Nikola Tesla Books
224 HIGH FREQUENCY APPARATUS Selection of Experiments.-The selection and preparation of the experiments to be used in his program must needs rest with the entertainer himself. The work must show the individuality of the entertainer, since he is to perform the experiments and is responsible for their reception by the audience. The hints offered in this book should, therefore, be considered in the light of suggestions only, and the most the writer can hope is that they will start the entertainer on the right track. Constant experiment day after day will serve to bring out the wonderful possibilities in the apparatus, and as the worker proceeds he should make note of the effects produced and strive in future attempts to make the manner of presentation more striking and interesting. The one big thing to be borne in mind, as outlined in the last article, is that the experiments must hold the interest of the audience without the necessity of discourse or explanation. In the first place, the high frequency discharge produces a deafening noise which in itself renders speech inaudible while the coil is in operation, and, secondly, the audience as a rule does not care what the entertainer has to say and it must be shown. Simplicity should be the keynote throughout, for the average theatre audience may be treated as a more or less unruly crowd of children who want solely to be amused and entertained. With these facts in mind, the entertainer may plan his program. The number of experiments is seemingly limitless when one starts to operate the apparatus, and as the time allotted the average feature act in vaudeville is from twenty to thirty minutes, it is obvious that only the pick of the lot should be chosen. Some may be selected for their beauty, but the majority should be picked with a view to their sensational qualities. Probably the most effective opening number is produced by the high frequency transformer in operation at
