Claire Berger, a former Chicago comic and radio and television personality and now a Burbank, Calif., comedian and sitcom actress, was back in town recently, once again cracking up audiences.
But she was not, as in the past, either on stage at Zanies or improvising at Second City.
And Berger, arguably best known among California television studio bosses for her talent in warming up studio audiences during the taping of such shows as “Murphy Brown” and “Seinfeld,” was not here to kibitz friend of hers during local shoots for “ER.”
Her gig was at her alma mater, Fremd High School in Palatine. But even though the comedian has performed on numerous college campuses, the school that was within yelling distance of her former home was about the last place she expected–or even had wanted–to see again.
“I’m just plotzing,” Berger said, when asked how it felt to be back. “I haven’t been back in 23 years. I did not peak in high school. Those were not my best years.”
Even more amazing to her was why she was back.
At 40, Claire (Goldstein) Berger, a classroom cutup who earned just one A while at Fremd, was attending the high school’s Honors Convocation. Berger, a graduate of the Class of 1974, was being honored as a Fremd Distinguished Graduate for her contribution, as her plaque read, “To the World of Comedy.”
The third alum to be recognized, she shares the honor with two Ph.D.’s: 1978 graduate Mark A. McIntosh, a theologian, and 1982 graduate Ann P. Kinzig, an educator.
“The committee thought it appropriate because she has achieved recognition in her chosen field,” said John Waters, business department chairman at Fremd and chairman of the district’s Distinguished Graduate committee.
And the committee was looking at what she achieved after high school.
“Teachers recall her as a very talented young lady, even though that talent sometimes expressed itself in ways not desirable in the classroom,” said Principal Shirley Mertz, who was not on staff at Fremd when Berger was a student.
Berger has worked on more than 50 television shows, including “Suddenly Susan” and “Friends,” and has co-starred in ABC’s “Into the Night” series. Locally, she hosted a radio talk show on WKQX-FM in the early 1980s and received an Emmy nomination for the 1983 television special “Goodtime Chicago,” a show she wrote, co-produced and starred in.
Berger–who did the Chicago comedy scene in clubs, on radio and television and as a member of Second City–moved with husband Steve Berger to California in 1984, hoping to work in television.
“You can earn a great living in Chicago, but I knew I had to move to L.A. or New York to launch my career,” she said.
Berger has periodically returned to do gigs at Zanies and other area clubs. But until honors night, she had not appeared on stage at Fremd High School.
As she walked up to the microphone to accept the award, Berger said with a wry grin: “Distinguished graduate. Oh my. I’m very surprised, as I’m sure all my teachers would be. I was a problem.”
Berger noted that the only A she received was from English teacher Ellen Schersten, whom she talked into letting her read and review a play a week in an independent study program.
Acting was Berger’s only interest. But even though she performed in several school productions, honors night was her Kolze Auditorium stage debut. The auditorium was not built until 1977.
“Some of the best work I did here was on cafeteria tables butted together,” she said. “My drama teacher, Tom Smith, was the only reason I came to school every day. I regret he passed away before I could thank him.”
She attributed her bad attitude toward Fremd, where she graduated a semester early, as disgust with having to leave Woodland Hills, Calif., her sophomore year in high school. The move, a result of her father’s transfer in the Motorola company, brought the family back to Chicago (Berger had lived in Skokie until she was 6). But she was already bitten by the acting bug and loved living near its hub in California.
“I have wonderful parents, but we moved five times. When I came here, I had a chip on my shoulder,” she said. “I was a malcontent. Of course, that provides some great standup material. But I definitely felt like an outcast. Theater was my niche. You have sports jocks. Well, I was a theater jock.”
To explain just how remarkable this honor was, Berger noted that a Fremd counselor tried to discourage her parents, Al and Natalie Goldstein (who now live in California), from sending her to college.
“She told them it would be a waste of money. She lit a firecracker under my behind,” said Berger, who graduated from Illinois State University in Normal with a self-designed bachelor’s degree in public and fine arts performance.
During her visit to Fremd, Berger gave seminars for English and drama students and offered the following:
Berger on what a TV series warmup comedian does: “When the camera is off, I’m on.”
On why she switched from acting to standup comedy: “Frustration. I needed more control.”
On being a mom (to Jenna, 10, and Sam, 7) and a comedian: “I do things with my kids during the day and work at night. Who would have thought comedy could be a great mom job?”
