About us > Past productions > 2011/12 > In Paris
engaging asides
Your trip to In Paris wouldn’t be complete without a stroll down these side streets, where you’ll discover tidbits about Baryshnikov, author Ivan Bunin, the city of love and lights itself—and much more.
about the show
Berkeley Rep’s special presentation of In Paris is a co-production of the Baryshnikov Arts Center, Dmitry Krymov Laboratory and Russian Century Foundation. To find out more about these organizations, check out their websites.
mikhail baryshnikov
Baryshnikov: In Black and White
- A must-have for any Baryshnikov fan. In Black and White contains over 175 photographs, an essay from Baryshnikov biographer Joan Acocella and a detailed chronology of the dancer’s career in the West.
Electronic
Mikhail Baryshnikov on Opening the Baryshnikov Arts Center
- Watch the renowned dancer, choreographer and actor discuss his eponymous Arts Center and the importance of supporting creative ventures.
- In this video interview, recorded during In Paris’ run at the 2011’s Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival, Baryshnikov explains the origins of the show.
Film
Place (DVD)
- A multimedia dance film from acclaimed choreographer Mats Ek, starring ballet legends Mikhail Baryshnikov and Ana Laguna.
about the author
The Collected Stories of Ivan Bunin
- This lauded reprint of 20 Bunin short stories includes In Paris, the source material for this special presentation. The collection spans 44 years of Bunin’s writing career and is “marked by an emotional intensity in remembrance that recalls Proust.” (Publishers Weekly)
Ivan Bunin: From the Other Shore, 1920–1933 by Thomas Gaiton Marullo
- Like Nikolay and Olga, the main characters of In Paris, the politically conservative Ivan Bunin emigrated from Russia to Paris after the Red Revolution in 1920. This compilation of Bunin’s personal letters, diary entries and fictional short stories traces the early period of his Parisian exile, from his first year abroad to the year of his Nobel Prize win.
Electronic
Ivan Bunin’s Nobel Prize Biography
- Ivan Bunin was the first Russian citizen to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. This short autobiography from 1933, the year of his win, was written for publication in the ceremony’s official yearbook, Les Prix Nobel.
- This bio from the University of Leeds contains a more in-depth description of the author’s life and work, including information about his permanent migration to France in 1920. Don’t panic—although the website, featuring a wealth of information about the author, is Russian, this particular article is in English.
about russia
The Food and Cooking of Russia by Elena Makhonko
- The character of Nikolay first meets Olga when he visits a Russian restaurant, hungering for the comfort food of his homeland. Cooking is a prominent motif in the short story of In Paris, which features references to a number of Russian dishes and drinks. This cookbook from Elena Makhonko contains over 60 recipes for those wishing to explore new culinary geography.
The Russian Revolution by Sheila Fitzpatrick
- For those of you curious about the context of Nikolay’s military past, University of Chicago professor Sheila Fitzpatrick’s gripping history chronicles the events of the Russian Revolution.
Electronic
- This article from Paris Voice, a “webzine for English-speaking Parisians,” illuminates the history of Franco-Russian relations.
about paris
Hungry for Paris: The Ultimate Guide to the City’s 102 Best Restaurants by Alexander Lobrano
- A restaurant guide to the French capital from Gourmet magazine’s chief European correspondent. Hungry contains reviews, maps and handy “how to” sections about handling any and every kind of Parisian dining experience.
Seven Ages of Paris by Alistair Horne
- In Paris gives us a detailed look at a particular time and place—Paris in the interwar years—but much has happened to the city before and since Olga and Nikolay’s day. Alistair Horne condenses the history of the city from the early 12th century all the way to 1969 into one palatable and entertaining narrative.
Paris Was Ours edited by Penelope Rowlands
- A book of 32 personal essays from writers who have moved to Paris and experienced the city as a non-native. Includes stories from David Sedaris, Diane Johnson, Edmund White and Judith Thurman.
Paris Between the Wars 1919–1939: Art, Life & Culture by Gerard Durozoi and Vincent Bouvet
- Bouvet and Durozoi, both art historians, cover the music, literature, art and bohemian lifestyle that defined Paris in the years between World War I and World War II, the time period in which In Paris is set. This survey also includes drawings, advertisements, film stills and photographs.
Electronic
Living in France for expats, by expats
- Wish you could be like Olga and Nikolay and experience Paris as a seasoned ex-pat? This handy online guide to “la vie francaise” will turn even the greenest of visitors into a pro Parisian.
Film
Paris Je T’aime (DVD)
- A modern love-letter to the city of lights, this 2007 film features 18 short vignettes about Paris from A-list filmmakers like the Coen brothers, Gus Van Sant, Isabel Coixet, Gurinder Chadha and Alexander Payne.
Mikhail Baryshnikov (right) and Anna Sinyakina perform at Berkeley Rep in a special presentation of In Paris.
(Photo by Anna Akartseva)
