INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCE TRACKS

“ART-O-MATIC” 7 Min.

FOR USE WITH THE AXTELL “PRO MAGIC DRAWING BOARD.”

DIV. OF AXTELL EXPRESSIONS! (805) 642-7282

WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY: STEVE AXTELL

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR: BILL BOLEY

MUSIC, SOUND EFFECTS AND ENGINEERING BY: GREG JACKSON

RECORDED AT: TREEHOUSE PRODUCTIONS and AXTELL ENTERTAINMENT

LEGAL NOTICE: By purchasing this routine you have the right to perform this routine and it’s musical

components in live performances only. Not for use on television or on Video Productions without written permission. Limited Warranty of 3 weeks to replace damaged media. No refunds on electronic media.

SEE OTHER AXTRAX AVAILABLE FOR THE MAGIC DRAWING BOARD AND AXTELL PUPPETS AT www.axtell.com

PROPS NEEDED: A GENERIC LOOKING CASSETTE TAPE and a TAPE RECORDER / CD PLAYER

CD TRACK #1: Performance (Does not include your practice lines - use this to perform live.)

CD TRACK #2: Rehearsal (Includes your practice lines (YOU) that you will perform live.)

CDTRACKS #3-5: (Music only. For vents who want to do both parts and cue the music. Cues are numbered in the script.)

#3: “Cassette tape”

#4: Eyes sliding fx

#5: Rap music

PAUSES HAVE BEEN LEFT IN THE RECORDING TO ANTICIPATE AUDIENCE LAUGHTER

YOU CAN MODIFY THE (YOU) LINES TO FIT YOUR PERSONALITY. REWRITE AND BE CREATIVE!

SOUND ADVISE: You can perform this routine by playing the CD on a quality "boom box" portable stereo player in small areas, or over a professional sound system in large areas such as an auditorium or outside. Do not play on a small inexpensive CD player because the sound will distort when you try to play it loudly.

The CD should be played with plenty of volume. Kids will be laughing hard and will miss the routine if it is too quiet, and adults may keep laughter to a minimum for fear of missing parts of the program. The volume of the CD should be set about the same as if you were speaking over a microphone to be heard by the group, or louder.

It is best to have the CD played over a public address system and have the soundman preset the volume level to be compatible with the your microphone level.

SUGGESTED OPENING PATTER: (Following a magic trick)

YOU: Many people ask me how long it took me to learn magic and ventriloquism.. I used to tell them that to learn any skill takes many years of practice. That is what I thought until I met a salesman recently who told me you can learn any skill just by listening to a tape! I was so excited, I bought one of those amazing tapes right on the spot! I bought one that would teach me something I didn't already know how to do: draw. I've always wanted to be an artist and I can't even draw a straight line, so I can't wait to hear this tape. I brought it to do right here in front of you, so you could see for yourself! Let me get the drawing board and marker that came with it, and I’ll turn on the tape.

(#3) OPENING MUSIC (You’ll actually play the CD (but put in a dummy cassette for the audience)

(Get the board, wipe cloth and marker)

CD: “Congratulations, you have made a wise investment! You have just purchased the ART-O-MATIC lessons on tape. For the first time in history, it is possible for a person such as yourself, or even smarter, …

YOU: (Shocked by the insult) Hey!

CD: “...to master the secrets of making realistic drawings come to life in just 3 easy ART-O-MATIC steps. Now let's begin....

YOU: (Start to draw top of head about 1")

CD: “But before you draw,…

YOU: (Jerk marker off board)

CD: “...remember that this is not just a tape. This is a highly powerful technology...

YOU: (Start to draw again, another inch)

CD: “...developed...

YOU: (Jerk marker off again)

CD: “...thorough years and years of research and scientific study...

YOU: (Start to draw again)

CD: ...Each and every...

YOU: (Jerk back and roll your eyes and motion with your hand as if to hurry him along)

CD: ...portion of this program is of the highest standards right down to the quality cassette ta-p-e u-s-e-ddddd....(drags to a stop).

YOU: (Look at audience, act like you are tapping or bumping the tape deck - wait - bump again. WARNING: If you are using the same deck to actually play the CD, it may be better not to actually bump it so the CD won’t REALLY skip!)

CD: (Drags ups to speed) ...j-j-j-just relax, nothing can possibly go wrong with the ART-O-MATIC lessons on tape!

YOU: (Roll your eyes, or say “good grief” etc.)

CD: “Now then, let's begin. Feet flat on the floor...

YOU: (Adjust your feet)

CD: “…shoulders high…

YOU: (Do so)

CD: “…chest out, stomach in, back straight, head up!…

YOU: (Exaggerate each move, and end up looking very tense holding your breath)

CD: “…and relax!

YOU: (Let your posture go sloppy and exhale for a laugh)

CD: “Here we go with ART-O-MATIC step number 1:

“With your magic marker draw a simple circle on the board....

YOU: (Draw a quick uneven circle)

CD: “...in the exact shape of a human head.

YOU: (Look shocked, then at your drawing of a wobbly circle) What?

CD: “Perfect!

YOU: (Roll your eyes, etc.)

CD: “And now for ART-O-MATIC Step number 2:

“Place your marker a few inches below the top line…

YOU: (Do so)

CD: “...and draw perfect eyes and a nose.

YOU: (Drop your mouth open and stare at the recorder)

Now, how am going to do that?

(Then draw two silly eye circles and fake the drawing of the pupils while sliding the eye lever).

NOTE: Do this by dropping the board slightly so that you can easily cover both eyes with your forearm, wrist and hand. Fake the drawing of the farthest pupil first and move the eye lever so that the pupils are in the center of the circles under cover of your hand and arm, then move to the closest one.

