With nearly 20 years of experience as a stage hypnotist, Russ has hypnotized subjects in nearly every possible venue – large theaters, banquet rooms, gymnasiums, back yard lawns, restaurants, and more. His experienced has show him that the set-up of a hypnotist show has tons to do with how well the show goes. So here is how to set up your stage hypnotist show in a safe and effective way:
All you need is…
A Sound System
20-30 Chairs
An Eager Group of Volunteers
I. LIGHTING
We’ll start with the simple part – Lighting. Of course we need lights for a show. How else are we supposed to see the hypnotized subjects do all that wild stuff your stage hypnotist has them do? But to be honest, lighting is one of the areas of least concern for a show. Unless on a formal stage the option is usually off or on. Russ tends to move around a lot during my shows and is constantly interacting with the audience. Plus, sometimes a few people get hypnotized right where they’re seated in the audience. If possible, leave the full house lights on during the program. Besides, studies show that your group will remember more and laugh more with full lights on.
II. THE STAGE
You will need to provide an adequate stage or space for your stage hypnotist show. Don’t worry, one of the great things about stage hypnosis is that it can be performed almost anywhere. The two important things are safety and space. Make sure you have at lease, a 16′ x 28′ space, big enough to fit at least 20-30 chairs across the stage – one row. The bigger the stage area the better. Also, the bigger the stage, the more chairs (and volunteers) that can be included in the hypnosis demonstration. And YES, a school gymnasium will be just fine.
* A cement or concrete performing area is never a safe choice.
Here’s a few examples of a good hypnosis show stage set up:
Riser Stage At University of Maryland
Outdoor Stage At Lane County Fair
Yes – A gym floor works GREAT!
REMEMBER:
Make sure all equipment is good condition. With so many audience participants, we do not want to take a chance of an injury.
III. AUDIO
Please provide Russ with a sound system that’s equipped with a hand-held WIRELESS microphone. Again, always use a wireless microphone for your hypnotist show. Unsecured cords are a potential hazard for tripping and make it difficult to move around a stage full of volunteers.
A Sound System
Hand Held Wireless Microphone
Corded Microphones Are A Hazard.
* It is important that the volunteers can hear your hypnotist from where they will be seated in the chairs on the stage. If they can’t hear… they don’t get hypnotized. In the case of a deep stage or a noisy environment like a fair or festival, use a monitor, pointed back toward the volunteers to allow easy listening to relax and enter hypnosis. In any case, remember that good sound is crucial to the success of your program. If your sound system and microphone are not adequate, borrow or rent quality equipment.
IV. SAFETY TIPS
HYPNOSIS SHOW SAFETY TIP #1: Sweep and Inspect performance area.
Sweep the stage or floor around performance area and check for nails, rocks, tacks, broken glass, liquid spills, or any other hazards. Hypnotized subjects may slide out of their chairs or end up on the stage area floor. It’s never fun to get poked by a sharp object or wake up covered in dirt from a filthy stage.
HYPNOSIS SHOW SAFETY TIP #2: Remove the podium/tables or other stage hazards.
If using a podium before or after the performance, please position podium to the far ‘stage’ right of stage or remove completely. If there is an Orchestra Pit in front of your stage, make sure it’s covered.
HYPNOSIS SHOW SAFETY TIP #3: Help the hypnotist keep your volunteers safe.
Keeping an eye on a large number of hypnotized subjects can be a difficult task. Plus, if this is a company or school event, you’ll likely know your audience members better than your hypnotist. If you see someone that is very intoxicated, injured, or might be hazardous to the show come on stage – by all means… intervene! If possible have someone assigned to stay near the stage to be an extra set of eyes for your hypnotist.
HYPNOSIS SHOW SAFETY TIP #4: Tape down any loose electrical, microphone, and speaker cables.
The number one reason for accidents on any stage are unsecured cords. So, tip #4 is make sure all extension cords, wires, or cables are taped down to avoid volunteers tripping. Also, if someone trips over your cable it may damage the cord and/or your expensive sound equipment.
*** Use ‘Gaffers Tape’ over Duct Tape. It’s strong and doesn’t leave the sticky residue.
HYPNOSIS SHOW SAFETY TIP #5: Inspect the condition of the chairs.
Make sure that the chairs that will be used for volunteers are in good condition. As an extra precaution, secure the chairs with Gaffers Tape. Volunteers often slide out of their chairs. Tapping the chairs as illustrated below will ensure volunteers don’t slide in between chairs, or the chair doesn’t fall on top of them.
For optimal safety, use Gaffers Tape to secure your chairs together. This will prevent chairs falling over as some hypnotized people tend to slide out of their chairs.
Red arrows show where to place tape on the chairs:
Here’s a view from the back:
