Ventriloquism
is the art of throwing one’s voice, or speaking without letting the lips move.
It is letting your voice speak through an inanimate object such as a wooden
puppet that you take control of through dialect and movement. The entertaining
artist does the talking in reality, but it appears that the puppet is speaking.
You cannot see the lip movement of the entertainer who is in charge of the
performance of the puppet. The puppet and the ventriloquist become one when they
entertain.
A puppet not only needs the voice of the ventriloquist to look and feel real. The ventriloquist will also have to learn how to manipulate the puppet, and bring actions and movement that will bring the puppet to life. In other words, the job of the ventriloquist is to give the puppet an independent life. If you are wondering what makes for a good ventriloquist, besides having a unique puppet to compliment the act, another aspect is having an act that is laced in humor to wow the audience. The ventriloquist must be original, funny, and know how to trick the minds of the audience as to what they are actually hearing when communication is taking place between the puppet and the ventriloquist.
Modern ventriloquists use a variety of different types of puppets in their presentations, ranging from soft cloth or foam puppets, flexible latex puppets, and the traditional and familiar hard-headed knee figure. The classic puppets used by ventriloquists vary in size anywhere from twelve inches tall to human-size and larger, with the height usually falling between thirty-four and forty-two inches. This type of puppet has been made from papier-mâché or wood. In modern times, other materials are often employed including fiberglass-reinforced resins, urethanes, filled latex, and neoprene.
Ventriloquists
have been a popular form of entertainment for ages. Even with the success of
ventriloquists like Jeff Dunham, people still have misconceptions about the
art. It is time to debunk these myths.
Ventriloquists are born with a
special ability. This is definitely not true. Early
practioneers of the art tried to hide their methods using deception.
Ventriloquists, like magicians, didn’t want people to learn their secrets. They
created and spread the myth that ventriloquists were born with special abilities.
Some people still believe that a ventriloquist has double throats or a second
set of vocal chords. The truth is anyone can perform ventriloquism. To be a
ventriloquist you simply need proper training and practice. There are books and
even on-line ventriloquism lessons. People of all ages have learned and
practiced the art.
Ventriloquists are weird. The picture of a lonely person talking to puppets seems to
be a popular image to people who have never experienced the magic of this art. Ventriloquism
is a skill that takes practice, persistence, and talent to present. People who
take the art seriously and develop their skills are true artists. Like any art
or profession, there may be a few strange people, but most are down to earth
and friendly. Ventriloquists even have an international convention where the
pros teach amateur and semi-professionals.
Ventriloquists believe their dummy
is real. The movie and television industry
have created this popular myth. Movies wouldn’t be half as scary if a ventriloquist
placed his figure in a case and put it away. There is a thread of truth behind
this myth. When the ventriloquist figure or puppet is on-stage, the
ventriloquist treats the puppet as if it were real. By acting this way, the
audience will suspend their belief and “buy into” the illusion of life. We
realize that the puppet is just a tool. It is the instrument that a
ventriloquist “plays” to present their performance.
Ventriloquists clench their teeth
together. This is another falsehood that
spread. Usually by people who never learned to perform ventriloquism. If the
teeth are clenched together, the lower breathe stream mentioned above could not
escape. This would muffle the puppet’s voice. A skilled ventriloquist separates
their teeth slightly and learns to talk without the use of their lips. This
requires practice.
Ventriloquists talk with their
mouths closed. Ventriloquists use a resonant voice
like a hum. The resonant voice needs two air passages for the sound to escape.
The upper breathe stream escapes through the nasal cavity. The lower breathe
stream escapes through a small opening between the lips of the ventriloquist.
This makes a louder sound so the puppet can be heard. If the ventriloquist had
his or her lips closed, the air would not escape and the puppet voice would be
muffled. So this myth is also debunked.
“The only way a ventriloquist
speaks differently is that he forgoes using his or her lips, and learns to
reproduce sounds using the tongue, upper palate, and teeth only. Those
'difficult' letters are B, F, M, P, V, W, and Y.” (Jeff Dunham) [i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“5
Myths about Ventriloquists” by Tom Crowl
·
“All About Ventriloquism Theater” by Bruce T.
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