Ventriloquism in Atlanta

Ventriloquism is frequently described as a stagecraft, puppetry art or voice magic. Depending on whom you ask, ventriloquism has been entertaining or spooking people since before the sixth century BCE. In antiquity, ventriloquism was occasionally associated with the black magic art of necromancy. In our modern era, ventriloquists are sometimes depicted as schizophrenic and their dummies as creepy. The Hollywood movies Magic and Dead Silence obviously portrayed ventriloquism as schizophrenic and bloodcurdling.

Ventriloquism is a practiced skill that is achieved by magically throwing one’s voice. That is, a ventriloquist uses a wooden dummy, or cloth doll, which she places on her hand in order to operate its movements. The ventriloquist then pretends to carry on a dialogue with the dummy by moving its mouth and providing its voice. The dummy's voice actually comes from the ventriloquist, but since there is no sign that she is moving her lips, then the voice seems to come straight from the dummy. A good ventriloquist can successfully trick her audience into thinking that her dummy is talking even though we know for a fact that it is not. A few of the most popular contemporary ventriloquists are Carla Rhodes, Jeff Dunham, Terry Fator and Mally Lewis.

Atlanta has some links to ventriloquism that many locals are probably unaware of. On December 28, 2009 the world’s greatest ventriloquist, Jeff Dunham, will be performing live in Atlanta’s Philips Arena. Tickets cost only $50.50. Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts occasionally exhibits ventriloquism and their museum store is currently selling the ventriloquist history books Dummy Days for $30.00 and Other Voices for $42.95. Last year in Atlanta, the ventriloquist Terry Fator, who won the top prize on season two of America’s Got Talent, performed live in the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center. Without a doubt, Atlanta’s ventriloquist culture is alive and kicking. THE END