with colourful words and it makes sense that you are seeing what is going through the participants auditory signals. The method is irrelevant to the audience and Craig certainly proves it with this piece.

++++++++++++++

I thought the essay provided great thoughts which I agree with 100%. Hearsay is a great updated presentation for an old and underused technique. It will work everytime. Radio Radio is a very nice presentation of a classic technique which has some beautiful subtleties which make it all the more deceptive. 

If you’re looking for new innovative methods, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for workable presentations to classic methods, you’ll like this one.

++++++++++++++

Found the essay very interesting and gave me some nice food for thought. Hearsay is my favorite, both in terms of premise and method: clean and elegant. Radio Radio has some very nice subtleties that I will be applying to other routines I do. All in all, loved this book and looking forward to reading more of Craig!