Magic has too often been a closed shop to diverse faces. Liz Toonkel is forcing it back open. Funny, skillful and highly motivated, this fashion-loving, queer, female, American performer is putting an end to the situation where the woman’s role is to be cut in half or disappeared. Her Edinburgh Fringe show Magic for Animals combines humour and wow-filled tricks with social issues and glamorous (vegan) costumes. We spoke to her about her show and her ambitions.
Laughter cracks you open and creates space for change
Magic is still quite a male domain – how did you get involved and what decided you to do it live on stage?
I came to magic as an outsider who wanted to find a new way in. Marginalised people are change-makers. They see spaces from the outside - and what’s not working in them - before they are given access. This ends up being an advantage because they’re not embedded in old modes of thinking and can enter spaces with a critical eye and fresh ideas.
As a performance artist and scenic designer, I had an interest in magic since it felt like the perfect blend of the two. In 2016, I was devising a one-woman opera performed exclusively by my hands and wanted to learn sleight of hand magic because that felt like the highest form of hand-based performance and enrolled in magic classes at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. I was surprised that such an innovative art form, in terms of its sleights, was stuck in a patriarchal mindset in its writing and performance. I could see how the door had been slammed on so many diverse voices. This space was in desperate need of a shakeup.
I had experience as a director and production designer in the film world, which is extremely male-dominated, and thought I could use what I learned there to navigate and improve things in magic. Since then, I became a magician member of the Academy of Magical Arts at the Magic Castle and developed my one-woman show. I aim to create space for LGBTQIA, women and BIPOC in magic. I want my show to be an experience where people who have felt uncomfortable at a magic show in the past feel welcome and seen. I think it’s important for audiences to see more representation onstage and I’m happy to help increase visibility in magic.
Your show looks different, like magic with a mission, can you tell us about that?
Entertainment is powerful and it is what has always inspired me to make change in my own life. I believe deeply in the work of early feminist performance artists who recognised the political power of performance and I try to be aware of the ideology behind all my work. I aim to use magic for sociopolitical value. Throughout history, shady individuals and institutions have employed the techniques of magic to mislead and brainwash people but what if these powerful tactics were used for communal good not personal gain? I care deeply about animals but even I don’t respond well to preaching about animal rights. A comedic magic show feels like a much stronger method to change people’s hearts and minds.
How do you make issues like animal rights fun?
Everything in life can be funny. Humour is one of the most powerful tools we have because laughter cracks you open and creates space for change. When you’re laughing with an audience you feel a deep sense of community. I find the humour in some things heartbreaking, like the current treatment of animals. When we frankly look at these issues and our own relationships to them they can be absurd, like the fact that we kill animals for $25,000 handbags or for fabric softener.
You are described as queer, American, female and Jewish. Do aspects of these identities shape your work?
My identity is always central to the work I make. My work is very personal and I’m the vessel for it so all the baggage that comes along with my identities is onstage with me. In this show, I thought a lot about my Jewish identity, especially since that identity is closest to one that exists in the history of magic since so many Jewish performers have made a home there. When structuring the show, I was very inspired by the Jewish philosopher Maimonides and his five steps of repentance: owning harm, starting to change, making amends, apologising, and pursuing different choices.
I became aware of the Americanness of me and my show when I performed in Denmark and realised how loud and energetic I am and how that’s a unique power I can exploit onstage. It’s liberating to embrace that because I often feel ashamed to be American in this cultural moment. While the show doesn’t directly address queer issues I believe my presence as a queer woman onstage is helping to queer the narrative of magic and deeply drives my development process. My female identity is central to everything I do and to the themes of the show. This part of my identity is really where my ideas stem from and I am proud of how it allows me to bring new perspective and humour to old ideas.
You love fashion. How do you manage to combine all that glamour with your ethical beliefs about animal rights and sustainability?
You can sparkle and still be conscious. I worked with the amazing costume designer Stephen James to create a custom costume that brings all the extravagance you expect from a magician but that is unexpectedly completely vegan. Vegan clothing doesn’t have to be dull and boring. It’s disappointing that plant-based products aren’t more affordable, I think once that shifts a lot more people will adopt a plant-based lifestyle.
I strove for everything in my show to be vegan, which I almost pulled off. Some of the hand props aren’t (silk scarves, leather handbags) but I hope their impact helps make up for that. I think the most important thing is to try. I struggle a lot with perfectionism and I’ve been trying to teach myself that making an effort and instilling change is already a big step. I also want my audiences to take this mentality away from the show - life isn’t black and white and we should try to feel comfortable existing in the grey.
