The Magician's Sister by Jami Brandli

*Winner of 2023 Jane Chambers Playwriting Award
*Winner of 2023 Stanley Drama Award

The Magician’s Sister follows the story of two sisters: the aspiring Magician driven by being the best, and the play’s narrator, who somewhat reluctantly serves as her “Wise Assistant.” When the Magician purposely disappears herself and leaves behind mysterious clues to solve, the Wise Assistant becomes...
*Winner of 2023 Jane Chambers Playwriting Award
*Winner of 2023 Stanley Drama Award

The Magician’s Sister follows the story of two sisters: the aspiring Magician driven by being the best, and the play’s narrator, who somewhat reluctantly serves as her “Wise Assistant.” When the Magician purposely disappears herself and leaves behind mysterious clues to solve, the Wise Assistant becomes obsessed with finding her. As the sisters’ story dramatically unfolds over the span of thirty years—interweaving the present and the past—we witness the sisters struggle to fulfill their collective goals and conflicting individual desires, while they strive to perfectly execute Houdini’s famous “Metamorphosis” illusion. But at what cost? The Magician’s Sister explores the complexities of sisterhood, the ripple effect of family trauma, and the complicated pursuit and price of “being special,” while also incorporating the stories of real, historical female magicians and plenty of on-stage magic.

*The Magician's Sister was written as part of The Center Theatre Group's Los Angeles Writer's Workshop 21/22 and received a public presentation at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, September 2022.
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The Magician's Sister

Recommended by

  • Giulianna Marchese:
    19 Apr. 2024
    “ A beautiful play about loss and the pressure that comes with being "gifted." Really enjoyed reading this play! ”
  • Stephanie Alison Walker:
    15 Jan. 2024
    “ This highly theatrical play is grounded in its complex characters and their love for each other. It's deeply moving and filled with surprising moments throughout. I love how we get to see the sleight of hand play out on stage and how sleight of hand is deployed as a metaphor as well. The Magician's Sister is about female magicians, sisters, father-daughter/mother-daughter relationships, suffocating expectations placed on others and ourselves, processing trauma and forgiveness. This is sure to be a massive crowd pleaser and truly deserves many productions! ”
  • Brianna Barrett:
    1 Dec. 2023
    “ A memory play with the repetitious rhythm of a folk parable. The use of magic/escape artistry would be a lot of fun to see staged, and I particularly love the idea of the unseen escape artist in the background, demonstrating the tricks during the characters conversations. Ominous and rigorously researched -- female magicians are bizarrely underrepresented in the field and I appreciated the opportunity to learn more. ”
View all 5 recommendations

Character Breakdown:
A total of four actors are needed; three females and one male. All roles are race-neutral.
-Sister: Female, 40; the Magician's sister and our protagonist; age range from 13 years old to 40. She is the eldest sibling by only one year.
-Magician: Female, 30s; age range from 12 years old to 39
-Woman: Female, 40s/50s, plays Mother, Female Assistants, and Female Magicians
-Man: Male, 40s/50s, plays Father, Therapist and Male Magicians

Time:
-Present, Past, Future and Fantasy.
The Setting:
-The set should have the look and feel of a VAUDEVILLIAN STAGE...the audience should feel like they're about to watch a magic act.
-That said, the setting of the play takes place in various locations and in Sister's memory and mind. Therefore, the set must allow the characters to move fluidly through time, location and dimension.
-There will be lots of magic and costume changes. There is a costume rack always somewhere on stage.
-A scrim is needed for projections and shadow play.

Awards

Winner
,
The Jane Chambers Award
,
Women & Theatre Program and ATHE
,
2023
Winner
,
The Stanley Drama Award
,
Wagner College
,
2023
Finalist
,
The Risk Award
,
2023
Finalist
,
New Works Festival at Kitchen Dog Theater
,
Kitchen Dog Theater
,
2023