The Firesign Theatre

Left to right: Phil Proctor, Peter Bergman, Phil Austin, and David Ossman in 2001

The Firesign Theatre is a comedy troupe consisting of Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, David Ossman, and Philip Proctor.

Formation

The troupe began as live radio performers in Los Angeles, California on radio stations KPPC and KPFK during the mid-1960s.

The group's name is an astrological reference: The membership comprises all three "fire signs," born under Aries (Austin), Leo (Proctor), and two under Sagittarius (Bergman and Ossman). It is also a parody of Fireside Theatre, an early television series that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1955, followed by Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre (1955–58); it may also be a reference to the "Fireside Chat" radio shows of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a parody of which can be heard in one of the Theatre's Nick Danger adventures.

Style

The Firesign approach to comedy was strongly influenced by The Goon Show; all four Firesign members have spoken of their admiration for this show. Said Ossman:

We all listened to The Goon Show, Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe, at various times in our lives. We heard a lot of those shows. They impressed us when we started doing radio ourselves, because they sustained characters in a really surreal and weird kind of situation for a long period of time. They were doing that show for 10 years, all the way through the '50s. So we were just listening to them at the end. It was that madness and the ability to go anywhere and do anything and yet sustain those funny characters. So when we first did written radio, where we would sit down and write half hour skits and do them once a week, which we did in the fall of 1967, we did things that were very imitative of The Goon Show and learned a lot of voices from them and such.

The Theatre specializes in audio recordings, having had comparatively little presence in stage performance, television or movies. Their first four albums in particular are considered classics of recorded comedy. Each of those four albums features a different one of the four members in a leading role but were indeed a running story.

While their stream of consciousness style has the feel of improvisational comedy, most of it actually is tightly scripted and memorized. They have employed a writing method that demands the consent of all four members before a line can be included. Much of their work has been copyrighted under the name "4 or 5 Crazee Guys," reflecting their collective sentiment that there is a "fifth guy in the room" who actually is doing all the writing.

Other projects

Between September 9, 1970 and February 17, 1971, The Firesign Theatre performed a one-hour live show on radio station KPFK in Los Angeles titled Dear Friends. These live shows were recorded by the group and then edited into a slightly shorter shows which the group syndicated to radio stations across the country on 12-inch white label LPs. The group later collected what they thought were the best segments from the Dear Friends radio program for their fifth record, Dear Friends.

In 1972 and 1974, Straight Arrow Press, Rolling Stone's book publishing arm, published two books authored by The Firesign Theatre. These books, The Firesign Theatre's Big Book Of Plays and The Firesign Theatre's Big Mystery Joke Book, contain scholarly information, satirical introductions, and parodic histories, as well as transcriptions of many of the performances from their first seven albums. A later work, also authored by the group and published by a small press, was titled The Apocalypse Papers and was limited to an edition of only 500 copies.

The group cowrote the screenplay to the offbeat comedy Western Zachariah, released in 1971. The film was loosely based on/inspired by the novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse.

Later work

During the mid-1970s, the group more or less split in half: Firesign productions continued, but Proctor and Bergman also performed as a duo, and Austin and Ossman worked individually and together in a few stage shows and most notably in the writing and production of In the Next World, You're on Your Own. In the mid-1980s, Ossman temporarily left the group to produce shows for National Public Radio.

Their recordings through 1975 were originally released by Columbia Records.

Homages

• Comedy writer Bob D. Caterino called the Firesign Theatre "The Beatles of Comedy."

• On several occasions, the Association for Consciousness Exploration staff have organized performances of Firesign Theatre radio plays on stage at the Starwood Festival and WinterStar Symposium, featuring organizers and guest speakers/entertainers of the events under the name "Firesign Clones". Among others, the personnel have included Rev. Ivan Stang of the Church of the SubGenius (host of the Hour of Slack Radio Show), XM Radio personality Bill Kates, and noted occult authors Ian Corrigan and Donald Michael Kraig.

