Word for word
Bonjour, mes amis! Today, I'm delighted to welcome Susan Harloe, artistic director for a unique performing arts company, Word for Word, which stages short stories in their entirety. Next month in Paris, they will present T.C. Boyle's "Sorry, Fugu," a short story about Albert, a chef and restaurant owner, who concocts a diabolical plan to outwit critic terrible, Willa. Susan answered a few questions about her company, the theme of food stories, and the special challenges of producing food theater.
What is Word for Word?
I founded the company in 1993 with a friend, JoAnne Winter. Here's our mission statement: The mission of Word for Word is to tell great stories with elegant theatricality, staging performances of classic and contemporary fiction. We believe in the power of the short story to provide solace, compassion, and insight into our daily lives.
How did you select this year's text, "Sorry Fugu"?
We are all great lovers of food, and of books! We often have retreats where we cook for each other, read outloud to each other, and select the stories for our next shows. We wanted to give an evening of food-related stories — about the pleasure of food, about our appetites, and the sensuality that food brings, both in preparation and in eating.
What are the special challenges of producing a theatrical piece about food?
A real prop challenge. Our talented prop creator, Caela Fujii, designed nearly 30 food facsimiles. And as "Sorry Fugu" takes place in a professional restaurant kitchen, there was much discussion of food prep, serving, plating up, etc. We brought in a chef to give tips to the actors, and spent lots and lots of time in food discussion: how does a pastry chef create her desserts; how long can you keep bread in a kitchen to rise? "Sorry Fugu" is full of food jokes, and we had to know what all the dishes were, as well. For example, what, exactly, is fugu?
You can see Word for Word (and fugu?) for yourself next month when they perform at the Salle Adyer on March 20-21. For more information or to reserve seats, visit the American Library in Paris.
(Photo courtesy of Word for Word.)
