#af.event

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Vivienne had been looking forward to this night for months. She’d heard fantastic things about the combined efforts of Ernst and Miró, whispered about with hushed reverence in the wings of her theatres or at avant garde gatherings, and with raised, skeptical eyebrows in Motmartre cafés.

Modernist, psychological Romeo & Juliet wasn’t for everyone, clearly.

Vivienne, however, had been buzzing with excitement. And it certainly was striking, she must say - with all those dancers in their masks and slight lines barely suggesting a setting.

But she couldn't say it was setting her imagination alight, exactly.

As the lights faded up for intermission, she shifted in her seat, tempted to flick through the program again, in the hope that she could squeeze even a drop of clarity. As she looked around, scanning the faces of fellow ballet-goers for their thoughts, she spied a familiar form not too far away and raced over.

“Well!, she said, a bright smile crossing her face, “Who would’ve expected that we’d all be graced with your esteemed company tonight?”

She crept a step or two closer, and dropped her voice to a whisper.

“Now, tell me if you can, my dear. . .  what on earth does all of this mean with our star-crossed pair flying off by plane? Is it some kind of odd symbolism? And the dressing gown? They haven’t slipped anything into the champagne on offer, to cause such confusion, surely? Though, I wouldn’t put it past them, at this point.”

                                   「WHAT’S SHAKING?」

Summer’s in the air, and so are some new happenings about town! If you were to peruse the pages of Le Petit Journal, or listen to the buzz about town, you might hear a word or two about the goings-on below. As always, all events are an as-you-like experience - your muses don’t have to pack their schedule with other happenings if you’ve already got a full slate. Pick and choose as you feel is appropriate, and, of course, fun! And, as always, if you have any questions, just drop us an ask!

✺ LET’S GET THE BAL ROLLING

WHERE - The Bal de la Montagne-Sainte-Geneviève, uphill from the Panthéon. What a view! WHAT - The sweetness of summertime by the Seine is just around the corner, and the Bal can’t wait. Word in the queerer corners of Paris is that this beloved nightclub is going all out to welcome the season. Delightful drag is encouraged - if you need a hand with your makeup, or can’t afford a worthy wardrobe, please, don’t fret. We’ve got you covered. Come as you are. Have a glass or three of champagne; they got the good stuff brought in, special. Dance. Drift by the kissing booth. Live deliciously, darlings. Just don’t go swinging from the chandeliers - they’re rather expensive to replace! We can’t keep doing this, Danièle...

✺ EN PLEIN AIR

WHERE - The parks and cafes of Paris are crawling with hopeful artists, bristling with easels. But the excitement is certainly rippling through anyplace those creative types gather, especially the Bateau Lavoir and L'Académie de la Grande Chaumière. WHAT - The ever-exuberant Salon des Indépendants are, once again, accepting submissions for their annual exhibition at the Grand Palais! It should, indeed, be a grand time - even if some critics wring their hands and sniff disdainfully at the thought of a showing so utterly unrefined by jury selection. But the Salon insists; their sometimes-scandalous shows will go on, sans jury ni récompense. (Yes, that means there’s no cash prizes. But with so many eyes on your artworks, finding a buyer after the exhibition is done might be simple enough!)  Twenty-five francs will secure you room to display two pieces. Artists, bring your best! Bystanders, enjoy the furor of artistic endeavor around town. Or don’t. Regulars might shudder to recall the “barbarous schematizers” of 1908, or the “ignorant geometers” of 1910 - what’s art coming to, these days?

✺ HERE’S THE CAVALRY

WHERE - The Hôtel de Charost, home of the British embassy in Paris.    WHAT - Eager to ring in (or, more rightly, show off) his new military attaché, the British ambassador has arranged a soirée suited to welcoming a war hero. It’s sure to be quite the evening. If you like that sort of thing. And merit an invitation, of course. Should a night of rubbing elbows with the so-called finest society has to offer sounds like your cup of tea, warm your pearls, starch your collar, and swan over to the embassy. 

