As a rule be more loquacious in your natural voice than in the ventriloquial voice. This will cause you less fatigue and the audience appreci­ates most that which it gets the least.

When you have got the man down from the roof you may send him away on a level by com­pressing the vocal cords and throwing the voice backward, as it were, speaking neither against the palate nor down the throat. ” Good-night ” are the best words for this effect, ” Good-morn­ing,” ” Good-evening ” or ” Good-bye ” being im- practicable. Close your dialogue in some such manner as follows:

Vent. That is all I want of you, and you may go now. Goodnight.

Jack. Goodnight. {A little fainter.)

Vent. Goodnight. {Loud natural.)

Jack. Goodnight. {Still fainter)

Vent. Goodnight. {Almost shouting.)

Jack Goodnight, ha, ha, ha! (Very faint indeed.)

As your own voice becomes louder and the ventriloquial voice fainter, the pauses between the salutations are longer, as would naturally happen were you really calling to a departing caller or workman when, after the last faint, far-away cry you would yell and the answer would be inau­dible. Besides giving, by contrast, greater effectiveness to the ventriloquial voice in this manner, it is necessary in order to fully carry out the deception, as it must be made to appear that the man could not hear your own calls unless you uttered them in an increasingly louder voice as he went away.

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If the student has faithfully followed the pre­ceding instructions he should by this time have attained considerable facility in the imitation of near articulate sounds as employed with figures, and have developed considerable capacity for creating the distant sounds that form the art to which was originally applied the term Ven­triloquism. In fact, he should now be able not only to imitate near voices in caricature, but also to ” throw ” his voice into a box or closet, to the room above and the cellar below, and to cause it to appear gradually to ascend from a level or the basement to the floor or roof above (by simply reversing the method given for making it seem to descend), and even to approach from a distant point on a level until it sounds close at hand, or recede until it is heard no more.

He is therefore now ready to amalgamate these accomplishments to produce a natural effect, or what is a humorous travesty of nature, for enter­tainment purposes. The utterance of sounds with an unmoved countenance is one step toward this end, and the requisite subtlety and device neces­sary to ventriloquial acting, is again another, as is also the proper selection of a ventriloquial vocabulary.

The importance of a right vocabulary can easily be seen by trying to say without moving the lips a sentence containing a number of ” p’s ” or ” b’s ” like ” the persistent pertinacity of the priesthood,” and though you try for a century the effort will not be fully satisfactory. If, on the other hand, you attempt such phrases as “Hullo, down there,” “Yes, I’m here,” “Good­night to you,” you will find no difficulty. Avoid, therefore, as much as possible those words in which occur labial sounds, or letters which can only properly be pronounced by aid of the lips. By substituting for such sentences as trouble you those which may be pronounced without aid of the lips, you have the key to the prevention of any difficulty of this kind which you may expe­rience. Arrange such sentences as do not require labial pronunciation and practice these before a mirror until you can employ ventriloquism, either” Near” or ” Distant” without change of coun­tenance.

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The more artistic plan, however, is to keep your face toward the audience all the time, or at least in profile, and this should always be done on a stage. Stand with your left side to the au­dience and, throwing your head back, look directly upward toward the spot from which you wish the voice to sound. This pose carries conviction to the spectators, because it is the one that would naturally be taken when talking with some one overhead.

The two voices, which have already been elucidated form the basis for nearly every effect pos­sible in ventriloquism. For instance, the first voice (which we will call No. 1) may be used for a box, closet or door effect, as already explained; while if you wish to imitate the sound of a person shouting from the opposite side of a river or road­way, you would use the voice for the “man on the roof,” which we will label No. 2. In this case, however, it should be made a little louder than when apparently heard through an inter­vening obstacle like a ceiling or a wall.

These two voices may, in fact, be used in various ways, and formed into many apparently dissimilar voices by contraction and expansion of the glot­tis and by shortening or lengthening the cavities of the mouth and the throat. By making contor­tions of the mouth and voice in a room alone, the student will get a better idea than any descrip­tion can give him of the many peculiarities of sound and effect which may be created while holding the jaws and tongue in the manner neces­sary to produce the drone.

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The voice and dialect most appropriate for the Colored figure should be studied from nature or from close imitations of the real thing as given by burnt-cork comedians. The characteristic ” e-yah ” laugh is often the principal use of this figure, being given occasionally as an interrup­tion at amusing points in the dialogue.

As to others, of course there is no limit to those which an ambitious ventriloquist may adopt at different times and only a few suggestive hints can be given here concerning the principal ones.

