Paris Portraits

SFMOMA, 151 Third Street, San Francisco
Thursday, Aug 27, 2026, 6 pm | Free with RSVP

This performance is in conjunction with SFMOMA’s exhibition Matisse’s Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal (now through September 13, 2026).

Welcome to a Parisian salon. This staged dramatic reading brings to life a collection of stories from Paris Portraits: Stories of Picasso, Matisse, Gertrude Stein, and Their Circle, by Harriet Lane Levy (1867–1950), a celebrated San Francisco writer and theater critic.

Actress Laura Sheppard portrays the stories of Harriet Lane Levy, who moved to Paris in 1907 with her friend and neighbor Alice B. Toklas and suddenly found herself immersed in a strange and vibrant world. Levy tells of her initiation into the Parisian lifestyle and salons of the Steins (Gertrude and brother Leo, and brother Michael and his wife Sarah), the rivalry between Picasso and Matisse, wild nights in Montmartre, and her own discoveries as a single woman abroad, painting a picture of Paris that is simultaneously grand and intimate.

This staged dramatic reading was originally developed for the exhibition, Seeing Gertrude Stein, featured at the Contemporary Jewish Museum. Created and performed by Laura Sheppard and directed by Suzanne Stassevitch. Accompanied on piano by Dale Tsang.

Presented by SFMOMA and Mechanics’ Institute

Laura Sheppard is artistic director of Yiddish Theatre Ensemble (YTE), a producer, and a professionally trained actor. She was producer for YTE’s productions including Di Megileh of Itzik Manger, God of Vengeance, and Between Worlds. She served as a cultural consultant for productions of Indecent at San Francisco Playhouse, which received six Bay Area Critics Circle Awards; Indecent at Center Rep, Walnut Creek; and Fiddler on the Roof at Contra Costa Civic Theatre. Laura’s solo theatrical work includes Still Life with (Gertrude) Stein which toured to the Edinburgh Fringe and international festivals. Paris Portraits was featured at the Contemporary Jewish Museum and the Marines’ Memorial Theatre for Humanities West. She is senior producer at San Francisco’s historic Mechanics’ Institute where she presents literary events and celebrations. She continues to create theatre and dramatic readings inspired by great writers.

Dale Tsang earned her BM in piano performance from the University of Southern California, her MM from the University of Michigan, and her DMA from Rice University. Dale is a faculty member at Laney College and teaches an inspiring assortment of adult students.

A winner of numerous competitions and an active solo and chamber musician, Dale frequently performs locally and internationally, including in France, Spain, Germany, Hungary, Poland, the Netherlands, China and Japan. As a core member of the Ensemble for These Times, she championed 20th and 21st century music and collaborated in many commissions, premieres and international performances. Her collaborative work on E4TT recordings resulted in a 2016 Silver Medal and a 2018 Gold Medal from the Global Music Awards. She enthusiastically continues to disseminate the music of living composers. Dale is married to her best friend and favorite composer David Garner, and is a mother to two wonderful college kids.

Photo Credits: Diane Sosnoski (Sheppard); Frogsong Photography (Tsang)