Want to Fast-Track Your Way to Killing in Front of a Crowd?
Whether it's a single routine or your full act, I'll be your director to help you tighten the beats, sharpen the laughs, and own the stage!
I provide professional Director Services to help performers refine their stage presence and connect with audiences.
"Your insights were as valuable as what I got working with Bob Fitch for 9 years."
Why Should You
Work With A Director?
Even the most critical performer is unable to objectively criticize their own performance. We tend to look at everything through our own rose-colored glasses, and as a result, we forgive bad habits by “blinking them out of existence,” or more likely: not noticing them in the first place! It just cannot be done. At least, not quickly. This is why everyone needs a director.
We often hear magicians say, “I’ve honed this routine over thousands of performances, and now l’ve finally gotten it where it needs to be!” A director is able to help you eliminate some of those performances, and what’s more: get you to “where it needs to be” faster.
Okay...But Why Me?
Most magicians (and a lot of stand-up comics) never think about what they’re really doing on stage. They practice tricks. They hone punchlines. But they don’t focus on production value, motivated movements, or moreover, the overall direction of the performance.
That’s where I come in.
I’m not just another working magician giving tips. I hold a BFA in Musical Theater Performance with a directing emphasis. I’ve spent years studying how movement, voice, pacing, and presence shape an audience’s experience.
That’s the stuff that separates “a person doing tricks” from a performer they’ll never forget.
Magic Director Meets Theater Director
I was handpicked as the original magician in the World Premiere of Stephen Schwartz’s Magic to Do (and can be heard on the cast album).
I was also trusted with the creative heavy lifting after the original team left. My job? To make the illusions make sense within the theater piece. To fuse story and spectacle so the audience didn’t know where the play ended and the magic began.
That’s the kind of direction most performers never get.
Why Do I Need A Director?
Here Are 6 Ways a Director Can Help You Achieve Your Goals
Find Your Focus
We often spend so much time on a concept or an idea that the focus of a routine can get lost in the shuffle. A director can listen to where you think your focus is, and as a result, watch to make sure you’re keeping in line with that vision.
Develop (or Enhance) Your Character
If you don’t have a character, why then are we watching you? Every time you step on stage, you’re presenting a character. Perhaps not as exaggerated as a Sylvester the Jester, or a Zabrecky; more likely the very best version of yourself. A director is able to fine tune this character, pull out certain elements that soar, and suppress the ones that a dragging you down, therefore allowing the audience to experience it more completely.
Eliminate Extraneous Movements
Vernon said, “be natural.” Easier said than done. Especially when you can’t see yourself. Video is great, but we often train ourselves, subconsciously, to blink during the magic move, consequently missing it entirely. It’s a very difficult thing to overcome. A director is able to look at the bigger picture and make sure every move counts.
Help Make Tough Editing Decisions
Let’s face it: it’s tough to “kill your darlings.” Maybe you just love a certain routine, but it’s not loving you back. Or maybe you got the dreaded “first night laugh” and have not been able to achieve it since. A director can observe with the eyes of an audience member and help you make frank, difficult decisions that will elevate your overall performance.
Provide Scripting Clarity
A famous idiom from the acting world is “play it, don’t say it.” For example, if you’re angry, play angry. Don’t say, “I’m angry!” This goes double in the magic world. A director can help isolate the moments where you’re caught over explaining a moment, or when you’ve said, “do me a favor and…” for the umpteenth time.
Comedy Punch Ups
Warning: this is a tough pill to swallow. Most of the time, when someone says, “I’m a comedy magician,” they’re lying about one of those two things…..and it’s usually the comedy part. A director is able to help with joke writing and punch-ups; for instance, they can tell you when to take a beat, add a look, or what to cut to make the joke land harder and more consistently.
"Michael has a way of putting you inside the mind of your audience and making you understand it from their point of view."
I'm Ready For My Close-Up, Mister Demille!
Here are (just) 52 things a director can do for your act!
- Better Structure
- Smoother Flow
- Staging Tweaks
- Targeted Feedback
- Comedy Punch-Ups
- Script Analysis
- Eliminating “isms”
- Clean Transitions
- Rhythmic Clarity
- Callback Placement
- Thematic Focus
- Word Efficiency
- Purposeful Blocking
- Strategic Beats
- Clearer Intention
- Energy Control
- Character Focus
- Better Posture
- Onstage Confidence
- Physical Economy
- Authentic Connection
- Stage Pictures
- Lighting Awareness
- Joke Density
- Timing Precision
- Dynamic Range
- Pacing Variations
- Breath Control
- Gesture Alignment
- Vocal Warmth
- Silence as a Tool
- Eye Contact Strategy
- Audience Warm-Up
- Volunteer Management
- Audience Scanning
- Tension & Release
- Applause Shaping
- Punchline Placement
- Rule of Three Usage
- Story Arc Clarity
- Tag Line Integration
- Misdirection Layering
- Entrance Impact
- Exit Strategy
- Costume Cohesion
- Prop Justification
- Tech Rehearsal Prep
- Contingencies
- Brand Alignment
- Emotional Resonance
- Memorability Factor
- Rehearsal Methodology
I've Been Where You Are
Even the sharpest performers are blind to their own bad habits. We get too close to the material, forgive our mistakes, or stop pushing when the laughs seem “good enough.”
