April Brucker ’19 (Los Angeles, MFA in Creative Writing) had her new book Don’t Read My Lips! — America’s Foremost Female Ventriloquist Reveals the Secrets of How to be a Successful Vent published CFBP Bestsellers on March 13, 2021. Brucker is a Las Vegas headliner and the special guest star in the Las Vegas revue “BurlesQ.”
“When the pandemic shut down my Vegas residency last year after just two performances, I took time to write the book that I always wanted to write but hadn’t due to tour dates, TV appearances, and other excuses,” says Brucker. “Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a card-carrying vent, I share the how-to of the craft, plus the excitement, fun, and rewards of being a vent.”
Brucker includes a history of ventriloquism, why ventriloquism continues to thrive as an art form, plus how to learn the craft, create a character and write a routine. She reveals how to pursue a career as a ventriloquist, including procuring bookings, performing on television, and dealing with the unexpected. She also reveals anecdotes from her encounters with Mariska Hargitay, Chris Matthews, Jerry Springer and other celebrities, an incident at the 2016 Republican National Convention with her dummy Donald J. Tramp, and an irate New York doorman threatening to have her and puppet May Wilson arrested during a network television taping.
