Don’t Be a Dummy: How to Venture into Ventriloquism
We had perfect, perplexing puppet chat with a professional in the business!
NPH is a big fan of puppets (he’s even made a web series with ‘em called “Neil’s Puppet Dreams” — watch one here!) as well as ventriloquism, so he sat down with Christine Barger, the internet’s premier puppet performer, to learn how what started as a childhood hobby turned into a full-time job. Read my lips (but hopefully they aren’t moving): You’re gonna enjoy this one.
Neil Patrick Harris: How’d you get into ventriloquism? A fear of lip-readers?
Christine Barger: I originally started doing ventriloquism without really knowing what it was. I was staying at the Ronald McDonald House with my parents while my brother was in the hospital. Another child that was staying there had a Gizmo doll that she said whispered to her, but wouldn’t talk to me because “he didn’t like me.” That upset me so much that I started making my teddy bear talk to everyone out loud, making sure this other girl could hear it. I didn’t even know it was a talent — it was just a thing I did. It became a way of coping with everything going on. And after my baby brother passed away, it was a skill I used to help others, too. I realized I could help people laugh through the stress and pain of real life with make-believe characters, and my passion for performing began.
NPH: Wow, that’s a beautiful story — but you’re totally allowed to move your lips for this interview. [Neil Note: The Ronald McDonald House is a phenomenal organization. Read more about it here.] I learned ventriloquism when I was young and it’s really, really difficult. What’s the hardest letter to say in ventriloquism, do you think?
CB: The hardest letters are the ones that use your lips: B, F, M, P, V and W. Since you don’t want to move your lips, the easiest way to say the hard letters is to use substitutions. Instead of saying “bouncing baby” you would say “douncing dady,” but put more emphasis on the vowels to sort of hide the substitution letters.
NPH: Brilliant! Or should I say drilliant. Who’s your ventriloquism idol? Were you a Lamb Chop fan growing up?
CB: I loved Lamb Chop’s Play-Along! I remember when I found out Shari Lewis died. I started crying right then and there at Girl Scout camp. I’ve been able to see her daughter Mallory perform with Lamb Chop at the Magic Castle. We met after the show, she’s very sweet.
NPH: As a past President, I know the Magic Castle well, and Mallory does Shari proud. Tell us a bit about your puppets, and if you have a favorite. Or maybe that’s like choosing a favorite child.
CB: Darlene Hollywood is a little wooden person (she gets upset if I say “dummy”). She’s quite sassy. She likes to razz me on social media, especially when we try to see if the filters will work on her wooden face. Stunkles is an adorable skunk with bright curious eyes. He asks a lot of questions and loves singing and telling dad jokes. Darwin D Dodo is a dodo bird. He’s goofy and a little slower at speaking than the others with a very distinct laugh. He’s my smallest puppet, so he’s usually the one that gets to go with me to fun places like haunted houses, theme parks or the Magic Castle because he can fit into my purse. I have boxes full of other puppets, but those three are the ones I use most.
NPH: A little birdie — not Darwin — told me that you share my passion for escape rooms.
CB: I love escape rooms. My husband and I have played hundreds and even opened our own a couple years ago. Our first game at Exit Game OC is an homage to our favorite genre: horror. It’s a parody of horror escape rooms like The Basement, 13th Gate, 13th Hour and so on. I couldn’t choose just one absolute favorite company or game because there are too many amazing ones out there, but I’m always sharing different escape rooms on social media and my blog as I play them.
NPH: Hey, The Basement’s been in Wondercade! I’ve been too. Great times. Any advice for people wanting to get into ventriloquism?
CB: Start talking without moving your lips. Practice all the time; singing in the shower, talking to your cats, reading the Ikea instructions out loud while you assemble a dresser…anytime is a good time to practice (except during a funeral — that is a very bad time to practice, especially if you’re throwing your voice!).
NPH: What’s the one thing you can do to instantly get better at being a ventriloquist? Gimme a quick ‘n dirty tip.
CB: The most important thing as a ventriloquist is to be entertaining. So, building a personality for your puppet with strong opinions and points of view is really one of the most important things you can do to instantly improve. Nobody really cares if your mouth moves as long as you’re entertaining. The next step would be to take an improv or comedy class to build a solid foundation for creating material and building confidence onstage. The skill of not moving your mouth is either gonna come naturally, or you’re just gonna have to practice a lot, but it’s not the most important part to become a successful ventriloquist to be honest.
NPH: Would it be fair to call it a bit of a lost art?
CB: I don’t think ventriloquism is a lost art. Young people pop up on my TikTok For You Page daily doing ventriloquism and sharing their creativity with their puppets. I think social media has made it easier to learn and connect to a community, mentors and fans of the art. I’m always excited and honored when someone reaches out or tags me in a video to show me how much they’ve improved because of a tutorial I posted or a conversation we’ve had online. My favorite Cameo request of all time was someone asking me for advice for their school talent show. There are a lot of young ventriloquists that understand the importance of the unique way in which we are able to communicate through otherwise inanimate objects, and I trust they will keep it from becoming a lost art for generations to come.
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