Hypnosis as a form of entertainment is unique to all other entertainment forms because it depends entirely upon audience volunteers as the stars of the show. Get your “cast of characters” ready for one of the most exciting and unique evenings of their life.

Here are a few preparations you should make before the show:

1. Hype the show amongst those who will be attending. The performers will be amongst these peolpe so let them know a hypnotist is coming and they can begin to anticipate the event.

2. Never harass or cajole someone to be in the show. Hypnosis subjects must be willing subjects.

3. Don’t try to challenge potential subjects with  “see if he can put you under” . No one goes under against their will.

4. Observe the room set-up specifications carefully and contact Mike if there are any problems. These specifications are for the safety of those on stage. Deviations can jeopardize the ability to have the show.

Note: Do NOT allow the hall people to change from the specifications. In the halls where this has happened, the personell came up after the show to apologize because they didn’t understand the importance of sticking to the printed guidelines.
 

Technical Requirements:

If you are providing the sound system.. be sure it is adequate to project to your entire audience. The microphone must be handheld (not lavalier) and preferably wireless. Some of the funniest moments in the show are the vocal responses of the subjects. Be sure they can be heard.

Mr. Bishop will bring a CD with him that contains pre-show and performance music. Be sure the CD player in your sound system is working or let Mike know so he can bring one with him. A sound man can enhance the show’s impact, if you have someone willing and capable to perform this function (DJ, etc.)  let us know.
 

Room and Stage Layout..

can make or break any show. Remember that the hypnosis subjects will be seated for the majority of the performance... can your audience see them? The stage area should be very wide since as many as 25 chairs will be placed side by side (depending upon the size of your group).

Temporary Stages should be put up by the hall owner to assure their sturdiness. A stage no less than 8 feet deep should be used but 10 is better. Sturdy chairs should be placed on the stage side by side. These chairs should be all the way to the back of the stage preferrably against a wall.

Full Theatrical Stages are terrific for hypnosis shows because they provide good visibility and plenty of room. The problem is, most of these type of stages have 30 or 40 switch light boxes and sound controls. Some boxes will be locked up and some are run by computer. Be sure you have the necessary information, personnel and resources to work with this type of facility.

For this type of stage, place 20-25 chairs side by side at around the center. Don’t try to go back to the wall.

Lighting for this type of show follows the same rule of thumb as mentioned before: If the audience can easily see the subjects, the lighting is okay. Theatrical stage lighting will be handled between Mike and your “tech” person upon his arrival.