Obit for Firesign Theatre Founding Member Peter Bergman

Mar 11, 2012 | 1 comment

How many of you were fans of Firesign Theatre? When I was a teenager in the 1970s, my older brother and I would laugh uproariously at the absurdity of their records: “Waiting for the Electrician, or Someone Like Him,” (1968) “How Can You Be Two Places at Once When You’re Not Anywhere at All?” (1969) “Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers,” (1970) and “I Think We’re All Bozos on This Bus” (1971).

Peter Bergman, a founding member of the Firesign Theatre comedy troupe, whose zany pun-loaded skits and absurdist political satire entertained millions of college kids during the 1960s and ’70s, died Friday at a hospital in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 72.He had complications from leukemia said David Ossman, who, along with Phil Austin, Phil Proctor and Mr. Bergman made up the foursome that was Firesign Theatre.Mr. Bergman was best known for his recurring role as the grizzly police Lieutenant Bradshaw of the chronicles of private investigator Nick Danger, Third Eye. (“When two aren’t enough.”)

The name Firesign Theatre came from Mr. Bergman’s fascination with astrology and that the four members were all born in “fire signs.” The name was also a play on the NBC television show from the 1950s, “Fireside Theatre.”

Read the full news obituary in The Washington Post.

The story notes that fans would quote lines from the comedy albums word-for-word by heart. I’m in that category. Anyone recognize these lines?

“You can sit here in the waiting room or you can wait here in the sitting room.”

“Cyrano, what has happened to your nose?”

And let’s not forget Rocky Roccoco listing off the names Melanie Haber, Audrey Fraber, Susan Underhill, and Betty Jo Bialowski! (Everyone knew her as Nancy.)

What were your favorite lines from Firesign Theatre?

A Good Goodbye