THEATER
The Magician’s Sister
by Jami Brandli
directed by Reena Dutt
January 16-25, 2025
Evening Performances: January 16, 17, 18 / 22, 23, 24
Matinee Performances: January 19 & 25
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater
The Magician’s Sister follows the story of two women: an aspiring Magician driven by being the best, and her sister, who somewhat reluctantly serves as her “Wise Assistant.” When the Magician purposely disappears herself and leaves behind mysterious clues to solve, her sister becomes obsessed with finding her. As the two sisters’ stories dramatically unfold over the span of thirty years—interweaving the present and the past—we witness their struggle to fulfill their collective goals and conflicting individual desires, while they strive to perfectly execute Houdini’s famous “Metamorphosis” illusion.
The Magician’s Sister explores the complexities of sisterhood, the ripple effects 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.
JAMI BRANDLI is the winner of the 2023 Jane Chambers Award and the 2023 Stanley Drama Award for The Magician’s Sister. Additional plays include M-Theory, Technicolor Life, The Romeo and Juliet Senior Citizens Project—A Comedy, O: A Rhapsody in Divorce, and BLISS (or Emily Post is Dead!)—named on The Kilroys List and a LA Times Critics’ Choice. Her work has been produced/developed at New Dramatists, New York Theatre Workshop, Kitchen Dog Theater, Women’s Voices Theater Festival, Center Theatre Group, among other venues. Additional accolades include: 2022 Center Theatre Group Writer’s Workshop. Nominated for Best Playwriting for an Original Play; Los Angeles Ovation Awards. Humanitas Prize PLAY LA playwright. Winner of John Gassner Memorial Playwriting Award, Holland New Voices Award, Ashland New Plays Festival and Aurora Theatre Company’s GAP Prize. Finalist for the PEN Literary Award for Drama, the O’Neill and Ojai Playwrights Conference. Her short works are published with TCG, Dramatic Publishing Company, Applause Books, and Smith & Kraus.
Arrive Early for the Conversation!
January 18, 2024 // 6:30pm
Guest Scholar: Jami Brandli, MFA Creative Writing
Discussion: Magic and Gender through new writing and performance.
The Magician’s Sister is an award-winning new play that follows the story of two sisters over the course of thirty years, exploring the difficulties that come with the struggle to fulfill one’s own desires and potential. As the sisters make peace with their mother’s mental illness and violent death, they struggle to fulfill her dream for them becoming something “extraordinary.”
This program is made possible through a grant from Utah Humanities. Utah Humanities strengthens Utah communities by cultivating connections, deepening understanding, and exploring our complex human experience.