Spring brings countless galas to New York City, but we’re pretty sure there’s only one where you’ll find the city’s premiere “experimental clown” performing as one of artist Paul McCarthy’s famed butt plugs and donors will get called “pay pigs.” Welcome to Performance Space New York’s annual spring gala, where this year, the best way to do some good was to be very, very bad.
Playwright Jordan Tannahill, fresh off his off-Broadway success Prince Faggot, stepped into the role of creative director and reimagined a kink-friendly gala with a “Haute Fetish” dress code that that meant black leather was more common than black tie. This year’s gala honored fashion’s Michèle Lamy, artist McCarthy, and writer Samuel R. Delany, all creatives who no one has ever accused of being prudes. Naturally, Tannahill called in former dominatrix Julia Fox and her BFF, the photographer and model Richie Shazam, to cohost. Dressed as a gala table to open the night, Fox reminded the crowd this was a kink-friendly event. She pulled up comedian Julio Torres onstage to interrogate him about his favorite kink. “A memorable, entertaining night supporting the arts,” he demurred.
