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required in presentation, As with many of the items in this book, the
all-important factor is the method of presentation. Badly presented, the
whole proceedings will appear childish, but well presented, with pleasant
patter, pithy story, or musical accompaniment, an interesting and
instructive entertainment will result. Some of the designs will appear to be
absolute works of art, and look exceedingly pretty when placed against a
dark background, and it will be found that this item will often bring forth
more applause than an effect involving dexterity, which has taken the
performer months of practice to bring to perfection.
There are many features or novelties in the category of a paper tearing act,
but for popularity, Fancy mats, or, as some prefer to call them,
Antimacassars, are an easy first. These are closely followed by the Ship's
Wheel, but in addition there are Baskets, Boxes, Chains, Border Designs,
Flower Pot Decorations, Hats, Ships, as well as rows of animals, old men,
fairies, etc., etc., from amongst which a selection might be made to form a
pleasing programme, not only for children but for adults also.
Some performers tear the designs with hands placed behind the back, and
others, whilst they are blindfolded, but, of course, it is necessary to be
absolutely "word perfect" before adopting this method of presentation. Of
course, if coloured papers are used the effect is far more pleasing, but
these are not absolutely essential. The wholly inexpensive newspaper will
be found quite suitable for the purpose and there is no possibility of any
suspicion as to deception in the manufacture of the paper.
Folding the Paper
Take a square of paper and fold it in half,
then in half again, thus forming four
squares of paper, one quarter the size of the
original sheet. Then fold one corner to the
opposite corner, making eight triangles
folded together (Fig. 132).
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Paper Tearing Act
Lastly, Fig. 132 is folded in half, as shown
by the dotted line, and the paper is then
ready for tearing into a Paper Mat or a
Ship's Wheel.
Fancy Mats
There is no limit to the number of different designs that can be formed
into mats, like a child's kaleidoscope, a fresh combination greets one at
every turn indeed, it is easier to produce different patterns than to produce
them quite alike. Two outlines are given as examples of the method of
tearing fancy mats in Fig. 133, either of which will be found to open into a
pleasing pattern, but the entertainer will soon find that the more haphazard
and irregular the tearing, the more effective will be the completed mat
when opened out. The reason for this, of course, is that each hole torn out
represents only half a hole. The other half is faithfully repeated and the
complete hole is contained eight times in the unfolded mat.
A pleasing variety is formed by producing a design for a Card Table
Cover, consisting of a series of hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs, in all,
eight of each suit. These may be torn in various positions, and one
example will be found in design of Fig. 134.
Ship's Wheel
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Paper Tearing Act
This design is really easier to produce than the fancy mat and can be done
in less time, but the effect is none the less pleasing, the geometrical
figures of the eight segments looking most businesslike. This may,
however, if preferred be presented as a "spinning wheel." Fig. 135 shows
designs for two types of ship's wheels.
Mantel Border
For this effect use a long piece of paper about three or four inches wide
and fold in pleated fashion, making the pleats about two inches wide.
Suggested forms of design are given in Fig. 136, but the design, as well as
the size of paper employed, must be according to the performer's fancy.
After the design has been opened out it can be fixed to the edge of the
table with the aid of a couple of pins. It the table happens to have a dark
cover, a very pretty effect will be produced.
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Paper Tearing Act
Flower Pot Decoration
This forms a charmingly
effective little item. The
design is shown in Fig.
137.
The paper used should be
about eighteen inches long
by about five or six inches
wide and must be folded
into one-inch pleats.
After tearing, a piece of bright red ribbon is threaded through the centre
slots of the pattern and finished off with a double bow, the effect of the
contrast of the coloured ribbon against the white paper being very
pleasing. The performer should have an old flower pot handy, the dirtier,
the better--and when the bow has been finally tied the decoration can be
placed around the flower pot, thereby transforming an unattractive object
into "a thing of beauty and a joy for ever."
Patter
It is a very difficult matter to keep up a running flow of patter during a
paper tearing act, and there is no doubt that a pianoforte accompaniment is
the best for all, except the most voluble performers. At the conclusion of
each item, however, a signal might be given to the player to stop for a
time, thus affording an opportunity for the delivery of one or two bon
mots, something after the style of the following:-
Fancy Mats
"Here you see we have a beautiful table centre, but strange to say (turn
paper round) on this side, also, we have a beautiful table centre. This side
is something like the other side, and, what is perhaps more remarkable, the
other side is something like this side.
I tear a hole in the paper, but, of course I want the whole of the paper,
otherwise it would not be complete.
Ship's Wheel
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