Most magicians approach character work from one of two directions.
Some build a character: a constructed identity with its own psychology, history, and internal rules, which may have little to do with who they actually are. Others work closer to their real self: they perform as a heightened, more deliberate version of themselves, bringing their own personality, passions, and ways of being into the room.
We’ll call the result of both approaches your “stage identity”.
But have you ever watched a magician who describes themselves as “a mysterious character” — and then delivers a poor imitation of Derren Brown? Or someone who says they “just perform as themselves”, and yet there’s no depth?
In both cases, the problem is the same: the stage identity lacks psychological depth, the three-dimensionality that makes a person believable.
Truth is, building a stage identity with genuine psychological depth is slow, deliberate work. Without awareness of what you’re actually bringing to your audience, you end up with a washed-out version of yourself and less impact.
What follows is a method to fix that. It works whether you’re building a character or working from your real self, whether you want to start from scratch or refine what you already have.
Building Your Stage Identity
Take a pack of Post-it notes and find a wall you can leave undisturbed for a while.
Write a title at the top. If you’re working on your real self, write your own name. If you’re building a character, write theirs.
The goal is to create someone who is genuinely well-rounded. It has to be a person — with a past, a present, a future, contradictions, habits, fears, pleasures, and an inner life that exists even when nobody is watching.
Following this process helps make the person real in your mind, so they feel more real to an audience.
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