Houdini is famous for his escapes, but among magicians he is renowned for a trick that was his signature trick for many years. The trick is surrounded in mystery because it is unknown if Houdini is the original creator of it or if he received the idea and performance rights from one of his older contemporaries. The trick is called "Metamorphosis." Rather than giving a lengthy explanation of the trick I will link you to a youtube video of the metamorphosis being performed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiW1N5GIEVc
The word metamorphosis comes from the Greek word 'metamorphoun' meaning "to transform." The word comes from the combination of 'meta' meaning "change" and 'morphe' meaning "form." Metamorphosis has been associated with magic since the 1500's at least and for good reason. Changing one object into another is one of the key elements of many magic tricks.
What it means to storytelling: In many (if not most stories) there is a transformation that takes place, a metamorphosis that occurs within the main character. This happens through various struggles and trials which help to reform the character in some way. We need to embrace the idea of character metamorphosis in storytelling because it connects to every human being as change is one of the few constants in the world and everyone experiences it within their life. Metamorphosis is also very powerful because many people desire to change but struggle to do so.
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How do you see the core event of metamorphosis in the stories from The Moth, StoryCorps, etc...?
ReplyDeleteA related note: one of my theatre profs used to say that plays are about the most important event in a character's life. If so, the turning point s the point of metamorphosis.
Well in the first story I listened to it was very easy to find. It was Jahara Gonzalez - Shot to the Heart. It is a story about her initiation and transformation from a scared new EMS worker into an initiated EMS worker. She transforms from a scared inexperienced initiate into an experienced confident member of an exclusive group of lifesavers. Her worldview shifts as does her belief in her own abilities between the beginning when she had never saved a life, and the end when she has.
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