Enter moi.
As a working pro with 20+ years of stage time, I bring an outside eye, tough notes, and practical fixes from MY experiences with a director that help you achieve your goals faster!
You laid the foundation. Now let's bring it to life!
"The guidance he gives me provides the confidence I need every time I step out onto the stage."
This isn't vague advice from a Facebook Group!
This is real direction from someone who knows the trenches!
Director Services and Act Coaching
Routine Review
Perfect if you want to sharpen a single 5-15 minute routine.
After purchase, you’ll get an email inviting you to submit your routine—5 to 15 minutes of your best stuff (or the part that’s bugging you most).
Then I go to work:
- I’ll watch your routine at least four times. Yep. Four. Not because I’m slow, but because real feedback takes real attention.
- Each viewing focuses on something new: clarity, structure, laugh lines, timing, character, presence, and missed opportunities.
- l’ll take a fresh set of notes every time. No copy/paste critiques.
- You’ll get a PDF breakdown of everything: fixes, tweaks, beats, breaths.
- Then we meet: a 60-minute Zoom session where we dive in together. You ask. I answer. We shape it. You leave with a clear plan, and the tools to kill the next time you’re on stage.
Full Act Review
For the Pro who wants to level up their entire show.
After purchase, you’ll get an email with instructions for submitting your full show, up to 90 minutes of your best material, in whatever shape it’s in.
Here’s what you get:
- I’ll watch the whole thing multiple times, each time focusing on something new: structure, pacing, character development, audience connection, LPMs, staging, flow, production value, and why that one joke you swear works…doesn’t.
- I’ll take a separate set of notes during each pass and compile them into a full write-up; honest, specific, and direct. You want fluff? Call your mom.
- Then we get on a 3-hour Zoom call where we go through it all together. You’ll leave that call with a clear picture of what to fix, what to keep, what to drop, and what to stop apologizing for.
- After you take the notes and tighten things up, you send me your act again…..the new, improved version.
- I’ll take one more full pass and give you a final round of notes.
- We meet for one last 60-minute Zoom follow-up to talk through the final polish and set you up to walk onstage and destroy your crowd.
Routine Review
Investment: $300
Most magicians drop $300 on a single gimmick that never leaves the case. This review turns the routines you already do into stronger material that works every time, and lays the groundwork for you to make adjustments yourself in other routines.
Full Act Review
Investment: $1,500
If this investment helps you secure just one corporate show or theater booking, you’ve made it back in the first gig and then some! Every show after that is profit on your new skills.
Want to come to me? Want me to come to you?
Do you have a show that you regularly put in front of an audience that you want me to see so we can rehearse during the day and apply the notes that night? Would you rather come to me and work together in my in-home studio so there’s no screen barrier and fewer distractions? Either way, I have options available for that too! Reach out and lets discuss what makes the most sense for you so you can work with a director (me!) as soon as possible!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be a magician?
No. If you perform in front of people (comedians, speakers, teachers, even pastors) I can help. Anyone that stands in front of a group of people to communicate a message needs a trusted set of objective eyes on their message. In other words: EVERYONE needs a director.
What if I don't have a "show" yet?
Start with a routine. The feedback will still change the way you see your show. Think of it as laying a foundation for a house.
Why not just ask a friend to watch my act?
Friends (and even fellow performers) will tell you if they liked it. I’ll tell you why it worked or didn’t, and exactly what to change.
Will you just tear me apart?
Nope. My job is to sharpen, not destroy. But I will be honest.
Will you rewrite my whole act?
No. My job isn’t to change your voice, it’s to amplify it. I’ll help you shape what you already do so it lands harder and connects deeper.
Do I have to perform live for you?
Not necessarily. Most clients send me a video of their act or routine, which I review before we meet on Zoom. But some choose to work in person, either at my in-home studio (away from distractions) or by flying me out to see a long-running show live so I can give notes, rehearse with you, and immediately apply changes in front of an audience.
How much time does this take?
A Routine Review usually takes about three hours total (my review + our Zoom call). An Act Review takes several hours across multiple passes, plus a three-hour Zoom session (and subsequent follow-up). It’s an investment, but one that pays off every time you step onstage.
Can I book you more than once?
Yes! Many performers start with a routine, then come back for an act review later. Some even treat me like an ongoing director, checking in regularly as they build new material.
What if I disagree with your notes?
Great! That means you care. At the end of the day, it’s your show. My job is to push you, challenge assumptions, and give you tools. You decide what to keep.
How do I know this will work for me?
Because the principles of theatre and stagecraft are universal. I’ve used them in magic, musical theatre, and corporate settings. The details may differ, but the audience is always human, and humans respond the same way to confidence, story, and presence.
Why should I trust you with my act?
Because this isn’t theory. I’ve directed magic inside a Stephen Schwartz world premiere, helped performers sharpen routines into contest winners, and spent nearly three decades learning what makes an audience lean in. My background isn’t just magic: it’s theatre, direction, comedy, and connection.
Is coaching with you really worth the cost?
Yes. A single fix can change how an audience sees you — and how much you earn. Stronger laughs mean repeat bookings. Cleaner shows mean better reviews. A more polished act makes it easier to raise your fee with confidence. One adjustment can pay for itself in your very next gig, and then continue to earn for you every time you step on stage.