Regina Resnik, an opera singer...

...who was "loved by directors, conductors and the audience" according to F. Paul Driscoll (whoever he is), died at age 90.

On at least one occasion, however, she boldly took an unruly section of an audience to task.

“Stop! Stop!” Ms. Resnik shouted from the stage in French as hecklers interrupted a performance of “Carmen” in Marseilles in 1962.

They had hooted and howled and hurled vegetables toward her and her co-star, Richard Martell, who, in the role of Don Jose, had just finishing professing his love for her. Ms. Resnik’s defiance prompted cheers from the rest of the audience, and a clarification from the hecklers that Mr. Martell was their target.

Yet when they proceeded to heckle more, Ms. Resnik glared long and hard toward their place in the balcony and then erupted with a single powerful “Silence!”

Silence is what largely ensued, at least until the performance was over, when bunches of radishes struck the drawn red curtain.

Now, I've never been to an opera so I don't know: Is it common practice to bring vegetables with you to a performance?