The Yankee farmer often proves amusing if brightly done. The accepted Yankee, as he is ordinarily depicted, has the twang he inherits from his early ancestors; he ” guesses ” and ” cal­culates,” and indulges in exaggerated humor in which allusions to death and physical injury are relied upon to provoke mirth. In case of a farmer, pure and simple, his tribulations in the city, usually New York, are the theme of his con­versation, and a good song for him is ” Reuben Haskins of Skowhegan, Maine.”

It perhaps may as well be mentioned here that appropriate songs play no small part in a ven-triloquial entertainment, although in some ex­hibitions of the kind too many are used. One for the Irish boy or Colored and one for the Old Man or Old Woman are none too many, however, but where three or four are used in a twenty or twenty-live-minute performance, the audience may think it is getting too much of a good thing. Two old standbys for the Old Man figure are ” The Old Turnkey ” and ” If I Were as Young as I Used to Be.” Something more modern, however, al­ways bearing in mind that the song chosen should be written for a bass voice and in slow time, would be better. A familiar one for the Old Lady is “Darling I am Growing Old.” A very good effect may be obtained by having this song rendered as a trio by the Old Lady and the Irish and Colored figures, each taking an alternate line or two. Such a feat requires considerable prac­tice to make perfect, because of the constant change of voice. One ventriloquist makes a specialty of ” Roll On, Silver Moon ” for his Irish boy, the chorus of which he sings with a yodel effect. Usually, however, this figure sings a popular humorous ditty.

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Note how the same sound differs when the hands are removed and observe how it is ob­scured when the ears are again stopped. Then with open ears try to imitate the sound which was heard   when they   were muffled.    In this manner try all kinds of tones and noises, and accurately observe their several characteristics. This exercise will bring to the ventriloquist a realization of the range, modulations and capa­bilities of the human voice such as he has never had before. The principal difficulty with the beginner is lack of knowledge concerning the latent possibilities of his own vocal powers, but this can be obviated by practice and the use of the method herein suggested. Because of the fact that ventriloquial effects are produced by using the voice in an unnatural manner, such efforts require greater attention and energy than in ordinary speaking, where the mind is intent upon the subject of the conversation, and the words are uttered without conscious effort.

Some one has said that, ” As perspective is to the eye, so is ventriloquism to the ear,” meaning that as the eye is deceived by the skill of the artist in so painting a landscape as to give the effect of distance, although the whole composi­tion is limned on a perfectly flat surface, so the ventriloquist deludes the ear by speaking in such a manner that the voice appears in the distance, although created close at hand.

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The idea is to make the sound as far back in the pharynx as possible, and to prevent it from rising into the cavity of the mouth by compress­ing the vocal mechanism. Note well that this voice is low-pitched and is not exploded against the palate as in voice No. 2, or simply muffled as in voice No. 1.

In other words, you always send the sound originating in the larynx in the direction from which you desire it to come—if from above you pitch it high and force it against the roof of the mouth, or hard palate; if from near at hand you make it near by confining it in the cavity of the mouth; and if from below you pitch it low and send it downward. From this it follows that the ordinary drone effect represents distance, while the method used in the projection of that sound suggests direction. In developing these voices, use the vowel and consonant exercise already rec­ommended before taking up the vocabulary.

Some ventriloquists use one distance voice for every effect, and in justification of this plan ex­plain that it is so difficult to execute the distant voice in different keys that, where it is desirable to introduce a number of characters, it is best to do it by transition. That is, they alter the nat­ural tones of the voice so as to make a very ap­parent distinction between it and the mimetic voice. This can be done so skilfully that the audience will not realize the change, and enthusiastically declare this to be one of the great­est secrets of the art.

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Polyphonism, in its entertainment sense, is the imitation of sounds other than speech, such as the humming of bees, the bleating of sheep, the lowing of cattle, the braying of a donkey, or the noise made by planing, sawing, the drawing of a glass of soda, etc., many of which cannot be made ventriloquially, and so form no deception as to the source from which they emanate. A few general hints will aid you in making a be­ginning, and with practice you can produce most of the imitations with sufficient accuracy simply by following the instructions given.

The Mosquito. —Beginning first with the sim­pler sounds try that made by a mosquito. For this you hold your throat and mouth in exactly the same position as for the ventriloquial drone, only you make the sound very shrill—in fact, at the very highest pitch you can reach—while at the same time straining with the chest.

