Women make magic - 19th November 2021

Everybody loves magic. People like watching these clever men and women. They are magicians. But most magicians are men, not women.

Kayla Drescher is an American magician. Now, she's going to do magic 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 are often in magic shows. But they are only helpers. They weren't so important in the past. Women magicians often start as assistants.

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 helps her husband John. She and her daughters love magic. But it's a difficult business 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 has no problem with women magicians. It's just important 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 not going away.