Meditation, live performances, BUM BUM TRAIN, Rita Hayworth, Burma, Dr. Sketchy, Le Port de l’Angoisse, haircut and banana …
Today, FAULT meets Miss Marion, a live performer who had no hesitation in leaving her comfortable position as Vivienne Westwood’s press officer in Paris a few months ago to start her own events planning venture with her unique glamour and flamboyant touch.
She invited us into her cosy place where Lomo cameras have pride of place on the mantelpiece and some of her collages cover the living room’s walls.
FAULT: Working for Vivienne Westwood for 8 years, were there funny or unexpected moments you could share with us?
Miss Marion: One funny thing I remember is that she always enjoys a cup of hot water… No tea, just hot water… She would always ask for it.
FAULT: What are you currently working on?
Miss Marion: When I left VW, I had two projects in mind. To set up my own business and write a play. At this time, I am focusing on the writing of my play. I am about to finish the first draft but I will certainly make a lot of changes to it. I need to get the feedback of some of my close collaborators before going ahead.
It is going to be about a granny femme fatale who travels in time and remembers some of her moments during the golden age of Hollywood.
I am particularly keen on playing with gender stereotypes and the legend sex symbols of the late interwar era. At the time, women were just starting on taking over their husbands by simply embracing their role as housewives and owning it. That’s how the myth of the sexy and submissive housewife was born. Women realized that accepting their fate and making fun of it was the primary step to freedom. Their power of seduction was their most effective weapon.
What interests me most is how women in this age, such as Marylin Monroe or Rita Hayworth, became sex symbols. Both were lacking self-confidence and had had unusually dark childhoods. I think they knew they had a strong sex appeal but I am still wondering how they managed to find balance between their status as sex symbols, their public image and their true selves, filled with doubt and insecurity.
My objective is to create intimacy with spectators and make them participate in my play. In my opinion, theatre is the only one medium that really can cause a direct and instant emotion in people and therefore make an impact.
My last trip to Asia was a real turning point in the writing of this play and Burma was a life changing experience. I had a meditation training there and I have practiced every single day ever since. It helps me relax and get better on all possible levels. It also prepares me to get into my new entrepreneurial life.
FAULT: And what about your business idea?
Miss Marion: It revolves around live performances and special events organized for any kind of businesses willing to see freshness and novelty. Lately, I collaborated with the agency SOURCEand I distributed Maxim’s chocolate boxes to different fashion editions in Paris. It was shot as a silent film and you can see me acting with notices which spoke instead of me… We took people by surprise and it was a lot of fun!
The basic idea is to add value to special events (e.g. private parties) and showcase something different from champagne and amuse-bouches… I do think live performances have an impact and help people remember the event. I like bringing a light touch into people’s lives through what I do. I like teasing and mingling with people, somehow convince them they are special and unique.Theatre is definitely the medium I feel more comfortable working with. It’s alive.
FAULT: I really love the photo series you recently did for STANDARD Magazine (#33, October 2011). Can you tell us more about it?
Miss Marion: I have always been fascinated by women in 20thcentury who were perfectly dressed, spent hours in front of a mirror and were ideal housewives caring for everything and everyone: children, the washing, the cooking, etc as you can find them in the Mad Men series… So when this magazine approached me to do a photo series about domestic life, I was walking on air!
These women seemed to be happy and fully satisfied but actually they were in complete distress and they were submissive to their husbands with no clear objectives and opportunities at all.
As I like highlighting paradoxes through my art, I decided to play a glamorous and sexy housewife in a very 50’s style who’s not afraid of showing how powerful she is and how exciting it could be to stay at home!
FAULT: After having travelled through Asia last summer (Burma, Thailand and Cambodia), do you have any other trips scheduled?
Miss Marion: I will be in London by the beginning of November to meet You me bum bum train and contribute to their work as a volunteer. It is a theatre troop where the performers are all volunteers. Take a look at their latest performances, it’s really worth the watch. In their last performance at Barbican, London, they basically invited the audience to take part in the performance. The spectators sat on wheelchairs that were driven through the scenes without meeting any other member of the audience. They call it immersive theatre. Their idea of putting the spectator at the heart of the performance is truly inspiring and I would like to develop this concept in my own productions.
On a different note, I am flying to South America for a few months with nothing else than a bag, a pair of good shoes and my sketchbook to draw people I meet on the way. I like the challenge of not planning anything.
Later, I would like to go to L.A to meet and interview actresses who used to embody the typical femmes fatale of the film noir genre back in the day in order to nurture the characters of my play…
FAULT: If you had the opportunity to travel back in time, where and when would you like to make a stop for a day?
Miss Marion: I would say in the 40’s during the shooting of American director Howard Hawks’ film Le Port de l’Angoisse(To have and have not). I would love to observe Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall acting and maybe have fun with them at a Hollywood party after that…
It was a gorgeous couple both on screen and in real life.
FAULT: What do you wish I asked you during this interview?
Miss Marion: I am still wondering why I cut off my hair so that’s probably what I would ask myself.
In fact, I didn’t expect it to be as short as it is. My hairdresser cut it at his own place where there is no mirror. When I passed my hand through my hair at the end, it was already too late… No more French twists for now.
If you look for a delicate and vibrant form of entertainment, look no further. This Professional French Chic woman is your man!
For further information about the artist and her work:
