I first read this 4 years ago, and now it's republished again by Clinto Detweiler in his blog. I thought it's very interesting for all of us here.

Ken Groves is one of my favorite vents. His thoughts and teachings on our craft is invaluable. Years ago he has given me personal advice on how to improve my vent scriptwriting. Here's his short write-up:


RE-INVENTING VENT

By Ken Groves

Ventriloquism as a show stands on its own when performed correctly. When vent is done poorly, you’ll need something else to prop it up: magic, balloons, fireworks, or WMD. There’s nothing worse than a ventriloquist act where the "mystery" of vent is missing. What am I talking about? Consider a magician. What makes magic work? Everybody knows it is a trick; everybody knows it is not real. So why is the art of magic growing and expanding? It’s the "mystery" that is the foundation of magic that keeps people coming back for more.

VENT IS NO DIFFERENT. We must put "mystery" back into our shows. "How do they do that?" "How do they get the puppet to move like that?" "It looks so REAL!" "How do they get the puppet’s voice so loud and clear?" "It’s just like two people having a conversation!" "Your lips never move! Not once!" "That is amazing!" "When are you performing again?" THAT last question is the question you want to hear: "When are you performing again?" When vent is done correctly, the audience wants more. If you feel the need to ADD something to your vent show, maybe you should get back to the basics of vent and put the "MYSTERY" back into your performance.

Bill Boley was a great ventriloquist...perhaps one of the best, but still mixed ventriloquism with magic

In my case, I mixed ventriloquism with magic and illusions thus my act "Ventrillusion." I think it really depends on your target audience... In Manila, my clients are diversed...specially kiddie birthday party crowd. While a full vent act will certainly work, mixing ventriloquism with illusions just makes my act distinct. A signature act if I may call it so.

When I joined the TV talent show in Manila, I was choosing between ventriloquism and illusions. Which one should I perform given only 90 seconds. I chose ventriloquism.

I'm hoping that here in Manila, all of Ony's efforts to promote the art of ventriloquism will soon pay off. I'm hoping after the 5 weeks of the TV talent show I'm in...more people will be exposed to this art, thus more people to appreciate ventriloquism, thus more future vents in the Philippines.

Ony, I can't thank you enough for helping me...may God bless you and your family.

Sincerely,

Wanlu

Wanlu, do you really want more vents to mushroom in the Philippines? Why? Just the same, do you want more magicians?

In my 30 years of performing, I have always attempted to add magic to my vent acts. It is not that easy. For example, I got my Axtell Ostrich 2 months ago, but until now I haven't used it yet because it is still in the development stages. I want a complete act for it. I want to give it the illusion that it is real to my audience.

Good for you that you have the talent to perform with any puppet you receive immediately.

Lou

Want I want is to have is more people in Manila exposed the ART of ventriloquism... a lot of ventriloquists here in Manila do not even know who Edgar Bergen is or do not even know how to spell the word "ventriloquist."

Not only that...even people from the media (TV, radio and print) who have interviewed me do not know much about ventriloquism...they either mispronounce ventriloquist as ventroloquist or completely have no idea about the art and lingoes.

Give me your Axtell Hands Free Chimp today...or on my birthday (March 30) and I'll perform with it two days after. I don't see how difficult it could be if you love what you are doing

Sure...trying to make people believe that the puppet is real makes ventriloquism more effective. The fake arm will help do that...lip control will most certainly help, but for me, a FUN routine takes all the anxieties out of the performer when he hears children laughing and grown-ups laughing with them. A fun routine actually erases a barrier between a performer and skeptics.

People know puppets are puppets...it's not how lifelike the appearance of a puppet is that takes people from the real world to a journey to a fantasy world of talking ostriches and chimps, but the FUN they are having while watching

My two cents

Wanlu

Neale started a similar discussion on BellyTalkers.

While I respect Ken, he is my mentor and friend - we don't see eye to eye here. Even he creates a balloon Harley motorcycle in some of his shows. I think his main point is - your vent should be strong enough to stand on its own without other trappings. When you can do that, you know you are doing things right.

If you want to use other things such as magic to add variety - then go ahead. Just make certain that your vent is strong - especially if you tell an audience you are a ventriloquist!

This is why I chose to perform as a ventriloquist in the TV contest rather than perform as an illusionist I wanted to try my vent skills out. Now everyone is calling me a ventriloquist

Hi Tom...perhaps that is what Ken Groves meant...

Now I can perform a full vent act...no magic...and still be comfortable and confident. But I will still prefer doing my Ventrillusion show only because it gives the act a variety of stuff to watch out for as far as the audience is concerned.

