Back, with enthusiasm

IN Paul Brownfield’s article [“Hey, Shelley Berman’s Phone Is Ringing Again,” Oct. 23], he wrote about Berman’s reaction to the offstage telephone ringing during his performance. In this context, this story may be of interest.

I recall going with my parents to see Berman when he visited South Africa in the ‘50s or ‘60s and was appearing in Cape Town. The “theater” was actually a movie house and, in those days, smoking during the performance was permitted. For a particular sketch, he called for the lights to be turned off as the story required the audience to concentrate on the words and form their own images.

Naturally, there were those who had to light up a cigarette, so popping up all over the auditorium were constant little flashes of light. At the end of the sketch, when the lights were turned up, Berman very politely but sternly admonished the audience, saying that when a performer asks for darkness to create the atmosphere he wants for his act that has taken much effort to perfect, the least the audience could do is show him the respect he deserved. And with that, he walked off the stage. After an appropriate time, he returned to continue.

I remember it so well because of the poignancy of his message and how, to this day, audiences do not often give live performers the respect they deserve.

I hope Berman continues in good health and I hope the show gets to our TV networks.

RON MARGOW

Johannesburg, South Africa