Zig Zag Girl (illusion)

The Zig Zag Girl is a stage illusion invented in 1965 by Robert Harbin in which a person is apparently divided into three in an upright cabinet.

The basic effect is as follows:


 * A person enters an upright cabinet through a door in the front.
 * When the door is closed, the person's face, hands, and at least one foot remain visible through openings.
 * Metal blades are inserted horizontally into the cabinet from the front, apparently dividing it into thirds.
 * The cabinet's midsection is slid to the side, giving the appearance that the person's midsection has similarly been pulled away from the rest of them.
 * Optionally, a small door on the displaced midsection of the cabinet can be opened to touch the person inside.
 * The midsection is slid back into place, and the blades are removed.
 * The cabinet is opened and the person steps out unscathed.

The "zig-zag" shape of the divided cabinet gives the illusion its name.

Harbin's original performance included an audience member being invited onto stage to witness the performance up close. The Zig Zag Girl is an example of a stage illusion that can be performed surrounded, and close to the audience.