It often helps if yu speak a foreign language--i have found my way
into all sorts of event simply by feigning ignornace of english and
speking solely in french--my borhter used to do his ith me--speaking in
Italian--it often worked our way into free food, tickets, backstage passes
and the like
one of the most fun jobs i had was back in 1969--i worked for a
while as a translator in a high class social club/whorehouse in Paris
frquented by american businessmen--due to a wil west decor many of the
clients were Texans--all i had to do was play the diplomat and make sur
certain formalities of introduction etc were made, gradually working the
tone of the conversation from the formal to th informal--and letting each
side know what the other wnated--from simple companionship to various
forms of sexual activity
s well, i coudl pretend to each prty to be giving them the inside
scoop--often things i made up! to add to the confusion and fun
the madame knew i did ths and appreciated it, saying she had an
artist on her hands
my pay consisted of good food, gcigarettes, somme wads f rancs and
passes to various shows
th grils of course were off li
mits as that wd make me prone to take sides, to prefer certain ones--
i got to know all kinds of inside gossip and so on
i was only sixteen but looked bigger and acted older--fortunately
at the time my french was fluent--
occaisioanlly the police wd come by in which case i wd vanish into
a special hiding place--as had been arrested a nuber of times for various
suspicious things--mainy as i was too fluent in frnech--they thought my
passpoert was faked--
worked there at a month and then oved on to other things--
it was fun dreaming up for the business men who and what exactly
i was--i found the best cover was to say i was a writr in p[aris ganing
experieces for a future book--
this wd be answered with by a wink and nod and invit t a drink
etc--i refused as was not goom
d idea to drink on the job--instead wd suggest they drink with one of the
girls who cd manage so
me english--
als provided basic pidgin english and french lessons for the clents and
workers
i enjpoyed vastly the various protocols whch had to be presrved,
the tylized dance of the performance, all watched over by the madame via a
system of compelly p[ostioned mirrors so no cornr was out of view
there were also very qyiet large men psotioned here and there,
inconspiciously, who c be called upon in case of trouble
but they were not needed--all was kept very much in the lines of
decroum
a very nice, formal theater
evryone acted with great professionalism and evn fom time to time
a genuine warmth
i got to wear a nice mock western type suit as well
i got pick a monkier in keeping with the decor and ambence so
called my slef "Johnny Guktar" after th great baoque western with joan
crawford and mercedes mccambridge, directed by Nicholas Ray--a fillm much
lovd in frnace at the time
hen people compaind that i did not play the guitar, i would choose
some other name--
i enjoyed very much the whole play acting set up and all the rules
which had to be carefully preserved--
later when i got into trouble for heanding out Breton Liberatio
front litearture and being photographed with members of that
oranization--i just eeded somehing to do of a sunday afteroon and the
bretons asked if i was part breton, which i am--i was in pretty hot water
with the CRS security police and getting beaten up--i gave as name of a
friend the madame and she appeared and, being knwn to the olice, helped
secure my release--with an exchange of bills and a few winks at me
good thing you no longer work for me dera friend she said--last
thing we need is politics!
but a friend is a friend-and you can't help yourself, you just
wanted to help out--after all, you handed out lfyrs for us as well
that was last i saw of her
the whole time i regarded it as a wonderful opportunity to take
part in a performance
i am sure there are many such opportunities in our everyday lives,
in which we can act out different rols and so learn various subcultural
languages, gestures, ways of thinking, atttiudes and open our eyes and
ears and bodies for materials for art
--onwo/ards!
dave baptiste
