My name is Diana L. Smith, a.k.a. Diana Rockwell. I am a professional ventriloquist. I have been performing for 15+ years and it is, without of doubt, my number one passion. I graduated with a BFA in Expanded Media (focus in performance art) from the University of Kansas in 2010. I started out as a painting major, but made the switch once I delved into ventriloquism. Ventriloquism started as an odd intrigue, but later became my bread and butter. It was the Goosebumps book "Night of the Living Dummy" that sparked an interest during my youth. The magical incantation "Karru Marri Odonna Loma Molonu Karrano" from that book is tattooed on my right arm. It is a fictitious language, but holds personal sentiment for me.
Because of ventriloquism, I have had opportunities to travel all over the country and perform for thousands of people. One of the best days of my life was being awarded The Clinton Detweiler Scholarship in 2015. I was selected by America's Got Talent winner, Terry Fator. I am also the author of the book "Experimental Ventriloquism," which is about using principles from fine art and applying them to a ventriloquist act. This book is available on Amazon.com.
From 2017 to 2020, I worked full time as a school assembly entertainer for a company based in Hackensack, New Jersey called Officer Phil. The company is no longer in business, but I had some amazing experiences while traveling all over the northeast. I performed about 126 days of the executive school year, doing as many as three or four shows a day (up to 450 shows in a single year). After the fall of the company, I spent lock-down working on a character that I named Josephine Hector, whom I can proudly call my main character. Her development came to be when I delved deeply into the voice over work of my idol, Tim Curry. I adopted her last name, "Hector," from Tim's character "Mr. Hector" in Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. The "Josephine" part of her name was the first thing I thought of, since she's a more regal kind of character. During lock-down, I was also fortunate enough to have an online video chat with Mr. Curry himself, and thanked him for inspiring me. He was absolutely sweet beyond words, and I made him laugh!
Generally, I draw inspiration from outside sources, and not from other vents. The is because there are so few ventriloquists in the world, it would be easy to accidentally copy someone else's act. I would hate to do such a thing. But if any vent has truly taught me to think outside the box, it is Señor Wences. In many ways, he was like a surrealist among vents. He had so many unique skills that he incorporated into his act, such as juggling, plate spinning, magic, etc. I guess you could say that ventriloquism was the envelope to contain his catalogue of skills. I also draw influences from Sunday Comic strips, visual art, theatre, music, and stop motion animation.
FURTHER INFORMATION
DOB: May 23, 1986
Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kansas City, KS
Current City: Lawrence, KS
Eye Color: Green
Favorite Pastimes: Taking care of my cat, reading (religiously), growing plants (an avid gardener in the making), playing strategy board games, cooking, wine tasting, shopping for antiques, and attending live shows
Favorite Food: Wine and Cheese
Artistic Influences: Tim Curry, Norman Rockwell, Phyllis Diller, Shari Lewis, Señor Wences, Will Vinton, Shel Silverstein, and Ann-Margaret.
Favorite Music: Billy Joel is my all-time favorite. But along with that, I like mostly Classic Rock and Adult Alternative
Favorite Movies: Clue, Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Adventures of Mark Twain, Smilla's Sense of Snow, Pollyanna, Practical Magic, Return To Oz, Magic, Waking Ned Devine, and Labyrinth
Favorite Books: We Were the Mulvaneys and many others by Joyce Carol Oates, Night Shift by Stephen King, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, etc.
Words To Live By: "The way the world is, I think a silly evening in the theatre is a good thing, to take our minds off terror." -Tim Curry
"Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy."- Edgar Bergen
“Everybody needs a passion. That’s what keeps life interesting. If you live without passion, you can go through life without leaving any footprints.”
-Betty White
"Don't dream it. Be it."- Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Rocky Horror Picture Show