Every good magic show needs a plan. A set of plans really, one for each illusion, all linking together to form a story or whole.
Everyone knows the plan. From the magicians on the stage, the lighting and sound, the gaffers behind stage and even an audience member or two. The plan lets everyone responsible know what’s needed, where and when it’s needed, who’ll be using it and how. All movements, locations, props and staging are taken into account for timing and for safety. Planning is essential for big illusions.
Good plans allow for when things go wrong. Small gaffs, crack a joke and move on. Medium gaffs, insert standby illusion in its place. Major gaffs, close the curtains and call for an ambulance.
So, when a plan is created and understood by all, it describes and explains the use of all props and safely moves participants through the show, why change it at the last moment?
It would be like Houdini planning and preparing his water escape only to decide as the curtain rises he’d prefer to try lion taming instead. Sure he can do it, but he hasn’t trained with the lions, the equipment is not available, who knows how safe it is and really where do you get a couple of lions on short notice anyway?
What does it mean when dropping a plan is proposed and no one argues the point? Who’s at fault when it all inevitably fails? The proposer or the one who knew better… and…said…nothing.
Smart people make plans and make them work. What does that say about us when we create a plan then fail to use it?
A Strange Life 