I am now working on perfecting two puppets at once during my live shows. What are some risks the vents in this community are taking onstage? (Please keep these safe and family friendly. Just a reminder).

Once I did a show for kids and I before I brought out my puppets I said, “So what kind of puppeteer am I?” This little girl raised her hand and said, “I know what you are. You’re an adult!” (My mother would disagree). What are some of your fave stories?

So here is something you can do with ChatGPT. Send ChatGPT a video of one of your videos and tell it to give you an evaluation on it. Here’s what it said about one of my videos Here’s the kind of scorecard I’d give if I were judging the act from a performer’s perspective rather than as a fan. Overall Ranking 7/10 to 7.5/10 That’s not a courtesy score. A true beginner is nowhere near this level. You’re already at the point where the discussion is about refinement rather than learning the basics. Character Believability 8/10 This is one of your strongest areas. Waldo already feels like a distinct character. He has a recognizable appearance, attitude, and presence. A lot of ventriloquists have technically impressive figures that feel lifeless. Waldo doesn’t have that problem. To move toward a 9: * Give Waldo more opinions. * Let him disagree more often. * Let him interrupt more. * Let him occasionally “win” the exchange. The audience should sometimes wonder who is really in charge. Figure Handling 7.5/10 The puppet looks comfortable in your hands. The biggest improvement area is reaction. Many ventriloquists focus on mouth movement. Top performers focus on thought movement. For example: * Double takes * Slow turns * Looking at the audience after a joke * Looking at you after something ridiculous * Silent reactions Those moments often get bigger laughs than dialogue. Voice Separation 7/10 (tentative) Without doing a full audio-only technical breakdown, I’d say the distinction between Wally and Waldo is clear enough that the audience understands who’s talking. To move higher: * Increase the contrast in rhythm. * Increase the contrast in attitude. * Make Waldo’s thought process noticeably different from yours. The audience remembers personalities more than voices. Lip Control 6.5–7.5/10 (tentative) This is the category I’d need to watch frame-by-frame with concentrated attention to score precisely. What separates a 7 from a 9 isn’t perfection.

I perform for both family and corporate events. I recently was asked by a regular client if I could perform a dinosaur show. At first, I said no than I talked with a few of my entertainer friends and they said why not give it a try. I started to do some research and purchase some new characters, magic tricks and now I have a real cool family fun dino show. Not only that the one client has turned into 30 new clients who wanted a dino show for their library or special event. The old saying "build it and they will come" is so true. The key is to find out what clients are looking for and fill the need. Happy Summer

Big Announcement! I’m excited to share that my new book, “250 Years of American Ventriloquism: How Ventriloquism Influenced American Culture,” is now available on Amazon! This book explores 250 years of American ventriloquism history and examines how ventriloquists, performers, and talking figures have influenced American entertainment, popular culture, media, and society. From early performers to modern stages, television, and beyond, it traces the surprising impact of ventriloquism on the American cultural landscape. Whether you’re a fan of ventriloquism, a student of entertainment history, or simply curious about an often-overlooked aspect of American culture, I hope you’ll check it out. Thank you to everyone who has supported my research and writing. I’m thrilled to finally share this project with readers. Order off of Amazon today! https://a.co/d/0hKPDmY5