"I could have conquered all of Europe, but I had women in my life."
Henry II in The Lion in Winter, by James Goldman

Women in magic? The question constantly shows up on the magic newsgroups. Often, the question comes from women themselves: “why arenʼt there more females in magic?” Have you met the male magicians?

We write books on how to pick-up women in bars with card tricks. We ask them to wear costumes that make them more an object and less a person. In grand illusion we bend them into positions we could never successfully recreate without the help of several large and determined Sumo wrestlers. And then we take the bow... alone!

The Old Boyʼs Club certainly sees women as a threat, as competition for the jobs and chances to perform they want... but then, they see everybody as a threat. There is the quasi- science of determining if a womenʼs hands are big enough to perform difficult sleights, and whether girls are introduced to the same kind of role models that boys see. Mythically speaking —and I am a myth (“there are some who call me... Tim”)—the lore is full of magical females. In Homerʼs Odyssey a goddess of magic, Circe, turns men into pigs. Women in bars, having recently endured an assortment of card tricks, might do the same without too much difficulty. There are many female magicians in the history of magic, and many performing today. So, why arenʼt there more? There will be, because all things change.

The women I am working with now came to magic before I met them. Liberty Larsen grew up with the Magic Castle. She has assisted me in an elegant two-person presentation of my “sawing,” Clearly Impossible. But she has the desire to present magic on her own, and has asked me to mentor her development in the art. HER requirements are that the magic she presents be work I would be proud to call my own. When we sat down and talked about her philosophy of presentation, I was struck by the sophistication of her thoughts as well as the chances she is willing to take. When you present something you care deeply about, you open yourself up to a scrutiny from the audience that few are willing to accept. Easier to mask yourself behind stock words and moves; itʼs something entirely different when those words and moves are your own. She is brave enough to do exactly that, and that compels respect

Misty Lee and I have performed together before, and she actually got me to sing onstage in my show Ghosts of Broadway, which is a miraculous achievement all itʼs own. Now we present “Metaphysics” together as magicians of competing points of view. Misty works harder than anyone I have ever met, and has an enthusiasm that leaves me breathless. She is stunning—with a quality that seems iconically magical—but she never takes the easy road of resting on her looks. In our show, I play a hyper-rational being and she represents the mystical. We compete and assist each other in a series of effects that display a wide range of skills. Her relationship with me has been both as student and peer. Tough goals donʼt frighten her, rather they energize her; this too demands respect.

In a previous column here on the Magic Newswire, I discussed my work with Mystina, who continues to perform with me in shows where she also presents her own material. Mystina needs no introduction... although an award would be nice; she has earned it.

Then there is my lady, West, who is my life, having given me a reason to live it. She is involved in all I do, including writing these columns (except this one; these are my words alone). Soon we will have a new performance piece we created together.

I find an ambition in the women I work with to be accepted on their own as unique and credible magicians. Itʼs all they ask for. I will continue to help them achieve what we males have always taken for granted.

Until next month... Jonathan Pendragon