Otherwise... well, look out for the swath of British officers about town. They’re here for a good time, not for a long time, with money to burn and sights to see - and, if you listen to the gossip, a tendency to rough-house when in their cups. Hopefully the only noses they bloody will be their own, but les goddams could be trouble. Best give them a wide berth.

✺ OUT AND ABOUT

Of course, the City of Lights is always a-glow with all manner of action and intrigue! Here, let’s have a look at some of our open starters...

The Writer’s choice in outfit for the Midsummer gala was surely an act of self-awareness and self-deprecation. If not, we can think of no better example of irony than the image of Bhari Sinclair taking on the persona of Bottom. He is, after all, Paris’ own take on the classic story of a man made an ass by thinking nothing of a Fairy’s affection towards him. 

                   ~ Midsummer Moonlight Masquerade ~

𝕃𝕖 ℙ𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕥 𝕁𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕒𝕝  𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢 𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏

𝓖𝓾𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓪𝓾𝓶𝓮 𝓡𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓽 & 𝓔𝓵𝓸𝓭𝓲𝓮 𝓒𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓮

                                「WHAT’S SHAKING?」

Last Friday, we presented our first round of events - now, we’re going to introduce another feature we’re excited to experiment with, here at Années Folles! This is an event update, where we add admin-generated twists and turns and share event-starters created by our wonderful members! As always, all events and updates are an as-you-like experience - your muses don’t have to pack their schedule with other goings-on, if you’ve got a full slate, and an update does not mean you have to wildly change direction in a thread!

As always, if you have any questions, just drop us an ask! ✺ LES DIMANCHES AU GALOP 

WHERE - The Races, specifically l’Hippodromes Longchamp and Auteuil. WHAT - These Sunday extravaganzas take place at some of the finest racecourses in the city. Head to Auteuil for the splendor of steeplechasing; if a good, flat run is more to your taste, try Longchamp! Either would be a lovely spot for a picnic. If you’ve a bit of money to burn, legal bets may be placed at the track - of course, all winnings must be dedicated to the improvement of the sport. Illegal bets, for the improvement of your bank account, may be placed with your bookie of choice. But beware! The flics keep an eye out for that sort of thing, and we can’t all afford to pay the Sûreté to look the other way...

✺ WHAT, NOW - Word about town favored a filly known as Gold of Luxor for the first derby of the day at Longchamp, and a colt called Castellan for the prix to follow. Merde! Sometimes, gossip’s just that. Neither horse ran so well as hoped. If your character put money on either, guess you’re out of luck. 

✺ STARTERS Take in a race or two with Allura!

 ✺ RED RUMBLES FROM ACROSS THE CHANNEL

WHERE - Most of the murmuring seems to be around the Quais and Street Markets, but word is spreading by the hour... WHAT - At a minute to midnight, over a million British workers declared a general strike. While the Parisian proletariat hasn’t yet made a move of its own, there’s a certain electricity to the air. It would be understandable if you found yourself a little on edge; these are uncertain times, after all. Anything could happen. Or nothing. Who can say?

✺ WHAT, NOW - As tensions bristle, the Quais have seen a few scuffles between the police and so-called “suspicious” characters... other than that, nothing much appears to have come of those stirrings. Yet. 

 ✺ O ROMEO, ROMEO

WHERE - The Palais Garnier, but of course! WHAT - Fresh from Monaco, the Ballets Russe are kicking off a splendid return to Paris with no less stirring a show than Romeo and Juliet, adorned by sets and costumes from Max Ernst and Joan Miró. Sure to be a surreal treat, indeed! Get your tickets now!

✺ WHAT, NOW - Outraged to see their surrealist colleagues in league with such a bourgeois project, Louis Aragon and André Breton have crashed the premiere! Showering the stage in leaflets - labeled, simply, PROTEST! in red ink - the artists and their companions have started a heckling riot, storming the Palais. The police have been called; in fact, the director seems to have been expecting something like this! The show must go on, but it’s rather hard to hear over the artistic outrage.