For those of you who are trying to break into the field of Ventriloquism, one of the hardest things to obtain is the experience that will allow you to gain bookings for your show.
There is a very easy solution to the problem of not being able to get shows to gain that experience. Simply put, it is doing free shows. Yes we know that doing free shows does not pay well, but that is not the point.
In order to get in a position of getting paid to perform, you must first perform and become somewhat recognized as a performer so that you can get the paid shows that you really want.
The question is, how do you find bookings to get to do free shows? It is really very simple. If you are fortunate enough to be closed to a children’s hospital, that is an excellent location to start with.
Go to the hospital and find out who is in charge of letting various people in to see the patients. Explain to this person that you want to entertain the patients for free. Make certain that you let them know that your material is “G” rated and not offensive.
If you are willing to entertain in individual rooms with just 2 or 3 patients, you will find that this is an excellent way to gauge your performance. You will also find that the rewards you get from the children that you entertain will far exceed the lack of money that you get.
These kids are facing some of the hardest challenges that anyone can face in this life and they will truly love you for taking a few minutes to spend with them.
If you are not able to find a children’s hospital in your area, then there will surely be several nursing homes in your areas. Once again approach the staff member in charge of entertainment and tell them that you want to entertain the residents for free.
It won’t be long and you will have improved your skills and will be able to seek regular bookings for your show. DON’T be surprised if you find that you still want to continue to visit this older folks just because you enjoy the time you spend with them.
We will talk again next week.
Steve and JET
Agreed! Six years ago I took my puppet Jerry to every Boston area OPEN MIC Comedy Show that would allow me any stage time. I learned a ton.