10 January 2026. ITINERANT INTERLUDE #234. Because 2026 is Year 234 in the French Republican calendar.
les sansculottides – the days of the sans-culottes – is a performance piece by Laurie Schwartz conceived especially for Sharon Kivland’s THE BLOODY RADICALS. The work draws upon the rich tapestry of references, myths, and revolutionary ideals that animate Kivland’s latest project – not least, the radical possibility of reimagining time itself.
A few additional details to ponder, in no particular order:
– Marie Antoinette went barefoot to the guillotine. She had a model farm.
– The well-known French folksong Il pleut il pleut bergère was written by Fabre d’Eglantine in 1780.
– Fabre d’Eglantine – poet, playwright, and politician – invented the names of the months of the French Republican calendar.
– According to historical accounts, as she ascended the scaffold on her way to the guillotine, Marie Antoinette apologized for stepping on her executioner’s foot. Her reported last words were: “Pardonnez-moi, monsieur. Je ne l’ai pas fait exprès.” (“Pardon me, sir. I didn’t do that on purpose.”)
– According to legend, Fabre d’Eglantine was said to have hummed Il pleut il pleut bergère on his way to the scaffold. He also distributed his handwritten poems along the way.
– The red sash.
– Because the storm is coming. Because the storm is here.
