History of Female Magicians | Page 41

STATE OF PLAY

Today , the social status of women remains fragile , despite their struggles , their demands , their desire for recognition , equality and independence . After all the societal advances and the evolution of mores , the fairer sex is still underestimated and abused , the victim of sexist and misogynistic prejudices under the control of men who still hold power ( political and moral ). Too often we still see assistants , mistreated and abused in stage magic acts and in " classic " tricks that have permanently permeated the collective unconscious of the public in the image of the infamous woman cut in half .
As we have seen throughout history , there is an obvious paradox in the journey of female magicians 11 moving from the status of assistant , to partner , from partner to solo artist ; to then regress , to go back and forth into precarious and unstable roles . It ’ s as if we want to withdraw the " advantages " they ’ ve earned and acquired after their many struggles .
There is still work to be done so that representation 12 , balance and recognition is definitively established in the performing arts and more generally in all fields . We would like the declaration of the great Adélaïde Herrmann to be definitively acted upon : " I don ’ t want to distinguish myself just because I am the only female conjurer to perform today . I will not be satisfied until the public recognizes me as one of the leaders in my profession , quite regardless of my gender ."
SPECIAL EDITION | 2021 41