Successful Sockpuppetry: A Practical Guide

A few words about self-image

It’s difficult for a severely insecure person to become a great actor, or puppeteer. This is not always the case (as many interviews with successful actors bear witness to), but it’s a disability that can cripple one’s technique. I encountered this when trying to direct amateur actors; many would flat-out refuse to play the character as written, not because they didn’t know what I wanted, but because what I wanted them to do or say wasn’t “cool” enough. Not every character is a superhero. In fact, characters are more believable if they have faults. Try to remember that the whole point of creating an alter-ego is that the character is NOT you. If every one of your alters is a form of wish-fulfillment for you, embodying what you yourself want to be, then none of them will seem the slightest bit real. Eventually, you’ll be found out, and embarrass yourself. So, put away your ego when you log on as an alter-ego.