THE PROCESS: How to Create a One-Man Show or Mini Play

🎭 THE PROCESS: How to Create a One-Man Show or Mini Play

1. Define Your Core Purpose

Ask yourself:

• What do I want the audience to feel when they leave?

• What message, story, or experience do I want to share?

• Is this primarily entertainment, inspiration, education, or transformation?

👉 Example: “I want to show how the magic we seek outside of ourselves actually lives within.”

2. Choose a Theme or Concept

Some popular and powerful solo show themes:

• Transformation (personal growth, reinvention, overcoming challenges)

• Identity (who you are vs. who you appear to be)

• Connection (love, friendship, spirituality, community)

• Time (looking back on a life, or imagining the future)

• Magic as a metaphor (illusion vs. reality, belief vs. skepticism)

✨ Tip: Your magic can serve as a metaphor that deepens the theme, rather than being the focus itself.

3. Develop a Narrative Arc

Even if it’s a “magic show,” a good one-man play has a story structure:

1. Setup – Introduce yourself, your world, and the “premise.”

2. Conflict / Challenge – Something changes. A belief is tested. A moment of doubt or discovery.

3. Resolution / Transformation – You (and the audience) emerge changed or enlightened.

👉 Think in acts or chapters — 3 to 5 segments that each serve a purpose.

4. Script and Improv Balance

Write a script, but leave room for spontaneity.
Solo shows are strongest when they feel alive — as if you’re discovering it with the audience.

• Script key transitions, cues, and emotional beats.

• Improvise reactions, small interactions, and audience moments.

5. Weave in Multimedia or Magic

If you’re blending magic, storytelling, video, or music, decide:

• Where does magic punctuate the story?

• Can it represent something (illusion = self-deception, levitation = liberation)?

• Should sound, lighting, or visuals enhance a specific emotional tone?

6. Workshop and Refine

Start small:

• Try it out for a living-room audience, small theater, or coffeehouse.

• Record yourself and watch for pacing, clarity, and engagement.

• Cut what doesn’t serve the theme or energy flow.

7. Production Elements

Once you have your script and structure:

• Choose minimal props or set pieces (less is more in a one-man show).

• Use lighting and music to define different scenes.

• Consider a director or dramaturg — an outside eye can be invaluable.

💡 FORMATS TO CONSIDER

🔥 TOPICS AND THEMES THAT PLAY WELL

Audiences respond best to:

• Personal truth — something only you can say

• Transformation — how you grew or changed

• Mystery and wonder — where magic meets meaning

• Humor and humility — laughter makes honesty easier

• Connection — “We’re all in this together” moments

🪄 MAGICBRAD-SPECIFIC IDEAS

Given your background and persona, a few show concepts might fit beautifully:

1. “The Illusion of Control” – Magic meets mindfulness; learning to surrender.

2. “Confessions of a Real-Life Magician” – Stories from your career mixed with tricks and truths.

3. “Magic and Miracles” – A playful reflection on belief, coincidence, and the unseen.

4. “The Business of Belief” – A fusion of entrepreneurship, creativity, and showmanship.

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