Women making magic

Adults and children everywhere enjoy magic. People can't help being interested by tricks. But magic is a man's world, there aren't many women magicians.

American magician Kayla Drescher is getting ready to entertain at a Los Angeles magic club. But this isn't common.

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 are usually assistants to male magicians. Drescher thinks they're only seen as objects on stage. But she knows helping can be a good way to learn. To become a magician, you have to love it.

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, a traditional assistant, enjoys entertaining with her husband, John. Their daughters are interested but it's a hard job, especially for women.

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 knows his daughters are mad about magic and he thinks women should have the same chances as men.

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 are no longer just pretty assistants. View Less