I think we've all heard the cliche that there are no bad tricks, only bad magicians. Though I'm sure that there are many bad magicians performing good tricks poorly, I doubt even David Copperfield can make a very bad trick good.
It's almost like saying that there are no bad dishes, only poor cooks. Let's face it - junk is junk no matter how you look at it. Even if one were the greatest cook in the world, it would still be impossible to make a gourmet meal out of oatmeal and bad fish. Similarly, it's much akin to saying that there are no bad movie scripts but only bad directors or hopeless actors. If such were the case, why would the best actors in Hollywood be selective of their scripts? Why not simply throw a few lines together and film a movie in 2 weeks?
The material matters. I think this bears repeating - THE MATERIAL MATTERS!
Rene Lavand once said, "The trick must be very good, but the artist must be better than the trick." I can't agree more.
We need to select our material carefully - use good material and temper it with an even better performance. I think only then can we achieve a level of art that is only hinted at vaguely at most magic discussions in theory.