Bill Boley without a doubt can do a full vent act...but chose to mix it up with magic. Not because he does not have a vent routine that is strong enough to stand on it's own but because...well I'm just guessing... he wanted to have variety in his act.

Wanlu

There are some purists who say you should just do the vent, but I also have to disagree with Ken on this one.

Your vent should certainly be strong as should the rest of your show.

IMHO, people should come away from my shows saying That was a lot of fun, I had a great time..not just Wow he was a good ventriloquist.

I am an entertainer and I use ventriloquism and a bit of magic as my tools in that entertainment.

People, I guess Ken Grove, in the write-up above, was just exaggerating things to make his point hit the nail. Of course, there's nothing wrong in adding magic or anything to our vent act. Bill Boley, Mark Wade, etc. have proven that.

He was simply IMO saying we need to focus on developing our vent act because that alone can be a complete act. Now when our vent act is sloppy, then we might need to add another genre to make our show more entertaining.

Now re-read his write-up. Never did he say it's a sin to add magic, etc. to vent. He just wrote vent can stand alone if done correctly. And if done poorly, we might need to add other acts.

Though I usually do a pure vent act about 90% of the time, from time to time I do simple magic tricks just to add variety.

Ony - although I agree with you on the main thrust of Ken's post - there are points where Ken & I still disagree.

Ken believes vent should remain an illusion. He absolutely hates the fact that I do comedy pertaining to the fact my puppets aren't real. He says it breaks the "illusion". I disagree. When "we" do a puppet joke - the audience laughs because they had bought into the illusion but were suddenly slapped back out. My audiences tend to fall right back into the illusion. If they didn't, subsequent jokes along the same line would fall flat - but they actually tend to draw a larger laugh.

I see this as no different than Bergen or Winchell calling their figures "wooden head" or Lucas & Dunham doing the "Arguing With Yourself" line. Ken absolutely detests it though.

The audience "Knows" how vent is done - but technical skill by itself is not entertaining. A vent should be able to amaze the audience with true skill at the same time they entertain them - it is a complete package.

I second Tom

My idea of an effective vent routine is when it is packed with FUN.

Take Achmed as an example It is apparent that he is not real...but the routine is packed with lots of fun that makes grown people laugh like they are kids again...they leave the real world and travel to the world of the dead terrorist saying..."Silence!!! I keeeel you!!!"

Wanlu

I also agree with Tom. It occurred to me last year that I prefer vent to magic (which I've done for 4 decades) because vent is "illusion Without Deception." Everyone knows exactly what is going on but chooses to forget about it for the duration of the show. I think the biggest compliment I receive is, "I forgot you were even there."

B

In the recent contest that I was in...one of the judges told my figure Nicolo that he is invited in her party..."Only you Nicolo, not Wanlu."

Bob is correct...it's "Illusion without deception," that is a very nice way to put it. People know it's a puppet...but THEY CHOOSE to believe it's not.

Bob,

I switched to vent for the same reasons you stated. I enjoy it more and it shows in my performance (I think anyway)

"...but they choose..."

There's a term for that. We use it a lot in the theatre, and it's a lovely way of putting it:

"Willing suspension of disbelief."

Recently, on the TV cartoon "Family Guy", they listed the theater hierarchy from top to bottom (in jest, obviously). They were, in order of respect and importance : legitimate theatre, musical theatre, stand-up, ventriloquism, magic, mime.

I have often joked with my magician friends that the only reason I took up vent was to climb one more step up the ladder of respect, LOL! Oh well, at least when I go to bed at night, I can thank the heavens that I don't do mime...

(Disclaimer:I know several mimes and consider them friends)

:hysteric:

Mark

Sadly the biggest lack of respect usually comes from fellow performers.

Amen.

That gives me an idea - since the topic is re-inventing Vent, maybe I should take a page from Criss Angel and David Blaine. I'm going to dress in a cross goth-heavy metal attire. (Note to self: start an immediate regimine of Rogaine.)

I will walk the streets with my puppets and approach random strangers who are on my payroll. They will laugh hysterically as I throw an attitude that I am above all this because I am an artist - then scream profanities about how could I possibly have made the small creature come to life. Meanwhile I will walk away secure in my minor deity status. They will worship me and my TV show will run on A & E.

I have re-invented Vent... Sorry.

I'm currently gathering materials for this idea...STREET VENTRILOQUISM DVD.

It may sound silly...but wait til you see my trailer.