Not just men's magic - 19th November 2021

People of all ages find magic fascinating, but female magicians are still rare. A few women have now joined "The Magic Circle", which is the magicians’ society.

Kayla Drescher, an American magician, is preparing to go on stage at the well-known club the Magic Castle in Los Angeles.

Kayla Drescher: "Amongst anyone that calls themself a magician, so that ranges from a hobbyist, to your uncle Bob with the coin coming out of your ear, all the way to David Copperfields, about 7 percent of someone who calls themselves a magician, 7 percent are women. And anybody that makes an actual career, whether it be full time pro, or semi-professional, about 2 percent of those magicians are women.

Women have taken part in magic performances for years, but Drescher thinks they’re just part of the scenery, in a similar way to a lamp or table. However, she agrees that being an assistant can be a great way to learn magic.

Kayla Drescher: "I think some of the best magicians who are women have come from starting as an assistant. And I think it's really, really cool that more women are wanting, are loving magic enough that they want to do it on their own. I think that's key."

Mari-Lynn loves performing with her magician husband, John, and also their two girls. Her role’s traditional, and Mari-Lynn knows women magicians find it especially challenging.

Mari Lynn: "You know, it's something you've got to really have a bug for, you gotta love it. And not everybody, you know, who comes in contact with it falls in love with it, so. Because it's not an easy business and it's certainly not easy for women."

John believes women magicians should have the same opportunities. What's important is to love magic and to have fun.

John Shryock: "I mean, there's some really fantastic female magicians. I, I don't – I, I, I've never seen why they're – what's – you know, it's just entertainment. And if you, if you entertain the crowd, it doesn't matter if you're a boy or girl. You just, you just have fun and, and if you love magic, it's, it's, it's great."

Women magicians are certainly here to stay.