A Complete Guide to Ventriloquism: Principles, Practice and Performance - Paperback

by Naveen Srinivasan Sridhar Yaksha (Author)

Yes, you can With the help of this book, you can learn the right way to become a ventriloquist. You also learn to attend to the reality of stage and performance conditions. You get highly relevant information, which will contribute to a large extent, to your success. This book is one of its kind in being a course book and a source book at the same time. The first chapter gives an introduction to the role of ventriloquism as an acoustic illusion and its connections with other performing arts, mainly that of acting. This novel approach will be of interest even to seasoned ventriloquists, who will acquire a new insight regarding the expectation of the audience and the performer's role. The next chapters open the door to the secrets of the art. The much neglected prerequisite for ventriloquism is breathing. The author clearly explains the proper technique to deepen the breath and develop respiratory stamina. Development of the ventriloquist voice is explicitly instructed. Producing a remote voice needed to "throw" the voice is another important feature elegantly covered in detail (with all its nuances) and the myth unmasked. All these items are assisted with diagrams and a number of simple but effective exercises, so that the reader may confidently develop the ability step by step. After the elaborate treatment of the basics for the technique, the next important phase of putting up an act is explained in equal detail. The choice of a dummy and the development of an impressionable personality as well as building an original dialog, even the use of accents and slang are subjects treated with significant depth. Direction on handling one's dummy and a detailed, practical discussion on animation contribute to the treatment, making it highly practice-oriented. This superb dual survey of ventriloquism and the art of acting to build an act, along with other special features, makes the book stand out as unique among competing titles. Even the winning strategy in dealing with the organizer and the audience is explained with alacrity, with helpful checklists to improve one's performance; this discussion throws light on the subjects of stage fear, charisma, imponderable aspects and how to handle challenging conditions. All this truly backstage knowledge laid out by a veteran will clear the way for any aspiring performer, who is bound to progress and excel.

Author Biography

Naveen Sridhar (Yaksha) was born in India and grew up in Bangalore. He sailed to Germany at the age of 19 for further study in Berlin, completing his education there with a Ph.D. in chemistry. While a student, he had got involved in amateur theater where he met his lovely wife Renate, an original Berliner. He also moved around in Europe volunteering as a trainee in the industry in Paris and Zaragoza (Spain). He found strange languages and cultures fascinating. He is fluent in eight languages. He moved to Marl in Germany to begin his career as a research scientist in a German chemical company. He conducted various courses in yoga and finally gave lectures to train yoga teachers. This knowledge was of crucial importance to his ventriloquism. He pursued his passion for magic and ventriloquism. He had to be inventive, adjusting his mind to that of German language and humor. With sufficient effort, he created an original and innovative act. With the sons Kishor and Suresh grown up and as talented tap dancers, a family business began to flourish. The items presented were stage magic (in Indian costume) assisted by wife Renate, parlor magic, ventriloquism as well as the dance item of their sons. The initial success led to assignments from other companies and clubs, most of them mediated by professional agents. The ventriloquist acts with his various dummies (Alfonso, Ricardo, et al.) deal with different personalities and are all reputed for their scintillating comedy. A further specialty is his act without any dummy at all. It excels in the performer standing "nude" and throwing the voice, using objects like telephone, cups and glasses or nothing, like mere echo. As a troupe, the family was sought at home as well as abroad. A theme park in Germany called for their performance on the occasion of their 25th anniversary. A 5-star hotel in Tunisia hired them for the opening ceremony, Christmas and New Year celebrations. Some further highlights are working the holiday resorts in Spain and performances aboard a cruise ship, in the Indian Ocean, starting from South Africa. Naveen applied his scientific mind to dissect and analyze performing arts, presentation and audience impact. Beside mere performance, he accepted invitations to give lectures on learning ventriloquism as well as on negotiating with organizers and agents. Experience and constant scrutiny of the art culminated in this book meant as an aid and guide to all ventriloquists of present and future.