I find it disconcerting that I cannot think of any particular effects that have been designed specifically for women magicians to perform, although there are certainly many effects just for men (that women would not particularly want to perform).

So my first questions is, is it just me in my male chauvinistic world, that I don't know of any such effects? Can anyone here identify an effect that would appeal only to a woman magician and not to a man?

Having stated that, I can think of several effects that might start a new category of magic in this area:

Using lipstick, for example. I don't think many men would want to do a lipstick magic effect. I don't have anything specific in mind- perhaps one in which the lipstick changes colors.

How about effects using women's handbags? Sure, everyone uses the change purse for their spongeballs, but I'm talking about an effect where you "read" women's purses in a mentalist act- you spread your hands over a pockletbook and reveal the contents completely. Has any male mentalist done that?

I know some women comedians who perform at "ladies' night" affairs where the audience is made up mostly of women. Are there any women magicians who specialize in those types of shows? Would you do the 20th Century Jock Strap at such a gathering?

Just thought I'd ask.

Professor Spellbinder,

There was a clip on Youtube, now deleted on request of the copyright holder (FISM) of a FISM winner from, I think 2003.

I think her name was Roxanne and from memory she ate the petals of a black rose, then swiped her hand in front of her mouth and her lipstick turned black instantly. When she again swiped her hand back and forth in front of her mouth the lipstick returned to its original color.

I'd love to hear anything else anyone knows about her - she was marvelous - had beautiful entrancing eyes and the camera loved her.

Destiny

Well, that's more like it! I knew someone had to be thinking along those lines. You could even do a whole matching ensemble series of quick changes, from wig to shoes.

Did a Google search.

She is the wife of German magician Topas and apparently they did their first American performance in New York this past May.

Best news - her clip is back on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L-jl8ilUXk

Destiny

Conversing with Destiny here on the forum and by PM inspired me to try to come up with one new effect designed specifically for women magicians each month and publish it in The Wizards' Journal (on my site). Trick #1 is in place in Wizards' Journal #13 and is called "Womanicure." I hope you like it. The effect was inspired not by YouTube, but by playing in the backyard with my little granddaughter.

Thanks for posting that link! That act is quite lovely.

Roxanne is indeed Topas' wife. They both studied under Eberhard Riese who is director of(and mentor to) the Magischen Zirkels von Deutschland-Stuttgart in Stuttart, Germany (southern Germany). Herr Riese is an amazing talent and has been mentor not only for Topas and Roxanne, but for other acts, such as Junge, Junge! and Martin Eisele, as well as many others you are sure to have heard of. You can find out more about the Stuttgart Magic Circle, and it's long list of prize-winners here, but please note, the site is in German:

http://www.magic-stuttgart.de/

Roxanne and Topas have been making a living off magic, exclusively, for over 8 years and often do a show together. Roxanne has been awarded several prizes, including:

2nd Place Belgian Championships 2000
2nd Place Netherlands Championships 2000
3rd Place "general Magic", FISM 2000
SARMOTI Award of Siegfried and Roy 2002

Hope this gives you a little more information about her and where she came from.

When one thinks of women and magic, not specifically the stage/performance sort, our "cultural memory" <If I can use the term> tends towards the mysterious and mystical.
I purport that any woman who does mentalism (Anabelle?!) is already over half way there. I think some of the early spirit cabinet acts, while they were showcased in a "men's show" were really designed for the woman in the act. I will say they are helped by the male straight jacket work, as they make it look so very difficult to get free, lending credence that "that poor lil' thang couldn't have gotten loose so fayest!"

A number of mentalists and mind reading acts feature the woman as the "reader".

As I have posted in another board, we start young at slumber parties with the mirror games, and the "light as a feather" game. We just don't think of it the same way many guys do.

For current magic acts, most think of large stage size work. While there is nothing wrong with these, I think that there are more women who work in a more intimate setting.

I recall seeing Melinda's act a number of years ago, and while I was pleased to see a woman magician, alas most of what she did was fairly standard stage illusion work, with a tight glitzy not much costume (and the comment-"c'mon guys, where am I gonna hide anything in this!"). Granted she had her own style of presentation, but as for a specific ACT not having things that other people equate to magic, or a "standard set of boxes on stage", it was fairly formula.

