The Theatre Raymond Kabbaz (TRK) proudly presents the Stories from Père Lachaise, a new festival celebrating the immortality of the arts inspired by the great artists buried in the historic Cemetery in Paris.

 Inspired by Carolyn Campbell’s bestselling book “City of Immortals: Père-Lachaise Cemetery, Paris” the multi-disciplinary festival pays tribute to the great artists resting in Père-Lachaise Cemetery.

 Living artists will interpret the works of great composers, poets, vocalists, dancers and visual artists who long ago found fame with their artistic achievements, and whose art lives on today. Enduring masterworks from Chopin, Poulenc, Bizet, Grappelli, Isadora Duncan, and many more (see full program below) are brought together on stage in an eclectic mix of artistic styles and genres with a Can-Can finale!

 Carolyn Campbell, an expert on Père Lachaise, will be onsite and on stage for a presentation, a Q&A, and a book signing. Attendees will encounter the great artists buried in Père-Lachaise and will get a glimpse into their secret intrigues and forbidden passions that scandalized the public at the time.

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

City of Immortals, November 6, 2021, 3pm - 10pm

3:00pm – 10:00pm: Photography exhibition

“City of Immortals” Photographs by Carolyn Campbell.

Carolyn Campbell’s evocative images reveal the eternal staying power and drama of funerary monuments and highlight the architects, designers, and artists who contributed to the mesmerizing environment of Père-Lachaise.

4:00pm: Film screening of the documentary film “FOREVER” by Heddy Honigmann - $15 

5:30PM: Illustrated Presentation and Q&A with Carolyn Campbell following the screening.

 FOREVER

Through a leisurely tour of the world-famous Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris, the final resting place for legendary writers, composers, painters and other artists from around the world, FOREVER provides an unusually poignant, emotionally powerful meditation and questioning on relations between the living and the dead, and the immortal power of art. Immortality exists through the arts.

"This is no somber doc about death. In exploring the life-changing, death-defying power of beauty, FOREVER turns out to be a fascinating, beautiful meditation on art."—Kelly Jane Torrance, The Washington Times

Presentation and Q&A

Carolyn Campbell is a photographic artist and writer based in Los Angeles. In 2020, she was awarded an Artist Grant from the City of West Hollywood for her City of Immortals project. A sought-after lecturer, Campbell is an authority on funerary symbols and the sculpture and architecture of 19th century cemeteries.

6:45pm - 7:15pm: Book Signing Author Carolyn Campbell “City of Immortals™”

Carolyn Campbell signs copies of “City of Immortals” a 200-page non-fiction book featuring 100 color photos and a fold-out map of Père-Lachaise Cemetery that was selected for the Los Angeles Times Bestseller List and #1 Hot New Release on Amazon.  "It is a Louvre for the departed," said reviewer Genie Davis in Artillery Magazine.        

Copies of the book “City of Immortals” are sold through Village Well, an independent bookstore in Culver City.

7:30pm-9:30pm: “Stories from Père Lachaise” performances of the works of Père-Lachaise artists preceded by Illustrated Conversation - $25

Introduction and Illustrated Conversation by Carolyn Campbell directly preceding the performances.

The collection of performances pays tribute to the great artists resting in Père-Lachaise, from Frédéric Chopin to Edith Piaf, and from lesser-known names like Henri Duvernois to the eternal celebrity Jim Morrison. Names who long ago found fame through their artistic achievements, and whose art lives on today, brought together on stage in an eclectic mix of artistic styles and genres.

Featuring living artists Cedric Berry, Victoria Kirsch, Shana Blake Hill, Nora Germain, Chloé Perrier, Cabaret Versatile, Félixe de Becker, and Kacie Devaney.

9:30pm - 10:00pm: Book Signing

Author Carolyn Campbell “City of Immortals”

Carolyn Campbell signs copies of  “City of Immortals” a 200-page non-fiction book featuring 100 color photos and a fold-out map of Père-Lachaise Cemetery that was selected for the Los Angeles Times Bestseller List and #1 Hot New Release on Amazon.  "It is a Louvre for the departed," said reviewer Genie Davis in Artillery Magazine. 

Copies of the book “City of Immortals” are sold through Village Well, an independent bookstore in Culver City.

TICKETS

$15 MOVIE PASS, 3pm – 7:15pm: Includes screening of FOREVER by Heddy Honigmann, followed by Illustrated Conversation with Carolyn Campbell, “City of Immortals” book signing, and access to "City of Immortals" photography exhibition.

$25 PERFORMANCE PASS, 6pm-10pm: Includes “Stories from Père Lachaise” performances preceded by Illustrated Conversation with Carolyn Campbell, “City of Immortals” book signing, and access to "City of Immortals" photography exhibition.

$35 ALL ACCESS PASS, 3pm-10pm: all of the above.