How Do You Create Illusions With Mirrors?
Using mirrors to create illusions on a live stage has been an art form and principle used for 150 years. The techniques behind it have been refined over the years, though the basic principles still remain the same in creating the illusion of open space under a table, disembodied heads, or apparitions. Through the basic processes invented by Henry Dircks and John Henry Pepper in the 1860’s, to the variances on these famous techniques, here are the steps needed to create effective illusions using mirrors: Find two moderately-sized rectangular mirrors, particularly ones that have the same width of a small table. All mirror sizes are relative, depending on the size of the person taking part in the illusion. Obtain a round-top table with four legs that’s equal width of the two mirrors. Turn the round-top table so that one of the table’s legs is angled to the front where the audience is viewing. With a round-top table, an audience member won’t be able to know the table was turned at an angle
