After acknowleging your first act with a round of applause, pull out an index card and begin reading something like "our next act comes from Minnethoda and...Minethoda? I mean Minnesoda! I need to get a new mouth.
If you do the distant voice have the mouth start yelling at you from a little box. Hey dummy over here!
If you don't have a delivery man bring you a package from back stage and walk off. Whats this? Open it and pull out your "new mouth" special delivery.
The mouth starts talking to you. I'm here for ya baby...so you're having trouble talking are you? Well I am the smmmmooth mouth you need - let me do the talking for you. I'll handle everything...just shut up and stay out of it.
Thank him for coming and ask him if he would read the card for you to introduce the next act. Have him stare at you..."say what?" Read the card.
Have him look at the card and then up to you and back again. Read the card? Your audience will be laughing because he doesnt have eyes.
Yes. I DON'T HAVE ....MY GLASSES!
After some more joking around, get some sunglasses and put them into the little holders on the sides of the big mouth puppet. (small elastic)
THen have him read and introduce the act.
To make it funnier and more of an illusion continue to mispronounce words in your dialog. It will strengthen the situation and keep the illusion of the mouth being the smooth talker and you the one who can't talk.
You can continue with the big mouth between acts and build his costume out. Add a hanger (around your wrist) and put a shirt on him, etc.....each time bringin him out a little more complete.
I have two. One serves as part of a talking digestive system in my "gutsy" show about the organs of the body called It's Alive!
The other I have inside of a black box. It's a ridiclulous boastful character named the Amazing Kwanavee.
Steve, your gutsy puppets are all very funny and well made. I'm proud that you've chosen to use our puppet in your digestive track set up, especially on the front end of things! Ax