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Les Cartes vivantes

MEL 1908

The Living Playing Cards

The stage setting represents a beautiful landscape with an ancient Roman Temple in the background. Upon a low table there is placed a large screen, and to the right is a small tabourette containing some of the properties of the prestidigitateur. As he enters he takes up a playing card, the nine of spades, and enlarges it in some mysterious way, to enormous proportions and then hurls it at the screen which immediately has outlined upon its surface the face of a huge nine of spades. This figure vanishes, then the prestidigitateur repeats the trick with a queen of spades. The figure on the screen becomes animated and steps down upon the floor -a real queen dressed in gorgeous robes of state, regal with a crown and sceptre. She returns to the screen, is at once transformed into a playing card, and the screen is bare again. Finally the wizard repeats his act with the king of clubs. This card becomes animated, and a real king steps forth from the frame. When he reaches the floor he turns his back to the audience, the wizard going off the stage at the same time. The king pulls off his wig and disrobes, and turning around he discloses himself to the audience as the wizard himself. This is a very clever trick so gracefully and admirably done that it evokes always well-merited applause.

MEL 1905-A