Scene V · the parlor

The Parlor

La Ruche · the bohemian bar

Worn velvet banquettes and mismatched Thonet chairs. Yiddish posters peel on the walls. A phonograph plays Vertinsky low under conversation. The bar is oxidized copper, gone green with time. Chagalls hang quietly along the walls — the dedicated Chagall sub-room is through the back.