Discography

Firesign Theatre commercial releases

• Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him
  • (Columbia CS-9518 — January 1968)
    • (re-released by Mobile Fidelity MFCD-762 — 1992)

• How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere at All
  • (Columbia CS-9884 — July 1969)
    • (re-released by Mobile Fidelity MFCD-834 — 1988)

• Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers
  • (Columbia C 30102 — July 1970)
    • (re-released by Mobile Fidelity MFCD-880 — 1987)

• I Think We're All Bozos on This Bus
  • (Columbia C-30737 — 1971)
    • (re-released by Mobile Fidelity MFCD-785 — 1989)

• Dear Friends
  • (Columbia KG-31099 — January 1972)
    • (re-released by Mobile Fidelity MFCD-758 — 1992)

• Not Insane or Anything You Want To
  • (Columbia KC-31585 — October 1972)

• The Tale of the Giant Rat of Sumatra
  • (Columbia KC-32730 — January 1974)

• Everything You Know Is Wrong
  • (Columbia KC-33141 — October 1974)

• In the Next World, You're on Your Own
  • (Columbia PC-33475 — October 1975)
    • (Written by Austin and Ossman but performed by the entire group)

• Forward Into The Past
  • (Columbia PC-34391 — 1976)

• Just Folks . . . A Firesign Chat
  • (Butterfly FLY-001 — April 1977)

• Nick Danger: The Case of the Missing Shoe
  • (Rhino RNEP-506 — 1979)

• Fighting Clowns
  • (Firesign/Rhino RNLP-018 — 1980)
    • (re-released by Mobile Fidelity MFCD-748 — 1993)

• Lawyer's Hospital
  • (Rhino RNLP-806 — 1982)

• Shakespeare’s Lost Comedie
  • (Firesign/Rhino RNLP-807 — 1982)
  • (re-released in expanded edition as Anythynge You Want To Firesign Theatre Records MSUG090, 2001, 2005)

• The Three Faces of Al
  • (Rhino RNCD-5812 — 1984)
    • (An official Firesign Theatre release but without David Ossman)

• Eat Or Be Eaten
  • (Mercury 826 452-2 — 1985)
    • (An official Firesign Theatre release but without David Ossman)

• Shoes for Industry: The Best of the Firesign Theatre
  • (Sony/Legacy 52736 — August 1993)

• Anythynge You Want To
  • (Whirlwind Media — 1993)

• Back From The Shadows
  • (Mobile Fidelity Mfcd-2-747 — 1994)

• Pink Hotel Burns Down
  • (LodeStone Media MSUG006 — December 1996)

• Give Me Immortality or Give Me Death
  • (Rhino R2 75509 — September 1998)

• Boom Dot Bust
  • (Rhino R2 75983 — October 1999)

• Bride of Firesign
  • (Rhino R2 75390 — September 2001)

• Radio Now, Live|Radio Now Live!
  • (Whirlwind Media — July 2001)

• Papoon For President
  • (Laugh.Com — 2002)

• All Things Firesign
  • (Artemis Records — March 2003)

Non-commercial releases (radio, promotional LPs)

• Dear Friends — Syndicated Radio Program
  • (1970–1971)

• A Firesign Chat With Papoon
  • (Columbia AS-41 — November 1972)

• Let’s Eat — Syndicated Radio Program
  • (1974)

• The Proctor-Bergman Report
  • (1977–1978)

• The Cassette Chronichles
  • (Rhino RM-73 — 1980)
    • (A six cassette collection of The Firesign Theatre’s presidential and campaign commentaries which aired on NPR during the 1980 election season.)

Firesign-Related Albums

• TV or not TV
  • (Columbia KC-32199 — 1973)
    • (an album by the team of Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman)

• How Time Flys
  • (Columbia KC-32411 — 1973)
    • (a “solo” album written and presented by Ossman, but with all members performing, among others)

• Roller Maidens From Outer Space
  • (Epic KE-32489 - March 1974)
    • (a "solo" album written and presented by Austin, with other members performing)

• What This Country Needs
  • (Columbia PC-33687 — September 1975)
    • (an album by the team of Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman)

• Give Us a Break
  • (Mercury SRM-3719 — 1978)
    • (an album by the team of Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman)

• Daily Feed 1988 Newsreel — The Daily Feed
  • (DC Audio — 1988)
    • (a “solo” cassette by Austin)

• The George Tirebiter Story Chapter1: Another Christmas Carol
  • (Sparks Media — 1989)
    • (a “solo” cassette by Ossman)

• George Tirebiter's Radiodaze
  • (Sparks Media — 1989)
    • (a “solo” cassette by Ossman)