I will say that there are some effects that men do that I think might be better done by women, after all, what woman of the feminine sort (okay, so maybe not me specifically) will not have all those silk scarves, "nope, doesn't match, sorry wrong size, Oooo pretty design" blendo effect?!
kay

I think Lucy's "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" routine has to be feminine!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

PS --- My "Elvira" routine would not work with all males.

There are a lot of effects all men don't want to perform. It's like saying, "Hey, I'm going to put a Chinese act together, what Chinese trick are there out there for me to use." It isn't the props or tricks that make it a Chinese act, it is you, that do that. You can easily adapt a trick or design one to make it specifically for you.

-Matt

Hey how about floating lipstick vs. floating cigarette?

Best
Brandon

Floating lipstick would be good, but that is only half, why would I float a lipstick unless....if it could be applied during the float. Alas, most methods for floating cig are not designed for things as heavy as a lipstick tube, and even a gaffed tube would be hard to maneuver for an application effect, though figuring out how to do one would be fun! Wait! I have it! a possible method!
off to the workroom.
Kay

Remember Steve Duschek's Wunderbar, the original floating metallic bar that started the whole craze with Invisible Thread applications. It looked like a heavy metal bar (which was the whole idea) but weighed less than a cigarette. However, getting it to change the color of lips might be tough... oh wait! That's one of the things included in my new "Womanicure" article. Mischief managed!

How about "The Relic"?
I gave the new demo a female spin.
http://homepage.mac.com/edbain/iMovieTheater10.html

I'm spinning! What extraordinary work you do, Eddie.

Its nice to know that with people like you around, wonders will never cease. Thank you...

Got my own 'girly magic' thing about a year ago, unfortunately, due to months of heavy school work and lag, I lost it. Gotta practice it again. It's about how magicians retouch. The part two, which was supposed to be posted months ago, is not yet done, but my concept is this:

Muggle vs. magician

Who retouches first; something like that.

If you're thinking about close up efects that are distinctly, exclusively female, look up Lisa Menna's work published in the New York Magic Symposium books, and Spectacle by Steven Minch.

Her Cinderella card stab is one effect that depends on things you only learn by wearing high heels. Her card in the lipstick depends partly on exerting a "femine influence" on the male spectator. And you have to see how she vanishes a loose diamond...

Our own Autumn Morningstar also has some uniquely feminine close up material, but I don't think it's published yet.

The next effect I am working on designed for women is called "Compact with the Devil." It's a play on the word "Compact" which can mean an agreement or covenant between two parties, OR a small cosmetic case, usually with a mirror. This can be used as a mentalist effect, or as a bizarre effect- your choice. It makes use of a small cosmetic mirror compact from the Dollar Store and will be on my site shortly.

I have seen Lisa Menna perform all of these effects. Fabulous! As for my close-up material, you are correct, Curtis. I know you have seen me perform them a time or two. Thanks for remembering! Since I mainly do stage magic these days, maybe it is time I get to writing that manuscript and share a few close-up ideas.

Spellbinder, I cannot wait to read your routine "Womanicure"! You always come up with the most usable, authentic material. What a brilliant mind!
Autumn

Have you ladies seen the close up coin work of Peruvian magician Ella (Claudia)?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xS8_olk9uYc

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qpS1wTJ9usQ

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ISOgwgVJkMw

Her fluid movement and gentle touches look natural, magical and virtually "sleightless".

It's pretty remarkable. She's taken a routine (3-fly) generally associated by male performers (Townsend, Kurtz, Harbottle, Latta, Hooser, Kenner, etc...)and graced it with a distinctively feminine touch. If 3-fly wasn't such a familiar routine to magicians, I would think (from her gracefully performed routine) that it was created specially for women.

It's interesting that certain "props" and female "themes" come to mind when considering a specially feminine magic routine while it's really the skill and uniqueness of the performance that make it feminine.

Bosco