Dumbstruck

At the annual Vent Haven convention in Ft. Mitchell, Ken., ventriloquism capitol of the world five 'vents', whose stories are deeply human and universal: Dylan, a shy 13-year-old, dreams of being a professional but his dad prefers football; Kim, a former Miss Ohio beauty queen, yearns to 'make it' on the cruise ship circuit; Dan, a successful cruise ship performer whose wife may divorce him when he comes ashore; Terry, who, after 22 years of struggle in Corsicana, Texas, finds himself on NBC's "America's Got Talent" with a chance to win $1 million; and Wilma -- all six-foot-five of her -- who brings her dummies to Walmart and 'entertains' in senior homes.