• The George Tirebiter Story Pt.2 Mexican Overdrive / Radiodaze
  • (Company One — 1989)
    • (a “solo” cassette by Ossman)

• A Capital Decade Daily Feed 1989 Newsreel — The Daily Feed
  • (DC Audio — 1989)
    • (a “solo” cassette by Austin)

• The George Tirebiter Story Pt.3 The Ronald Reagan Murder Case
  • (Midwest Radio Theatre Workshop — 1990)
    • (a “solo” cassette by Ossman)

• Down Under Danger
  • (Sparks Media — 1994)
    • (a “solo” cassette by Austin)

• Tales Of The Old Detective And Other Big Fat Lies
  • (Audio Partners — 1994)
    • (a “solo” cassette by Austin)

• David Ossman's Time Capsules
  • (Otherworld Media — Omw 1996/1 — 1996)
    • (a “solo” cassette by Ossman)

• George Tirebiter's Radio Follies
  • (Twin Cities Radio Theatre Workshop — July 1997)
    • (a “solo” cassette by Ossman)

Filmography

• 1970 - Zachariah (co-written by Firesign Theatre) (92 min.)
• 1972 - Martian Space Party (Firesign Theatre with Campoon workers) (27 min.)
• 1973 - Love is Hard to Get (Peter Bergman) (26 min.)
• 1976 - Six Dreams (Peter Bergman - executive producer, Phil Proctor) (13 min.)
• 1976 - Tunnelvision (featuring Phil Proctor) (70 min.)
• 1978 - Everything You Know is Wrong (40 min.)
• 1978 - TV or Not TV (Peter Bergman and Phil Proctor) (33 min.)
• 1979 - J-Men Forever (Firesign Theatre featuring Peter Bergman and Phil Proctor) (75 min.)
• 1979 - The Madhouse of Dr. Fear (Firesign Theatre) (60 min.)
• 1983 - Nick Danger: Case of the Missing Yolk (60 min.) (Originally an Interactive Video, Pacific Arts PAVR-527)
• 1985 - Eat or be Eaten (Phil Austin, Peter Bergman and Phil Proctor, RCA Columbia 60566) (30 min.)
• 1985 - Hot Shorts (Phil Austin, Peter Bergman and Phil Proctor, RCA Columbia 60435) (73 min.)
• 2001 - Firesign Theatre Weirdly Cool DVD Movie

Bibliography

• Firesign Theatre. The Firesign Theatre's Big Book Of Plays. San Francisco: Straight Arrow, 1972.

• Firesign Theatre. The Firesign Theatre's Big Mystery Joke Book. San Francisco: Straight Arrow, 1974.

• Firesign Theatre. The Apocalypse Papers, a Fiction by The Firesign Theatre. Topeka: Apocalypse Press, 1976.

• Firesign Theatre. Backwards Into The Future: The Recorded History of the Firesign Theatre. Albany: Bearmanor Media, 2006.

Miscellaneous

• In September 1967 The Firesign Theatre performed an adaptation of Jorge Luis Borges' short story entitled "La Muerte y La Brujula" ("Death and the Compass") on Radio Free Oz.
• In 1979 the movie Americathon was released. Based on a skit written by Phil Proctor & Peter Bergman, it was adapted for screen.

References

• Firesign Theatre. Firesign Theatre. 19 Jan. 2006 <http://www.firesigntheatre.com/>.
• "FIREZINE: Linques!." Firesign Theatre FAQ. 23 Jan. 2006 <http://firezine.net/faq/>.
• Marsh, Dave, and Greil Marcus. "The Firesign Theatre." The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. Ed. Dave Marsh and John Swenson. New York: Random House, 1983. 175–176.
• Smith, Ronald L. The Goldmine Comedy Record Price Guide. Iola: Krause, 1996.

Further reading

• Ossman, David. The Ronald Reagan Murder Case: A George Tirebiter Mystery. (Albany: BearManor Media) (2006) ISBN 1-59393-071-2
• Wiebel, Jr, Frederick C. (2005). Backwards into the Future - The Firesign Theatre. Albany: BearManor Media ISBN 1-59393-043-7

External links

• The Firesign Theatre
• Phil Austin's Blog of the Unknown
• Planet Proctor
• Firesign Theatre FAQs
• Chromium Switch, The Original Fanzine
• The World's Biggest Firesign Theatre FAQ
• Firesign Theatre Lexicon