A Bee. —With the vocal organs in the drone position use considerable pressure upon the chest and make the pitch lower than for the mosquito. Produce a handkerchief, and as you sound the drone chase the imaginary bee about the room. After pretending to catch it, put the handker­chief containing the bee (?) into the pocket. Then, apparently forgetting that it is there, pro­duce the handkerchief and appear to allow the bee to escape.

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A nice little point of procedure which may be taken advantage of to help conceal the limita­tions of the art may be mentioned here, to wit: when you speak in your natural voice, employ, if you can without rendering your speech stilted and absurd, words that are impracticable in ven­triloquism; also make your utterance as far for­ward in the mouth as possible, and exaggerate a little the unrestrained motion of your lips. When you cease to speak naturally, your countenance changes as if you had really ceased, although you are still sustaining a conversation. After a time, when you drop the natural voice the face changes by habit from animation to repose, and the vocal organs mechanically adjust themselves for the effect required.

In speaking ventriloquially it is not necessary to close the teeth, unless you find, as I do, that this helps you to better control the facial muscles; but it is always best nearly to do so, as this gives a natural and pleased expression to the face. If you close them, do not press them together in a manner that will give you the appearance of a Russian Cossack in a cavalry charge at Liaoyang, and above all things don’t grin like the fierce villain of the play when he hisses through his set teeth, ” Ha, ha, I have you now! ” If the mouth and teeth are too much open the movements of the tongue are likely to be seen; if the lips are closed the sound cannot leave the mouth, so a middle course must be adopted. At times during the entertainment the ” business ” may allow you to turn your head away from the audience, and your dialogue should be so arranged that these occasions may be seized upon for the vigorous utterance of any proscribed words you are obliged to use.

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From the box or closet illusion it is an easy step to the production of the voice overhead, from through a wall or under the floor, although in attempting either of these effects there are several striking points or essentials to be care­fully observed.

For the voice on the roof you do not use the drone pure and simple, although you retain the same formation of the vocal organs. This gives the distant effect, but instead of retaining the voice in the back of the throat, as it were, you force it against the back of the hard palate, or roof of the mouth. The quality of the voice should be a kind of gruff falsetto, elevated to a high pitch.

By rolling back the tongue and keeping the jaws rigid, with the lips slightly apart, the palate will be elevated and drawn nearer to the pharynx, thereby forming a cavity in the back part of the mouth and throat. The consonant sounds need not be articulated plainly, all words being formed in the pharynx and exploded, as it were, against the roof of the mouth by sudden expulsions of the breath clear from the lungs at every word.

When you are ready to try this voice in public, take your position as far from the audience as possible, because, as already stated, the more removed you are from the listeners the better the effect will seem to them. If you are not entirely sure of yourself, deliberately turn your back on the company and direct their attention to the ceiling, either by looking upward or by pointing while calling loudly, as if you have reason to be­lieve some one is concealed above. Make your own voice very distinct and loud and as close to the lips as possible to give further contrast be­tween the natural and the ventriloquial voice. In fact, almost shout, and then in exactly the same tone and pitch, but as faint as possible con­sistent with audibility, answer in the manner already described.

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At this point act as if strongly exasperated and apparently push and struggle against an opposing force with all your might. Finally by seemingly a greater effort you cause the door to fly back suddenly and at the same time give ut­terance to a loud ” ha, ha, ha,” in the ventriloquial voice, as if some one were laughing at you in the room or hallway beyond.

Always bear in mind that the eye helps to de­ceive the ear, and make the action of pushing the door, etc., as natural as possible. The more realistic the ventriloquist makes his part the more effect his performance will have upon the public. As far as voice alone goes, there are ventrilo­quists who can manipulate ventriloquism per­fectly, but who, on account of lack of necessary actions, do not succeed in impressing their hearers very strongly. As a rule, between a good actor who is a poor ventriloquist and a good ventriloquist who is a poor actor, the former will be more successful. This topic will be more fully gone into in the paragraphs about ventriloquial acting and entertaining further on.

The foregoing dialogue is merely suggested and intended for preliminary rehearsals rather than for use in public, although of course if the performer is unable to write a better one there can be no objection to such use. The chances are however, that he can obtain suitable material of a more witty and amusing character from other sources and make it ventriloquially effective. One month’s daily practice should be sufficient to enable him, by proper emphasis on a tone or syllable, to illustrate and bring out the salient points of any dialogues he may use, and to sur­prise and astonish those among his friends not familiar with the capabilities of the art, with the strange voices within him. There should be no straining after effect, but the student will find that what he has practiced much he can do well, and by perseverance alone can perfection be obtained.

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