What can I say but that I run the most fabulous, bijou literary salon in Paris. It’s just a fact. But the brag is hardly mine alone; the success of this venture would not be possible without the extraordinary posse of artists with whom I work. My main wing woman, visual artist Sarita Beraha, has been sculpting the 70 meters of red velvet we acquired for the first salon (see earlier post) into theatrical dreamscapes; this last salon, she created a flower, a rose, or maybe it’s a lollipop?
The theme for this past salon was Le Royaume des Fleurs and to this effect we created seven tableaux to celebrate the feminine and the floral. In the mix was poet Constance Chlore, musicians Rebecca Waterhouse and Lea Klinghammer, dancer MaryLou Sarazin, writer Shannon Cain, and myself as writer, dancer and director. London-based actress Doraly Rosa made a recording of my text “The Royal National Rose Society’s Rose Pageant From the Trial Grounds of St. Albans” in a voice she described as somewhere between “posh and porn”. Jennifer Larsen made us an exceptional spread of flower-themed patisserie, served alongside champagne, poured and served by our faithful attendee, Tony Vanaria.
Our first tableau “Salon de Coiffure” with MaryLou, Rebecca, Lea and myself, brandishing a blow-brush.
Below: Constance Chlore reading her poetry; Shannon Cain reading from Naomi Wolf while Sarita Beraha dresses and undresses her; me doing a Brigitte Bardot burlesque fan dance; In the audience — writer Janet Skeslian Charles listens intently.