Ventriloquism 101

The magic and science of 'throwing' a voice

- By Karleen Tauszik

Taylor slumped in her seat, waiting for the stage show to begin. "You're going to love this ventriloquist!" her uncle Rick insisted.

Doesn't he know I'm too old to believe a puppet show? Seriously! Taylor sighed as she wondered how long the performance would take.

Soon the house lights dimmed and the show began. Before she knew it, Taylor was listening intently to the quick banter and funny jokes between the ventriloquist and the dummy-or more correctly, the vent figure. By the end of the show, she had to admit her uncle was right.

How did the ventriloquist make the figure seem so alive? So believable? How can I learn to throw my voice like that? Taylor wondered.

The Magic of Ventriloquism

Like skilled magicians, ventriloquists trick us audience members. Despite our common sense, we soon relax and enjoy the show, lulled into accepting a dummy as a real character with a voice and a mind of its own.

Both ventriloquists and magicians rely heavily on the art of misdirection. They steer the attention of the audience away from how the trick is done, and toward the final desired effect. For example, in a vanishing coin trick the magician looks at their hand as it opens, showing that the coin is gone. Their gaze and gestures lead us to look there too, while the other hand holds the coin that "disappeared." In the same way, the ventriloquist looks at the figure as she talks to her, so the audience looks there, too. They are distracted from their intention of watching to see if the ventriloquist's lips move.

Another Trick up the Ventriloquist's Sleeve