Silent Film Festival: Charlie Chaplin Shorts

Wednesday, September 9 at 7 PM

The fourth annual Kenworthy Silent Film Festival continues with three all-time classic short films written and directed by Charlie Chaplin in the years between 1917-22: “Pay Day,” “The Immigrant,” and “Easy Street” with new scores for saxophone quartet composed by young professionals from WSU and UI Lionel Hampton School of Music. KPAC is proud to offer commissions to advanced students and recent graduates through an open application with competitive review. This year’s distinguished composers include Kade Rowland, Tristan Donaldson, and Moe Conner. This special partnership is made possible by university liaisons, Max Wolpert and Christian Kim.

The two-reel Chaplin shorts offer a very funny glimpse of a universally recognized and beloved artist as he refined his Tramp persona with precision spills and a surprisingly moral vision. These films, much like feature masterworks that came not long after, address pressing issues–labor exploitation, domestic strife, and social integration–with comic resilience that speaks to Chaplin’s unshakable optimism, a sentiment that feels honest and earned. These selections are among Chaplin’s most celebrated early films; don’t miss this opportunity to see them with the laughter of others in an old vaudeville auditorium.

Not Rated | 1 hr 20 min | Tickets: $20 Adult / $12 Student / $50 Festival Pass