Classic Illusionist Tricks: Torn And Restored
One of the most popular tricks done by stage illusionists is the “torn and restored” trick, in which a card is taken out of a deck and torn into quarters in front of the audience. The card may even be signed by a member of the audience for extra credibility – so the magician cannot simply “substitute” an identical card into the trick.
The way to do this trick, if you wish to do it with a signed card, is to get the audience member to pick the card and then sign it. You then take the card and fold it into four, giving the explanation that this makes it easier to tear. At this point, by sleight of hand you introduce a torn-off quarter of a card from an identical deck and hold it in front of the card, using it to “sell” the ripping on the card which you actually leave intact.
Using the torn off quarter, you hide the fact that you are actually merely folding the card, and then you show the audience the “ripped” card, held tightly in your hand with the torn fragment. This makes it look like the card is in several pieces. Then you must set the card on a table and return the ripped fragment to wherever it has been hidden.
The tough part of the trick is in misdirecting the audience while you return the loose fragment and then pick up the now “repaired” card while uttering some hocus-pocus. If you can do this trick with enough dexterity, the audience will be amazed as they see that the signed card is “back in one piece”.