On her nine seasons with “Murphy Brown”: “I know all the show’s secrets–like what is on the computer screens and the stuff they really eat at Phil’s.” (She later explained that the computers had screen savers full of Washington, D.C., and Murphy Brown references in case someone did notice. The Phil Burger is a veggie patty, and the fries are jicama root dipped in herbal tea.)
On being cast in commercials: “I’m very good in big-hair roles. I did one where my hair was so pouffed out I couldn’t fit into my car. I turned it into a math problem for my children: How many bobby pins are there? There were 67.”
After all the speeches, handshakes and hugs were over and Berger was back home in California, she had time to reflect. “Fremd turned out to be a wonderful theater experience for me,” she said. “I couldn’t ask for a better acting teacher than Tom Smith. He gave me a great gift. He had a lot to do with the focus I have today as a performer. He taught me the value of public performance and the value of acting, personally. His enthusiasm for the arts was contagious.”
Apparently so was her enthusiasm.
Berger’s comments touched students in teacher Judy Klingner’s drama classes.
“They loved her. They loved her candor,” Klingner said. “They really appreciated somebody talking about the arts in the positive way she did.”
“She makes us want to see what’s out there,” said senior Dawn Kehnemund, 18, of Palatine.
Berger’s best high school buddy, advertising executive Nancy Drummond Galante of Lake Zurich, talked about Berger before the honors ceremony began. Galante had moved to Palatine the same time as Berger.
“She was funny. She cracked me up. We had a bond. Neither of us wanted to be in this town called Palatine,” Galante said. “And she hasn’t changed a bit. I expect now that she has two children, she has obtained some maturity”–she paused–“maybe. Claire still cracks me up.”
A call to Berger’s husband, Steve, a 42-year-old advertising executive, confirmed that she has not changed much during their 20 years of marriage.
“It’s creative around here. Claire is always joking,” he said.
Daughter Jenna, who doesn’t mind the perks of her mom’s job (“It’s really cool. I get to meet stars like Brooke Shields.”) said in a phone interview: “She’s funny. I’ve heard her on the sets, I’ve seen her on TV, even at home. She’s a joker everywhere.”
But there is also another side to his wife, according to Steve Berger. He described how she and Jenna went around to such mega-corporations as Disney, Warner Bros. and NBC and to Jay Leno to raise $30,000 that was matched by the city to build a neighborhood park in Burbank. Called the Johnny Carson Park and Tonight Show Playground, the park was dedicated in 1993.
“Claire is the most empathetic, passionate person I’ve met in my life,” he said. “And most people who meet her will feel that right away. She is the most caring, honest person I know.”
That honesty was very much in evidence during her day at Fremd, when she spoke candidly about her high school days, about the influence of certain teachers and about her feelings on being honored.
The Fremd graduate who went from playing Alice Sycamore, the lead role in “You Can’t Take It With You,” in her senior year to working on TV series and playing Las Vegas, told the auditorium crowd: “It’s great to make people laugh for a living. It’s very satisfying.”
She added: “I’m pleased and proud that Fremd High School sees value in comedy. I’m glad they chose me.”
In Berger’s case, Thomas Wolfe was wrong. She can go home again.
SO, YOU WANT TO BE A COMIC
Don’t tell comedian Claire Berger that you want to be famous when you grow up. “Fame is not a profession,” she said.
That thought was among some of the tidbits she passed on to students during a recent visit to her alma mater, Fremd High School in Palatine.
Here are a few other notes on choosing and making it in a comedy career:
– The rash of comedy clubs is over. Perform anyplace someone will listen: church, temple, senior citizens homes, open mikes.
– Be persistent. That’s how Berger said she got her stint warming up audiences for “Murphy Brown.” She read about the show when she was performing on a cruise ship and sent a postcard to the studio every place the cruise ship stopped. When she came back, she went to the studio and said she was the postcard girl. They said, “Oh, come in. You’re crazy.”
– Carry a notebook everywhere. Standup comedy eats up material.
– Do not invite friends to your first show. You’ll think the audiences love you, and you will be under the illusion that you are better than you are.
– Find your own voice. Don’t use somebody else’s.
– Have a thick skin. Doing standup comedy means you are setting up yourself for rejection every seven seconds–that’s how long each joke is.
– When applying for a job, do not walk in with a sense of desperation. They won’t want you.
– Comedy can pay. Cruise work ranges from $800 to $3,000 a week, college tours vary from $800 to $1,500 a show, TV series warmups can range from $800 to $2,000 a time.
– Finally, know that making somebody happy is a powerful feeling.
