Women in Magic: Making Space, Taking It, and Leaving the Door Open

There’s a moment that happens often when I arrive at shows that tells you everything you need to know about being a woman in magic.

It’s the pause.

The Oh… you’re the magician? pause.

or

"When do you get cut in half?" cringe.

I’ve been performing professionally for years. I headline shows. I perform at prestigious venues. I've been on TV. I create large-scale theatrical bubble magic, cabaret magic, close-up magic, and corporate entertainment. And still—still—there are moments where someone looks past me to find “the magician.”

So let’s talk about women in magic. Not as a trend. Not as a novelty. Not as a panel topic.

As a reality.

Magic Wasn’t Built for Us—So We Built Anyway

Magic, historically, was designed to make men look powerful, mysterious, brilliant, and in control. Women were assistants. Decorations. Misdirection.

And yet—women have always been here.

We were just told to be quieter about it.

What I see now is a generation of women who didn’t ask for permission. We didn’t wait to be invited. We learned the sleights, wrote the scripts, designed the costumes, hauled the gear, booked the gigs, and learned how to negotiate contracts and deal with being underestimated in the same breath-- and all often with no sleeves!

We built careers anyway.

The Double Standard No One Talks About

Here’s the part no one talks about- Just like in a board room- when a man is confident, he’s a leader. When a woman is confident, she’s “difficult.”

When a man charges premium rates, he’s “knowing his worth.” When a woman does it, she’s “expensive" or "delusional"

When a man experiments onstage, he’s bold. When a woman does it, she’s risky.

So many women in magic learn early to walk a the fine line—be strong, but not threatening; glamorous, but not distracting; funny, but not silly; smart, but not intimidating.

I remember vividly two distinct moments learning from men in the magic world. I took courses on marketing. For one course I asked, How do you balance your kids and do all this marketing work from home? His response? "I never thought about it, My wife watches them"

Got it. I need to get a wife.

Another marketing meeting passed on a script that had very aggressive undertones. I tried this phone script with a few clients and was quickly dismissed. It was clear that these clients found me pushy rather than confident.

Let's not even dive into the "talk to the decision-maker" part of the marketing classes. Where the out-dated advice is that you should push to talk to the husband or the boss rather than the woman who is the wife or secretary.

Visibility Matters (Even When It’s Uncomfortable)

Representation in magic isn’t just about numbers—it’s about visibility.

It’s about young girls seeing someone who looks like them command a stage.

It’s about audiences understanding that magic doesn’t come in one voice, one body type, one gender expression, or one aesthetic.

And yes—visibility is uncomfortable sometimes. When you stand out, you become a lightning rod. You get praised louder and criticized harder. You’re told you’re inspiring and told you’re doing too much.

But visibility changes the room.

Every time a woman headlines, produces, emcees, teaches, or builds her own platform, the room shifts a little.

Collaboration Over Competition

One of the most radical things women in magic can do is refuse to be pitted against one another.

There is room for all of us.

Different styles. Different ages. Different bodies. Different voices. Different goals.

Some of us want Vegas. Some want Broadway. Some want libraries. Some want cabaret. Some want close-up. Some want bubbles and champagne and sparkle. Some want cards and darkness and silence.

None of these paths cancel the others out.

When women support women in magic- share opportunities, recommend one another, amplify successes- we don’t just survive. We expand what magic can be.

The Future of Magic Is Bigger Than a Box

The future of magic doesn’t look like the past and that’s a good thing.

It’s interdisciplinary. It’s theatrical. It’s emotionally intelligent. It’s funny, strange, beautiful, political (sometimes), vulnerable (often), and deeply human.

Women are not guests in that future.

We are architects.

We are producers.

We are headliners.

And we are no longer asking to be included—we’re building the stages ourselves.

To the Women Coming Up Behind Us

If you’re a woman reading this and wondering if you belong in magic:

You do.

If you don’t see someone doing what you want to do—that’s not a sign to quit. 

That’s a sign you might be the first.

Take the space. Make it beautiful. Leave the door open.

✨

— Meadow Perry

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