Archive for April, 2015

Caroline Nin Sings Edith Piaf

Friday, April 24th, 2015
Facebook Twitter Linkedin
Caroline Nin

Caroline Nin
Photograph courtesy of Caroline Nin

French chanteuse Caroline Nin opened a one-woman show last night at the Essaïon Theater, singing many of the famous cabaret songs of Edith Piaf. During the performance she recounted anecdotes from Piaf’s life, giving the audience an appreciation of the epoch in which she lived and the events that shaped her. I particularly enjoyed hearing Nin sing Mon Légionnaire, the haunting account of Piaf’s one-night stand with a French legionnaire whom she met in a bar.

Knowing next to nothing about Piaf’s life before I saw Nin’s show, I was intrigued to learn about some of its gritty details.

Nin will perform Thursday evenings in French and Friday and Saturday evenings in English through August 1st. For booking information in English, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

* * * * * * *
Like our blog? Join us on Facebook!

Appels en Absence – An American Play in Paris

Wednesday, April 15th, 2015
Facebook Twitter Linkedin

by Monique Y. Wells

Appels en Absence is the French translation of an American play written by Sarah Ruhl. Directed by Emily Wilson and translated by Isabelle Famchon, it is being brilliantly performed by an ensemble cast at the Lucernaire theater* in Montparnasse.

The play opens with all six members of the cast seated in various poses on a minimalist stage. At the fore are a woman who faces the audience (Jean) and a man whose back is turned toward the audience (Gordon).

Jean (Nathalie Baunaure) in the foreground

Jean (Nathalie Baunaure) in the foreground
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Gordon (Marc Marchand) sits with his back to the audience; Mrs. Gottlieb (Dorli Lamar) and Gordon's mistress (Fiamma Bennett) in profile in the background

Gordon (Marc Marchand) sits with his back to the audience;
Mrs. Gottlieb (Dorli Lamar) and
Gordon’s mistress (Fiamma Bennett) in profile in the background

Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

We quickly surmise that Jean is sitting in the cafe. Gordon’s cell phone rings incessantly at the next table. Jean tries to engage Gordon in conversation, first pointing out that the phone is ringing, then asking him why he refuses to answer. She soon realizes that he is dead, and uses his phone to call the authorities to have them remove his body. She attends his funeral, clutching the phone as Gordon’s mother exhorts everyone to turn off their mobiles in respect for the church and the occasion.

Inexplicably, Jean decides to keep the phone and “keep Gordon alive” by responding to his calls. Through this charade, she meets his family, his colleagues, and even Death itself, as she embarks on an existential adventure that transforms her life.

The characters in the play are Jean; Gordon; Gordon’s mother, Mrs. Gottleib; Gordon’s younger brother, Dwight; Gordon’s wife, Hermia; Gordon’s (unnamed) mistress; and an unknown woman. All the parts are played with finesse and wry humor. Gordon (played by Marc Marchand) is especially sardonic and his monologues are accentuated by movement that is reminiscent of modern danse. Mrs. Gottleib (played by Dorli Lamar) is the epitome of the mother who loves her eldest son desperately but never managed to convey this to him when he was alive. And Jean (played by Nathalie Baunaure) is captivating in her increasingly fanciful fabrications of Gordon’s last words and deeds as she encounters those who knew him best. As director Emily Wilson indicates in the press release for the production, the play is both touching and absurd.

From left to right: Nathalie Baunaure (Jean), Yves Buchin (Dwight), Fiamma Bennett (mistress/stranger); Audrey Lamarque (Hermia), Marc Marchand (Gordon), and Dorli Lamar (Mrs. Gottlieb)

From left to right: Nathalie Baunaure (Jean), Yves Buchin (Dwight),
Fiamma Bennett (mistress/stranger), Audrey Lamarque (Hermia),
Marc Marchand (Gordon), and Dorli Lamar (Mrs. Gottlieb)

Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Emily Wilson, director

Emily Wilson, director
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The original title of the play is Dead Man’s Cell Phone. It was commissioned by Playwrights Horizons with funds from the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Commissioning Program and Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California. It was produced on Broadway at Lincoln Center in NYC in 2009.

The Paris production at Le Lucernaire runs through May 10.

Le Lucernaire
53, rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs
75006 Paris
Internet: http://lucernaire.fr
Metro: Notre-Dame-des-Champs (Line 12), Vavin ou Saint-Placide (Line 4), Edgar Quinet (Line 6)

Regular entry fee: 25€
Senior rate (65+ years of age): 20€
Student / Unemployed rate: 15 €
Youth rate (less than 26 years of age): 10€

*Le Lucernaire is more than just a theater. It also houses a three-screen cinema, a restaurant, a bar, and a L’Harmattan bookstore.

* * * * * * *
Like our blog? Join us on Facebook!

Tasting Wine from the Stelios Kechris Estate at Mavrommatis

Friday, April 3rd, 2015
Facebook Twitter Linkedin
Stelios Kechris - Winemaker

Stelios Kechris – Winemaker
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Last Friday we attended a presentation of the wines of Stelios Kechris, a winemaker from Kalochori – a small town in Thessaloniki in the Macedonia region of Greece. The event was held at the wine shop Mavrommatis, located near the foot of rue Mouffetard in the 5th arrondissement of Paris.

Quatrième Dimension "t" and Kechribari

Quatrième dimension “t” and Kechribari
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

We tasted two whites and two reds and ended up buying a bottle of Kechribari, a white wine made from 100% Roditis grape; and Quatrième Dimension “t”, a red wine made from 50% Xinomavro, 30% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Back home, we served these with the meals that we prepared and, at the same time, recorded our appreciations of the wines.

Tasting the Kechribari was a real surprise for me because it expressed a light fragrance and flavor of pine resin. Until that moment, I had never sampled a resinated Greek wine at the Mavrommatis cellar. In fact, one of the winemakers whom I met there told me that resin was traditionally used to cover up defects in wine and that a good wine maker avoids the use of this substance. However, Kechribari was a pleasure to drink – with a robe of brilliant pale gold, it tasted light, slightly tannic, and a bit peppery with notes of lime. For me, this wine would be a refreshing apéritif served chilled on a warm summer’s day, or would be appropriately served with a chicken or pasta dish.

At the tasting, the Quatrième Dimension “t” expressed an aroma and flavor of cooked red fruits. We purchased a bottle, took it home, and opened it the next day. This time, the cooked red-fruit sensation that we had appreciated at the tasting was missing. However, the following day we tried it again and voilà! – the flavor had returned. It only needed a few hours after opening for its full flavors to develop. Medium-bodied and dry, this wine enhanced our appreciation of the steak that we prepared that evening.

* * * * * * *
Like our blog? Join us on Facebook!