SCENE White Party
After the eight o’clock Monkey: Journey to the West performance Spoleto SCENE members flocked to Church Street for the annual white party.
The SCENE members were glammed up as well. There were all shades of white (although a few people even wore black) and styles. My favorite dress was worn by Tiffany Griffin, who wore a strapless, white sheath dress with an oversized white bow on the front. Very cute. Asian inspired hors d’oeuvres by James Burns Catering were passed around butler style. I am sure the server with the Sesame Seared Tuna on Crisp Wonton with Ginger Sauce was sick of me by the end of the night. I waved her over a few times (well, maybe more than a few times).
As more and more people piled in, things got a little crowded as I made my way to the garden area to converse with the Monkey cast members. Ok, not a lot of conversing went on since they spoke very little English. They seemed to be having a great time despite the language barrier. They were taking pictures of each other and laughing and that is when I made my move. I motioned a few of them over and held up my camera and they immediately struck a fierce pose. Their style was very wild and in your face (some even dressed in white). I loved it. The girls dressed in colorful, printed tanks (I saw a lot of polka dots) with the ballerina skirts, with the guys in sleeveless and chest bearing shirts.
Before the end of the night, I was given a personal home tour by one of the party hostesses, Mary Ramsay. Mary’s grandparents graciously offered their home for tonight’s festivities. The home was beautifully decorated in the old Charleston-style with a lot of their family furniture still in use. I went out onto the second story balcony and watched the crowd below. Everyone appeared to be having a wonderful time.
“My memory is not as good as it use to be, but I really loved seeing Ella Fitzgerald when she was here. I loved seeing Gregory Hines, The Alvin Ailey Dancers & of course, the Dance Theatre of Harlem. I loved many events, but those are still quite clear to me.”
“Going to last year’s Spoleto SCENE white party and meeting Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter Aurélia Thierrée.” Sara Corbett
“This season of Spoleto has already produced two great memories, and there’s more to come! Meeting one of the gentlemen who play the Monkey King was definitely a highlight—following the Friday night, gravity-defying performance. And the Taylor Mac party brought out some of the best from Charleston’s young professional scene, not to mention the brightly-painted entertainment.” Erin Watson
