The Power of Conversation - Jewish Women and their Salons

This Fall, URT is creating Welcome To My Salon, a theatrical tour. In this production two actresses lead visitors through a powerful exhibition about the historical phenomenon of the Salon in the 18th-20th centuries. The exhibit runs from September 19 - Dec. 4 at the McMullen Museum, on the Boston College campus. It is sponsored by the New Center for Arts and Culture and is arriving from the Jewish Museum of New York where it received much attention for its ground-breaking research and elegant presentation. The tour reveals the impact of women on society through their salons, specifically Jewish women, who were uniquely influential, in spite of social discrimination which kept from them the rights of full citizenship.

Actresses will don the roles of a wide range of fascinating characters, including salonieres from the US (avant-garde writer Gertrude Stein), Germany (Rahel Levin, a romantic of the Enlightenment; and musical salonieres Amalie Beer and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel), England (Ada Leverson, champion of Oscar Wilde even after his release from prison), and Italy (Anna Kuliscioff, a revolutionary exiled from her native Russia who helped found the Italian Socialist Party).

The program is designed for both intergenerational groups of families and for youth groups (targeted ages - 11-18). The 45 minute tour is followed by an opportunity to participate in a 'mini-salon' reminiscent of those from the exhibition.

URT Artistic Director Debra Wise is writing the script, which is being developed with the help of actress Stephanie Clayman, who will perform many of the roles. Designer Heidi Hermiller - known by many as the costume designer for the Revels - will help the performers evoke the different eras covered in the tour. URT Education Director Maggie Moore Abdow is creating accompanying curriculum and study guide on the art and power of conversation, including its importance both to the history of the salon and to the present-day.

For more information on how to book a tour, contact: Allison Pokras, Manager of Education and Outreach, The New Center for Arts and Culture: apokras@jccgb.org , 617-558-6519.