Let me tell you about a little shake-up in the magic world that has me grinning ear to ear. It’s called Mystify, and it exists because one woman finally got fed up with the status quo.

For context: magic conventions are a boys’ club. Always have been. You know the names- David Copperfield, David Blaine, Criss Angel. Ask most folks to name a woman magician, and you’ll get silence. When Leah Orleans walked into conventions, she saw the same thing I did when I started in the Renaissance faire circuit- a sea of middle-aged white men. The largest magic convention in the country? Less than three percent women.

Leah’s breaking point came at a closing gala where she realized she’d just spent five days with the best magicians in the world, and not a single woman had taken the stage. Her friend nudged her and said, “You’re a producer. You could make it happen.” And eighteen months later, she did.

The magic industry was ready for Leah’s vision. Sponsors included some big names … Magic Castle Enterprises, 52 productions, Zubrick Magic Theater, Chicago Magic Lounge, Academy of Magical Arts, Magicana, Vanishing Inc, Penguin Magic … as well as a series of independent donors through Venmo, PayPal, and contributors to her Kickstarter campaign. Mystify Magic Festival raised over six figures in donations and funding.

Mystify’s elevator pitch is simple but revolutionary: a three-day magic convention with lectures, workshops, and shows, all led by women and non-binary performers. They also held panels on racism and cultural appropriation, topics that have never seen the light of day at mainstream magic gatherings. 

The results? A runaway success including state of the art entertainment.

The opening show was Juliana Chen, who is an international master magician, one of the best card manipulators in the world. There were panel talks and fishbowl conversations with magic industry professionals on dozens of different topics. The robust curriculum meant that attendees had to make choices about which classes to attend in person, and which would require following up with other attendees.

Thirty percent of attendees had never been to a magic convention before. Sixty-seven percent were under fifty, with many in their twenties and thirties. A robust scholarship program brought in participants from India, Ireland, and beyond, complete with travel, hotel, and even spending money for the dealer’s room. Imagine what that does for young magicians—walking into a room where they finally see someone who looks like them on stage.

And Mystify isn’t stopping with one convention. Leah is building three branches:

• Education – online lectures and resources.
  
• Community – a Discord space for mentorship and networking.
  
• Performance – touring shows featuring lineups of women magicians.
  

This is more than an event, it’s a possibility model. When an eight-year-old Black girl sees a Black woman commanding the stage with sleight-of-hand, it tells her: you belong here too.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- industries don’t change by accident. They change because someone decides the old rules don’t serve anymore, and then they do the hard, messy, exhilarating work of building something new. Mystify is exactly that.

The next Mystify Magic Festival will be in the early months of 2027, so … if you want a dose of what the future of live performance looks like, keep an eye on Leah’s project. Because magic just got a whole lot more magical.

Find Mystify at: Instagram and Mystify Magic Festival.com

Find Leah Orleans’ Insta at TinyGirlBigShow

Photo Credits: Lisa Farrente, Russell Klimas, Charles Ryan Barber, and David Szymanski

Rhonni DuBose‘s 30-year journey through the Renaissance Festival circuit has seen her evolve from a shop designer and builder to a multifaceted entrepreneur dedicated to industry advancement. Rhonni.com hosts articles by industry experts (Festival Prose), and educational resources for Renaissance Festival professionals. Resources include the Renfaire Vendors Blueprint (a comprehensive program that demystifies the unique business ecosystem of Renaissance Faires for aspiring merchants); a growing collection of specialized guides, and the forthcoming launch of the Renfaire Foundry (a database specifically designed for faire founders and administration teams.