Finish by drawing eyebrows and a nose during the tape. While you bring on the pupils, fake the action of drawing the first pupil. BE SURE YOU DO NOT DRAW A PUPIL ON THE PLASTIC, OR YOU WILL HAVE TO RUB IT OFF WITH YOUR FINGER TIP).

CD: “While you are drawing, let me take this opportunity to share with you our latest cassette course "PLASTIC SURGERY MADE EASY". For just $19.95 you will learn the secrets of surgically replacing facial parts with recycled plastic. Yes, turn your unwanted milk cartons into a new nose, while doing your part to save the environment. Get yours today!

YOU: (Roll your eyes again being careful not to move the

lever on the board) Yeah, right!

CD: “And now for the final dramatic step...ART-O-MATIC step number 3:

“Finish your drawing in a realistic fashion…

YOU: (Look shocked at the tape recorder) What a rip off!

(Continue to draw the mouth, small ears, and a bow tie)

CD: “Congratulations! You have nearly completed the ART-O-MATIC art lessons on tape.

YOU: (Still drawing)

CD: “Your ART-O-MATIC graduation certificate is available for just $9.95. To order yours, call us toll free at 1-900-555-SCAM…

YOU: You can say that again!

CD: “…that's 1-900-555-SCAM.

YOU: (React like you expected it)

CD: “Now add the final touches to your drawing....

YOU: (Turn the board toward you, back of board toward audience, and start to "feel" the jazz music, begin swaying your hips to the rhythm and draw wild hair with a lot of hand motion "flair". Really ham it up and make the picture ridiculous. The reason to turn board around is 2 fold. 1; it is creating suspense until the drum roll ahead and 2; it reveals the back of the board eliminating curiosity later. Be careful to cover the levers with your hand. Use the wipe cloth to assist if needed.) (If you find it too difficult to turn the board around, you can do it in full view and trade-off the suspense build up.)

CD: “Relax...let your artistic expressions flow....get loose ....add embellishments...be creative...remember you are not just any artist, you are an ART-O-MATIC artist!

YOU: (In unison with the CD but sarcastic) Art-O-Matic artist!

(By now you have a wild hair-do on the drawing, but they still haven't seen it.)

CD: “Okay, this is the moment you've been waiting for. Take a deep breath and observe your drawing. If you have used your supplies correctly and carefully listened to my instructions, your drawing should be extremely realistic and life-like.

YOU: (Turn your board around toward your audience on the cymbal crash exposing the wild hairdo, look at it and then look out to your audience discouraged).

This is so embarrassing!

(#4) EYES SLIDING FX (While you are looking at the audience, make the pupils of the drawing move 4 times in synch to the sound of the slide whistle. First - away from you, 2nd - towards you, then away, then towards you again).

1 2 3 4

(Make sure that you have rehearsed the positions of the levers so that you will know that you are not moving the pupils out of sight!)

NOTE: Your audience will react with laughing and pointing. You notice their reaction and look over at the drawing but never while it's moving. You act very confused with all the commotion - After the 4th eye movement the drawing talks. Move the mouth lever open for approximately every syllable spoken).

BD: Hey you!

YOU: (You look around) Who's that?

BD: Over here!

YOU: Where?

BD: It's me, your drawing.

YOU: WHO??

BD: Hey, I'm talking to you!

YOU: (You now stare big-eyed at the audience, then turn your head toward the board.)

You can talk?

BD: Of course I can talk. I can sing too, la la la la la la la!

YOU: But I just drew you!

BD: And they thought all you could draw was flies, ha ha!

YOU: But you are just A PICTURE! W-w-what's your name?

BD: My name is "Mark", get it?…Hey, could you make my ears bigger, I can't hear too well.

YOU: Do what?

BD: Take your marker and make my ears bigger!

YOU: Like this?

(Draw larger ears around the small ears very quickly)

BD: Yeah, now that's more like it!

YOU: Well, Mark, now you look like a real square!

(Trace the shape of the frame with your finger tip)

BD: Square? Not me, watch this...Hit it!

(#5) (Rap music begins - move eyes to music - then start to get into the rhythm yourself)

BD: My name's Mark

And I am just amazing!

The things that I can do

Are really hair raising!

Watch me close

'Cause I am really strange;

You can use your Magic marker

And make me change! Oh yeah!

Now go ahead, do something to me with that marker…I love it when you write on me,

go ahead...write on...write on!

YOU: (Shrug your shoulders and draw on a pair of glasses - move the eyes back and forth)

BD: Ooh…nice disguise! Ha, ha.

Now, this is more like it, yeah,

I can really see,

Now all you people look

Bigger to me!

YOU: (You laugh, then draw a quick mustache and then a beard on him)

BD: Hey, what 'cha doin’?

That kinda tickles me,

Now I look like you:

A chimpanzee!

E-E-E-E O-O-O-O-O

YOU: (Look offended during jungle music)

Now that's where I "draw the line". Mark, say goodbye, it's time to go.

BD: No way.

YOU: Really, Mark, we're out of time, say goodbye.

BD: I'm not going anywhere!

YOU: That's what you think!

(Begin to erase the board around the chin, and work toward ears)

BD: Hey! What are you doing! I was just bored. Help…I'm loosing weight!

YOU: (Erase ears).

BD: Hey, I can't hear any more!

YOU: (Erase nose).

BD: (Nasal sounding) Not my nose! HELP!!! I've been framed! Get it?…framed?

YOU: We need to draw this to a conclusion!

BD: I can take a hint...I'll go now, BYE, BYE!

YOU: (Erase mouth - move eyes back and forth as if trying to talk)

BD: MMMMMMMM-MMMMM-MMMMMM!

(When MMM stops, erase his eyes and the rest of the drawing until the music breaks.)

YOU: (Holding marker up to audience) Wow, I guess that's why they call these Magic Markers!

END

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