Women Can Be Magicians, Says “Queen of Cardistry” in Pittsburgh Performance

Anna DeGuzman, illusionist extraordinaire,  and her show “The Queen of Cardistry,” came to the ‘burgh last month at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Liberty Magic venue.  Located at 811 Liberty Ave in Downtown Pittsburgh, in the same block where historic magician, Harry Houdini, did his magic for Pittsburghers at the turn of the 20th century. Liberty Magic provides an intimate 70-seat theater where magicians and the audience can get amazed by magic “in an up close and personal way.”

The perfect venue, DeGuzman said, to showcase her craft.

What DeGuzman can do with a deck of 52 cards will make anyone’s head spin,  as she manipulates cards into impossible 3-D configurations.  There’s a name for her art: cardistry (“card artistry.”)

DeGuzman brings her cards to life with the manner in which she does flips, tosses and catches, while keeping audiences wondering where the cards are going to go next.  She is self-taught, having watched online videos to help her hone her craft. A YouTube and Instagram star, DeGuzman is considered one of the most influential social media magicians in the country.

“I started doing magic when I was three years old,” she said.  “I started making videos on YouTube before they went viral. I just love making ordinary objects do extraordinary things,” she said.

Now at 21, she is the youngest magician to ever perform on the Liberty Magic stage, and is only one of a handful of female magicians and illusionists in the world.

In 2019, she introduced herself to the world by amazing Illusionists, Penn & Teller, on their hit TV show,  “Fool Us.”  And that, she did.

In her Pittsburgh performance, DeGuzman was able to make a Rubik’s cube disappear and then
reappear within a brown paper bag. She also did tricks where she manipulated cards and she was also able to get into someone’s cell phone–with his permission, of course–by guessing the passcode, thereby leaving the audience in shock and the audience member immediately changing his phone’s security.

“Almost everyone doubted me and they still do, just because I’m a woman,” DeGuzman said,
speaking about her being a young female magician in a male-dominated industry. “If I can tell my younger self anything it would be to just own it and be confident,” and be able to do whatever you want to do in life.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  During the current Covid-19 pandemic, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has suspended its performances at its venues, including at the Liberty Magic stage.  The Trust plans to reschedule in the near future.  Penn State students qualify for discounted tickets to Liberty Magic performances and other Trust shows.

To keep updated on Trust schedule changes and for ticket discounts, go to trustarts.org for updates.  For tickets, log on to https://trustarts.org/pct_home/events/university-students-tickets and scroll down the list until you get to Penn State. Click on, order tickets, and enjoy!

Photo Credit:  The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust